- What do you think happened to Jonas and Gabriel?
- Why did the author choose to use an ambiguous ending?
- Are you satisfied with an ending that does not answer all your questions? Why or why not?
- Would you recommend this novel to others? Why or why not?
As always, you may choose to write on any other topic as well. Let's wrap up our discussion on The Giver with your final thoughts!
I believe that Jonas and Gabe died. One reason I think this is true is the way the book ends, on page 179-180. It also says that Jonas found a sled, and was sledding down a hill when he began to lose conciousness. It says that Jonas knew that Elsewhere, that held their future and their past, was waiting for them, like he always felt it would. Then it ends with: "Suddenly he was aware with certainity and joy that below, ahead, they were waiting for him; and that they were waiting too, for the baby. For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing.
ReplyDeleteBehind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo." As you can see, it makes many references to death, such as the Elsewhere that they mention when someone is released. Also, he says that the place he had left was across vast distances of space and time, so it could be that Jonas and Gabe were leaving our world. And finally, if you lose consciousness on a sled (assuming it was a real one), in the middle of snowy lands, you will freeze to death anyway. This is why I think they died, and I think it makes sense.
I would recommend this book for others to read. First, because it is a very good book that makes us think a lot about life, freedom and human rights. Should we give up on freedom? Should humans receive this treatment? Is this a type of life I would accept to live? These are questions that I have been asking myself over and over after reading this book. Also, I liked this book a lot, since it had a very good story about the life of a young boy that is drastically changed just by being told true thigs that have happened in the past. I really felt inside the story, feeling anger, sadness and pity as the story went on. For example, on pages 147 to 151, when the meaning of the release is revealed, I felt really shocked and angry, not just normal like in some other books. Finally, it is a book that unsettles us, making us think, even shocking us. It is not one of those books that you close after reading the last line and just go right on doing something else, never giving the story a second thought. I really thought a lot about this book, and probably still will. This is why I would recommend this book to others.
ReplyDeleteI didn't really like the ending of The Giver, beacuse it just ends when you really don't think it'll end. Jonas and Gabe go down the hill with a sled. They could see the light's in the houses and the families celebrating love. And for the first time he hears music. Then the book ends. So in my opinion the ending of this book wasn't very good, although the rest of the book may have been interesting.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend this novel to other people, because it's very interesting. It's interesting, because you get to know about aonther community. How they organized their community is very different from our. Although it's not a very good ending, the book is nice. So, I would recommend this book for other people.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Francesca:
ReplyDeleteI agree with Francesca about that she thinks Jonas and Gabe died. At first I didn't know, but all of her reasons convinced me that they actually died. I mean, what else can have happened to them. Did they get a home? I don't think so because they didn't have any money. So I also think that Jonas and Gabe died.
I was not totally satisfied with the ending if The Giver. One reason they I think this is because the story suddenly ends where it actually could still be a lot more. Of course possibly the characters could die, but there could be so much to be told! On the last few pages of the book, about 178 to 180, you actually hope that there's going to be something more happening, but then suddenly... PUF! The book has ended without giving us a lot of information. Another reason would be that the author leaves us wondering over the end of the book. This is somewhat good in a way, but I still don't like it. it's good in a way that you can use your imagination to wonder and create many hypothesis, but I like books that have a ending where you can realize it has actually ended. In addition, I think that since the story did not have an "ending", you just simply can’t know what happens too many of the other characters. For example, what happens to the memories Jonas had, where they released to the community? What happened then? What about the Giver, did he need to find a new Receiver or now that the community knew it all, was he not needed anymore? In addition, Jonas friends, what happened to them? What about the future that awaited Jonas and his community? This are just a few questions that the author let us wondering and pondering about. There could probably be just a whole new book about the ending. Finally, if you analyzed this book as a whole, you would say it was indeed a good book, I'm not saying it wasn't, but the ending leaves us in a "a little more to wish" situation.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Francesca:
ReplyDeleteI would also recommend this book like Francesca. I agree that it makes you think a lot about life. Especially about a different life, because the life in The Giver is a lot different than in our lifes. francesca also gave a llot of reasons that are really good. So, like Francesca, I would recommend The Giver for other people.
Responding to John:
ReplyDeleteI agree. Even though this might not bcome my favorite book and it has not my type of ending, it's a great book. You have all you need for such: and interesting plot, amazing characters, a curious ending and a good story. You to know more about other places and how lucky we are to live in a place where we have rights, freedom and liberty of expression. It's a very good gender for you to work on top of and for you to explore. LAthougfh it's not either ,y favorite type of ending, this is a book I would surely recommemnd for others.
Responding to Francesca:
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you. I wouls also recomend this book. The Giver actually makes you question your life principles. I think it also helps you see how you can live without things you never thought you would be able to, for instance technology and transportation. It also helps us realize that we are very lucky to live where we live, in a society full of rights. I was also very shocked when I discovered what being released actually ment. Elsewhere probably must be heaven, or wherever you go after you die. Being reprieved from memories form what happend in the past is a way to control people, but I would not agree with such. I wonder if when the memories were released to the community they lived like we do now or if they became a total caos. Anyway, I agree, I would totally reccomend this book for otehrs to read it.
In my opinion Gabriel and Jonas died. I think that because when they where going down the hill they felt many feelings, love happiness and others. I think that showed the begginig of a new life. A fresh start begging, a life where sameness does not exist, a life where they can be really happy. It would also actuallly be imposible for a kid and a baby to survive what they did. So these are the reason why I think they died.
ReplyDelete***Responding to John and Francesca:***
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with both of you. I would reacomend this book to every body. It is a great book, it makes you reflect so much about life, and find out that you actually need to be thankfull about life, and everything you have. It makes you think of how you need to thank everybody, that you have a choice, that you actually have the conciousness of thinking and having your own opinionl. It is a great book and I recomend it to everyone.
Realating to the ending, I thought it was really interesting. At first I was really mad that the book actually ended, and I actually stayed a lot of time reflecting about it. When the book ended I actually didn't know what had happened to Jonas and Gabe, but later I actually reflected about it. The only thing that could actually have happened was they died. There could be no other alternative ending. If they had not died, it would have been a kind of non sense ending.
ReplyDeleteI believe that both Jonas and Gabriel died. First, because they were going downhill on a sled in the middle of a snow storm. Second, they lost their concious; and if by a miracle they survived, the would steel freeze at the snow storm since they apparently are in the middle of nowhere. Third, since being released mean basically "dieing", Elsewhere could be than Heaven of wherever you go after you die. Fourth, they have been traveling for a long time and living basically from the memories Jonas can give. They are not going to last for a lot more time if it continues this way. Does someone know if there are more books of these series? if I'm not wrong, theres a second book called "The Receiver". That would mean that they won't die, at least not both of them if there's actuallta a second book. And still, if they survived, what would the point of the book be in the end?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Francesca's first comment. I also think he died. He died because he was thinking about his first and one of his favorite memories. In the last pages he was cold and couldn't resist anymore and we probably imagine our best moments when we are dying or maybe already even dead. These are my thoughts about it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with John, Francesca and Barbara.
ReplyDeleteI would also recommend it. I hated the thought about death, a lot. This book, The Giver, made me think about it and how death can brings us to peace. When I watched movies were someone would be dying in someplace, saying things like "Don't cry, I will be in peace", I wouldn't understand. Sure, life is precious. But death can brings us serenity.
Also, about their death there is another event that makes the theory of 'Jonas and Gabe died' stronger. The sled is just there! How can the sled just be positioned there? It was one of his memories, and it seems more like a dream. That event makes the theory more applicable to the ending.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Isabela.
ReplyDeleteThe book just suddenly ends, leaving tons of questions. Sure, we can use our imagination for the ending, but it just doesn't seem like the story itself. I personally don't like when the author leaves us hanging like Lois Lowry did. Questions like: What happened to the community after Jonas dissapeared? Was there a shock for another Giver to 'quit'? Did they REALLY die? The Giver just leaves us questioning.
I agree with Francesca's first comment, because I also think Jonas and Gabe died on the end of the book. Since Jonas seemed to be remembering all his good memories while he was in a sled during a rainstorm. I also think he died because he lost his consciousness, and how can he have lost his conscious but still “drive” e sled. But since the Book does not answer if Jonas and Gabe died or not we will never be sure.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Juliana's comment
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. The fact that the sled was just there doesn't make any sense, but what could have happened was that they we're knocked unconscious, and then maybe they could be dreaming. This could be another possiblity to what happened to them. The end is really confusing, but the good thing about it is that you reflect lot about and need to think a lot to get to a conclusion.
I agree with Juliana and Isabela, since there are many questions that are unanswered in the end of this book, like did Jonas and Gabe die? What happened to the Giver? What happened to Jonas’s community? That is why this book really makes you think after you read it. You think about what could have happened to Jonas and Gabe, and if they actually got to Elsewhere. This is why this book is really interesting since there is no way you read it and then just never think about it.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would recommend this novel, since it may seem quite boring in the beginning, but when you get to the middle and end you start to think a lot about life and your own community. I would also recommend this book because I think it is good the way you have to think about what actually happened in the end, even though I still would like to know what actually happened, it is good to think about the story and organize the thoughts inside your head.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Juliana, because in this book you actually do think about death and sometimes it does bring you serenity and peace. On The Giver, you think about death a lot, like when someone is released. But then Jonas was looking for Elsewhere and what youi know is that Elsewhere is where people that are released go. But when you are released you are actually dyeing. So I also think that if Jonas found Elsewhere, It means he died. But even though he dies, he died with all his good memories.
ReplyDeleteI am not satisfied with the ending for a series of reasons. One of them is that ok , the author can leave us to imagine some answers , but she could at least answer some basic questions... One of them would be when did this happen? Where? How was it possible for them to get rid of colors and emotions? I tend to like endings that leave me with questions , but not so many questions!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn´t recommend this novel to others. I truly didn´t think it was cool , not even from the start. Also , finishing this book and being left with so many questions like the ones i posted above , is something that fills me with anguish. If there are people out there who love to imagine the answers to all this questions , I am sure they would love this book, because if there is one thing it requires to fill the gaps of this novel , it is imagination.
ReplyDeleteI dissagre with Alice. I dont think that they died BECAUSE they supposedly reached Elsewhere. In my point of view elsewhere is simply a place of the boundaries of the communities and it´s allies. Having reached Elsewhere could also mean that they finally escaped the grasp of the communitie , and they were not only not being observed anymore , they were also in a place the community wouldn´t look for them. The community couldn´t REACH them.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with franscesca´s first comment.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the idea of them dying is reasonable , i think that the probability of Jonas´s being alucinating more reasonable. He was using the warmth memories to keep him hot , but i think that the effect fo the memories was MENTAL not physical , so while he felt hot , his body was actually cold. I think that a disease such as hypothermy should have ´´caught on to him´´ since , if i remember correctly , the sled memory wasn´t with jona´s anymore , and he wouldn´t be able to visualize it with so much confusion on his mind.
Barbara says that she was really mad when the book ended without answering her questions, and that she only reached a conclusion about Jonas' and Gabe's destiny after she thought it over many times. On the one hand, I agree with her becasue I was also a little disappointed about the way the book ended, since it was so sudden and unexplined. On the other hand, I disagree with Barbara because the first thought that came to my mind when I read the last line of the book was: "Oh no! They died!" I thought instantly that they had died, and it seemed pretty clear to me all this time. This is why I both agree and disagree with Barbara.
ReplyDeleteAlice says that she would recommend this book because it seems boring in the beginning but then it gets better, and because the ending makes you think. I agree, because these are good reasons to recommend this book to other people, so I would also recommend it. Also, it is true that the ending makes us think about all the possibilities of what might have happened, and this book really makes us think about our own society and weight its good parts against the bad ones. Finally, I also agree that at the very beginning it was really boring but then it got better. You can see that I agree with Alice.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think that Gabe and Jonas die at the end. Well, I mean during their journey. I think that their plan is really complicated and confusing. Why did it have to be so hard? I know they have a lot of security, but the way the author wrote it, it was weird.
ReplyDeleteI am not satisfied with the end, because I want to know if my prediction of them dying will actually occur. I wanted to know what the community would do, and how the Giver would feel that he left, and did not go to say goodbye. He should have gotten the memory of courage and confidence. He would have needed it. Another thing that makes me not like the ending is that Gabe went with Jonas, and because Jonas could not take care of him, he would die. Either way, he would die. BUT, also, I am glad that Jonas brought Gabe along, because he would have been killed first thing in the morning, but instead, Jonas let him live longer. Jonas did the right thing. I kind of could tell that he was going to take Gabe with him.
Before Francesca mentioned in her first post, I had never considered the possibility of Jonas and Gabe dying. Anyhow, after reading her post, with the explanation and the support to her thought, I do agree that it makes complete sense. Even though I do think it´s a great thought, I still don´t think that that is what occured in the end of The Giver. For some reason, I do believe that Gabe and Jonas did find elsewhere to live; a better place, with love,colors and all the other memories. I think that because in the end, Jonas said that he felt he was so close to getting there, that he and Gabe would have a better life.
ReplyDeleteI am and am not satisfied with the ending the author choose. First, I think it´s great that she chose to keep some of the suspense, so that people could imagine different endings, and have different thoughts about it, which maybe she though would be more interesting than having only one ending. On the other hand, I really don´t like the ending because I think that the author could have explained much better some details about other things that got us thinking. For example, I would really have liked to know about how the community Jonas belonged to reacted to all the memories.
ReplyDeleteI definetely recommend this book to other people. I really like it because it´s a rather different topic, that we barely read about. As I said, the only part that I thought the author could have worked on better (as to write more about something) was the ending. Also, it was really interesting to read about this very different community, that is so different from the community we live in, so we could see things from a completely different point of view.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Gabriel.
ReplyDeleteAs I said before in my previous post, the idea of both of them dying is very reasonable, and a great thought that I would have never thought of, but I still don´t think that´s what happened. I agree much more on the idea that Jonas was only halucinating because of hypothermia. I think that the author really wouldn´t have made Jonas and Gabriel died, because after all Jonas' effort, he should be able to reach his goal.
Wow!! I am really surprised how The Giver book ended!! I didn't like it at all! What happened to Jonas & Gabe? What did Jonas parents do? The book makes you have many "cups full of questions". This may be a good way to end a book, if there is a sequel, but other than that it wouldn't be good.
ReplyDeleteOne main question that I have been wondering about is: What happened to Jonas?
Well, this may have been a very different answer for everybody, but for me, it is just the simple way. What I mean by that, is just how the way the book ends. In this case, that Jonas finds Elsewhere. This was what I thought when I had just finished the book. But now my answer has changed.
When, in class we discussed about that Jonas maybe went to heaven, I started thinking hard. What if he actually did? All the features, and the environment around Jonas, how described, did actually seem like heaven.
So, what did happen? Did Jonas die, or find another community......
Continuing my other comment, I think that he author ended with a ambiguous ending because she wanted to leave us curious and to think about the book for a little longer. I would recommend this book to others because it is a good book with a lot of thing to wonder about and think about. It helps understand the meaning of freedom and sameness. It makes you want to read more to know the meaning of realeased, and it also helps you learn a couple of lessons. One is, don't trust anybody. Back then, or in the future, when ever this book took place in, it was not really good to trust your family, because, as in Jonas' case, his dad lied to him.
ReplyDeleteI would recommend this book to others because it is a good book and it makes you want to read more. It shows a couple of moral lessons, and one of them is never to trust anybody except your self. This is shown in the book when Jonas' father lie's to Jonas about being released. It is never good to lie. I mean, would you like somebody lying to you? In Jonas' case, it was his father. In the past, or in the future, when ever this book took place in, you could not trust others. I would hate it if anybody lied to me. I trust my family, and they trust me. That would suck if they did not trust you! I mean you would not be a real family. I also would like to know if the Giver lied to Jonas. He had the same rules! The only thing that changed was that the new Receiver of memory couldn't be released.
I got of track, but that is all I wanted to say.
Responding to Maria Clara's comment:
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you that the book was good and that the only thing the author should have done better was the ending. It did not leave me satisfied. If you read my other comment, you will see why.
Though, I did kind of like the ending, and as I said before, read my comment to see why.
Gabriel,
ReplyDeleteI sort of agree with you in some way. First, the book would be good for people who like imagining answers. Second, I really liked the book. At the beginning, it was boring, but besides that, it was really cool. I mean, as Maria Clara said, it is a book that we never read, and it is different.
Continuation of other comment
ReplyDeleteAnother question that most of us think about is: What happened to Jonas parents and the community?
Well, i think that if Jonas died, they would just cry and then maybe not have any other Receiver, worried that they would fail again. But, if Jonas had just found Elsewhere, i think that if he spent some time there, and then went back, everybody would be so happy to see him, although the Elders would get angry, and if they are really busted, they could even release him.
What would happen to Gabe then?
Does Gabe also die? If he doesn't, what happens to him.? If he also goes back to the community, would they release him anyway, or would they reconsider and but him in a new family.
About that, poor Gabe! I mean, what a mean dad, after all the time he spent with Gabe, saying things like:" Oh, what a cute little thing.", then he just says in a baby voice, " It's bye-bye to you in the morning.". How mean is that!! What kind of a father would do that, even if the baby wasn't his, but he had token care of it.
It's depressing to hear that!
One question that I am thinking about is: Would an ordinary father release his own child if they were too weak?
Responding to Francesca's, John, Isabela, Barabara, Juliana, Alice and Maria Clara posts
ReplyDeleteYes, I too agree that this is a good book to recommend. At the beginning it is boring, but then it gets a lot better. Although, when a book gets boring, I sometimes just stop reading it. So, if a person is like me, and wasn't obligated to read it, they would just stop reading. A really good book, in my opinion, is suppose to be good all the time.
But, other than that the book is really interesting, strange, exciting and makes you have a lot of questions.
Responding to Barabara's comment, responding to Juliana
ReplyDeleteYes, if you actually think about it, yes they could have fainted, but why would the author do that? Why would he leave us when something terrible happens, and we don't even know anything else?
What does it mean by, on the the last page, "...or maybe it was just an echo...? I don't have a single clue about what it may, or is its meaning. Is it referring to that Jonas may still have a long way to travel? If not, what does it mean? I know that there is no exact answer to this, but i really want to know?
Did the author end the book like that because he ran out of ideas, or was it just to keep up wondering? THE ENDING IS REALLY FRUSTRATING!!!! I don't want to have a lot of questions, but a lot of answers!!!
WHAT WILL HAPPEN....????
This ending makes me feel frustrating... I wanted really to know what was the correct "guess"of the ending. Everyone has a different opinion and has a lot of support to it. The first time I finished reading the book, I thought that they had finned a perf place to live, but when Mrs. Kuhn told us about Francesca opinion, I started to realize that it could have been that they died. The singing, the lights, the color, the sled, the hill,where all memories that were given to Jonas, by the Giver. In my opinion I think that when you died all the memories started to pass through your thoughts, and make you see it. There are much more thoughts, that you could have think of the end. There is not a right one.
ReplyDeleteWhen Mrs. Kuhn and our class discussed about the ending, and what was her opinion of the ending, I saw that the author was right. In her opinion, the ending was suppose to be a happy ending, not a sad one, like death. She also said that she was not going to continue with a series, because she didn't want to ruin everyones thoughts about the ending. She would had to say if they died or if they found the Elsewhere. So, she doesn't have the thought of writing a series. Concludind, her though about the ending, for me, was the right one, Jonas found the community, and the left community lived fine with all those memories back. Most of you are still thinking that, that was not the correct ending, but, as I already said, that is not a correct answer.
ReplyDeleteResponding to Maria Clara's comment:
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you! I would also recommend this book to anyone, who loves to read. Some people would like the book, becausse they love those types of ending, but some other people wouldn't liek this book so much, because the ending was strange and they wanted to know the real ending. Besides that, I think people would love to read this book. It makes you think a lot, and put yourself in Jonas position. Asking yoursef if you would do the same, or what was your personal plan.
Responding to Gabriel:I totally disagree with him. This a good book, and good to recommand. Even though the ending makes us question, this book makes you reflect on it and put yourself in his position. Some people like this type of ending. It makes them think more. Sometimes, when the book starts boring, you need to continue to read, because you still don't have any clues if the middle, and the ending are wonderful. So don't give up on a book because it's cover doesn't look nice or it's beggining is boring, you need to continue to read. The Giver's beggining is very boring, but it's total is great!!
ReplyDeleteWhen I finished reading The Giver, I was very confused and did not come to any real conclusions of the characters' destinies. But still, if anybody asked me on how the book ended, I would say that the author, Lois Lowry, did not say it, but that I thought they were almost reaching a new community. When Mrs. Kuhn read Francesca's post on this topic, one morning, I got 100% messed up and did not know what to think. After a while, I realized that all the things that happened to baby Gabriel and Jonas indicated death. Them finding a sled, listening to music in the end, and much more. Also, their journey was extremely long, difficult, and exhaustive. They might have hallucinated in the snow and died of hypothermia. Although I hate sad endings, this is the one that makes more sense to me.
ReplyDeleteThe author chose to use an ambiguous ending for several reasons. First, she probably wanted her book to be more polemic and interesting than books where there is a happy or sad ending. Also, she wanted her readers to reflect and think a lot about the ending. Finally, she wanted the readers to interpret the ending with their own points of view. For these reasons, I believe Lois Lowry chose to use such an ambiguous ending to her book, The Giver.
ReplyDeleteI disliked the ending of the book The Giver for a few reasons. First, we read many pages about the journey and after that, it just ends suddenly, without an answer. Also, it doesn't go back to Jonas' community to tell us how they reacted the boys' missing and to the memories. I don't really like these endings. Finally, the author should have made a sequel to this book talking about their destinies and the destinies of the community. For these reasons, I don't really like the ending of the book. But of course, one good thing about this ambiguous ending is that we could discuss a lot more during class.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would definitely recommend this novel to others. I absolutely loved reading this book! It is such a different and interesting book! I had never read a book about a controlled and utopian society. It is very awesome that we learned a new genre by reading it. Also, it seems boring in the beggining, but it really is not. It just takes a while to introduce Jonas and his completely different world. The ending is polemic, but it is still good. She should have made a sequel, then it would be 100% perfect!!! I recommend it!
ReplyDelete