Wednesday February 24, 2021
  • Venezuela
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Chile
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Podcast
Versión Español
PanAm Post
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
PanAm Post
No Result
View All Result

Home » ‘The Giver’ Will Stand the Test of Time

‘The Giver’ Will Stand the Test of Time

Fergus Hodgson by Fergus Hodgson
September 10, 2014

0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterTelegramWhatsapp
The giver (Jeff Bridges) shares memories known only to him with Jonas (Brenton Thwaites). (The Giver Film)
The giver (Jeff Bridges) shares memories known only to him with Jonas (Brenton Thwaites). (The Giver)

EspañolOne of the most influential works of fiction, at least in the modern era, is Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. First published in 1949, Orwell’s words will continue to imbue the English language for decades to come, perhaps centuries, such was his brilliance.

1984
The timeless message of tyrants, captured in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. (Amazon)

In Animal Farm too, he conveys the bleak reality of totalitarianism. He also captures transcendent themes, particularly the hypocrisy and slogans of the so-called revolutionaries who take the reins of power and impose tyranny.

RelatedArticles

Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips

Trump Against Suppression of Human Rights

February 1, 2021
Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips

15 Republicans Who Voted Against Trump Are Already Facing the Consequences

February 1, 2021

There is a problem, however, with Orwell’s narrative. The question remains: what if collectivist dreamers were able to create their new society without ugly tyranny? What if their promised equality and assigned opportunity for all could come to fruition in a harmonious manner — would we want it?

With The Giver (1993), Lois Lowry examines this very question, albeit unintentionally, she has admitted. Her piece of the puzzle, a futuristic utopia outed as a dystopia, leaves little doubt on the matter.

But the instrument as much as the message makes her work monumental. Her novel is so clean, readable, and captivating that both children and adults can appreciate its grave message. In turn, she has garnered both peer recognition and sold over 10 million copies.

From Print to Film

Such has been the impact of The Giver, combined with its whole-family appeal, a film adaptation seemed inevitable, and its North American release came on August 15. Director Phillip Noyce sought to remain true to the story, particularly given its room for interpretation, so he had Lowry present on the set in South Africa, and it shows.

http://youtu.be/iJNNugNe0Wo

Of course, in 97 minutes one cannot offer the richness of the novel, nor allow its themes to be digested slowly. However, the impeccable cast, including Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, and Katie Holmes, alongside talented newcomers, do the story justice, given the medium they have to work with.

the-giver-couple
Jonas and Fiona (Odeya Rush), the young woman who kindles his hunger for affection, to feel more. (The Giver)

In fact, in some regards, the film rounds out the story even better than the novel, and the themes are far less subtle. Given 20 years since publication, Lowry may have seen the questions left hanging, so these are addressed.

The film also brings in more drama, as it highlights explicit conflict between the giver (Bridges) and the chief elder (Streep), and the central character and narrator Jonas (Brenton Thwaites) and his longtime-friend Asher (Cameron Monaghan). In both cases, the pairs are wrestling between the status quo of obedience and conformity and the adventure and romance of the unknown.

What makes this standoff so gripping is that those engaged in it struggle to conceive what is beyond their cocooned community, and what would come of its liberation. Even as Jonas cannot subdue his hunger for more, particularly as he realizes what is missing, he struggles to communicate such foreign ideas to others.

Here too, the filmmakers deserve praise. With flashback memories, handed from the giver to Jonas, they effectively contrast the security and predictability of the colorless community with the love and humanity that have been forgotten.

the-giver-novel
Lois Lowry’s bestselling novel, published in 1993. (Amazon)

This is the choice the community faces, whether to open the door to what once was. The chief elder makes her case against it in a poised manner that commands authority: “Love is just passion that can turn … into contempt and murder.… People are weak; people are selfish. When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong.”

Is she right? Those who clamor for paternalism, even its contemporary “soft” or “libertarian” forms, believe so.

For as long as these elitist views remains prevalent, and those subject to them lack the courage to forge their own paths, The Giver will remain pertinent and noteworthy — both the novel and the film.

That doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon, but let me be wrong, and you’ll hear no complaints on this end.

Previous Post

EBay’s Braintree Unit to Accept Bitcoin Payments

Next Post

Anti-Smoking Moralists Seek New Ally: Hipsters

Fergus Hodgson

Fergus Hodgson

Fergus Hodgson was the founding editor in chief of the PanAm Post, up until January 2016. Follow @FergHodgson and his Facebook page.

Related Posts

Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips
Columnists

Trump Against Suppression of Human Rights

February 1, 2021
Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips
News

15 Republicans Who Voted Against Trump Are Already Facing the Consequences

February 1, 2021
Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips
Analysis

Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips

February 1, 2021
Three Key Moments to Remind Us That the UN Is a Nest of Oppressive Regimes
Analysis

Antiracist Baby: Netflix Series Loaded with Racially Indoctrinating Children

January 29, 2021
Dollarization Advances in Venezuela with Debit Cards for Foreign Currency Accounts
Politics

Biden forbids linking COVID-19 with China

January 28, 2021
Mexico, the Dilemma of Voting for a Comedian or an “Alleged” Rapist
Analysis

Biden Accelerates Change with Racial Undertones on the $20 Bill

January 27, 2021
Next Post

Anti-Smoking Moralists Seek New Ally: Hipsters

Discussion about this post

Subscribe free and never miss another breaking story

  • Venezuela
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Chile
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Podcast

© 2020 PanAm Post - Design & Develop by NEW DREAM GLOBAL CORP. - Privacy policy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact

© 2020 PanAm Post - Design & Develop by NEW DREAM GLOBAL CORP. - Privacy policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Privacy and Cookie Policy.