false 3636 0385732554 9780385732550 95080 8688 http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3636.The_Giver 2493 Lois Lowry 146962 15307 4 15 false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Wed Jul 11 06:44:19 -0700 2007 Wed Jul 11 06:57:17 -0700 2007
And, of course, this is hogwash. Choice, agency, and real pleasure are dangerous, they can lead to pain, but without them life has no purpose. Purpose comes from choosing. Purpose comes from overcoming adversity. Yes, you could choose poorly, and that could lead to pain, it is dangerous, but without it, life has no meaning, it is colorless.

The ending mirrors this ambiguity. Did he die? Did he live? He was made free, and he made a choice... was it the right one? Did it lead to happiness for him? Did it lead to happiness for the community who will now have his memories? Will they destroy themselves, or will the Giver be able to help them find true purpose and happiness in life? We don't know, because that is the way of all choices, we can't always know the outcomes of our decisions, and therein lies the danger, but the risk is worth the rewards.]]>