Fraustino believes that the struggles experienced by protagonists in distopian literature compel us not only because they give us “hope for humankind,” but also because we can relate to their struggles to stay true to their goodness and not succumb to the pervasive darkness of the world around them. I agree with this statement. I believe that a large part of the appeal in distopian literature is to demonstrate the struggle between giving in to the challenges that surround us–which often inspire the exaggerated evils in distopian worlds–and triumphing over them through resistance. Jonas experiences this throughout the novel, but in particular while he is escaping. We see him wishing for an easy way out of his situation–to return home and try to live a “normal” life. But due to his morals and newfound worldview, giving in to the distopian society would not even be what he could consider “living” any longer. His virtue dictates his actions and choices rather than his inherent desires.

In my article Maggie Stiefvater says that dystopian fiction is an escape for teens not because they make a connection between the society they live in and the society the characters live in, but because they are wanting a simple story of good vs. evil in contrast to their own world where “evil” is hard to define. While I agree with Stiefvater’s idea, I believe this is because young readers are attracted to the stories because the character takes agency of their own lives when it seems impossible. I feel that young adult readers can identify with the common goal of these characters: To change their world and gain their freedom. From the discussion in class today we realized as adult readers, the society Lowry builds is a dystopian society, but it is difficult to place the blame on the people of the society. The black and white of the struggle for good vs evil is not as clear as contemporary novels, but the character’s general goal remains the same.

I chose Andrew Clements’ response to the NY Times question about what was causing the rise of darker themes in young adult works in recent years. Basically, his opinion is that in our current rapid information age, where all the terrible things that happen are disseminated to us in full color, rapid fire news segments, something must be dark indeed to put the darkness of our real lives in perspective. As he says, he “enjoyed the sharp contrast between [his] safe and normal… life, and the horrors… of [his] reading life.”

I definitely agree with him. I feel like the children of today are exposed to way more horror than children of the past were, at least in a visceral way. World War II may have been the most horrendous war in history, but kids didn’t have access to all the news about it so suddenly and vividly.

Clements’ point can be related to The Giver in a couple of ways. Obviously at the time Lowry wrote the book this kind of ultra-saturated media content was beginning to take its toll. Another more thematic way that it ties in, though, is in that the characters in The Giver are purposefully protected from the kind of truth that the children of today are receiving. It is interesting to consider what the characters in the book would think of a dystopian novel… I imagine they would have no context to weigh it against (all of them apart from, of course, the Giver himself). It is helpful in perceiving why young adult books from earlier times were not so arresting as they are now.

– Chris Kimsey

Abate states that YA has always focused on avenues to address social, cultural, societal, and emotional issues. She also points out that the true root of criticism of YA literature is actually based on whether children should be open to addressing these issues or ultimately saved from having to take on the adult responsibility these issues require.

Personally, I think she’s right. Further, I think that these novels are an excellent way to educate the audience in a “safe” way. The readers feel the emotions of the story and are given responsibility to consider these dilemmas; However, the author still protects and leads the readers through the problems– a moral guide, so to speak.

The Giver applies to Abate’s argument as a liberal piece of YA literature. It encourages readers to reconsider what they find (and what they are taught to find) comfortable, to challenge norms.

By Chelsea Cooper