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Discussion Posts: Worlds of Lois Lowry Post Category
Discussion Period: June 24 – June 30, 2009

Discussion Questions:

The Giver

1. In The Giver, each family has two parents, a son, and a daughter. The relationships are not biological but are developed through observation and a careful handling of personality. In our own society, the makeup of family is under discussion. How are families defined? Are families the foundations of a society, or are they continually open for new definitions?
2. In Jonas’s community, every person and his or her experience are precisely the same. The climate is controlled, and competition has been eliminated in favor of a community in which everyone works only for the common good. What advantages might “Sameness” yield for contemporary communities? Is the loss of diversity worthwhile?
3. Why is the relationship between Jonas and The Giver dangerous, and what does this danger suggest about the nature of love?

Gathering Blue

1. What kinds of catastrophes, natural or man-made, could have brought about the destruction of an entire civilization, sending it back to a primitive state, like that of Gathering Blue?
2. Why might Kira’s village remain in ruin, never regaining the glory and sophistication it once seemed to enjoy?
3. When did you begin to suspect that Kira’s mom did not die of a disease? When did you begin to suspect that her father is not killed by beasts? What clues are there?

Messenger

If anyone read Messenger and has some discussion questions to share, please do! My usual resource for discussion questions is failing me for this one… Once I finish the trilogy I’ll edit this post with some questions, though. :)

Comparison

The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger are companion novels. Discuss the difference between a companion novel and a sequel. Talk about the similarities and differences in the three novels. Debate whether The Giver and Gathering Blue are companion novels, and Messenger a sequel to the other two books.