Control

Childhood

In the novel The Giver by Lois Lowry, the entire life of the citizens is determined by the Committee of Elders. The members themselves have no freedom of choice. After birth, the babies are cared for by nurses in a Nurturing Center for a year. Here they are constantly monitored . They have to meet certain standards. If, like Gabriel, they do not meet these criteria, they are simply released.

Couples must apply to the Committee if they want to be assigned a child. They are then monitored for three years until  the committee considers they will be suitable parents. After the children are assigned to families,  they spend the entire day at the Childcare Center.

Every year at the December Ceremony something changes for the children. This change is set for each age group. There are new clothes, new hairstyles, new items, such as the bicycle, and finally the job...