What scenes from The Giver do you think you will remember five years from now? What do you find especially affecting about those scenes?
I think the most interesting, well-written part of the book was the very end of the novel when the main character and baby are riding down snowy hill into Christmas. I think this was the most striking image of the book, because it brings together a number of images that took place prior to the conclusion of the book. It brings together the first scene the main character "sees", it also brings the idea of Christmas and happiness. The book does not necessarily end happily, but it does not necessarily end sadly. We have no idea if the main character is living or dying or even if he is seeing things. We do not know where the main character is or the importance of the location. The idea of this scene being a reflection of his past suggested to me that he might be back in his home city but perhaps it is a reflection of his past (family, friends, community) with a more transparent lifestyle involving colors, memories, sounds, and feelings. Because the ending is so questionable, it is the strongest point in the story for me.
I wrote something similar in my post, Mandy, that the ambiguity of the ending scene somehow makes it one of the scenes that sticks with the reader most. It definitely stuck with me the first time I read it in 6th grade, and also this past time. I agree, also, that the author paints a really striking image in this last scene, allowing the reader to "remember" along with Jonas all of the memories that the Giver has passed along to him, those memories to which he is desperately grasping. I don't know about you, but literary merit aside, I'd like a little follow-up chapter or something giving me some concrete answers about Jonas' story!
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