Question

Throughout The Giver, author Lois Lowry renames many everyday terms. Eleven-yearolds are “elevens,” babies are “newchildren,” stuffed animals are “comfort objects,” and families are called “family units.” What is the purpose of these alternate labels? What effect do they have on the story?

Answer 1

Renaming everyday items serves two purposes. On the one hand, the author uses these new labels in order to create a feeling of strangeness and alienation. The author wants the reader to feel like the world of the book is very different from ours. However, the words serve a second purpose as well. They allow the reader to feel the numbness and coldness that characterizes this setting.