The Giver By Louis Lowry: An Analysis

“I feel sorry for anyone who is in a place where he feels strange and stupid” (Lowry). This is a line from The Giver, one of the most popular books by Louis Lowry. To a certain extent, this quote is parallel to what I think a “place” is. I believe that a “place” should provide someone with a physical or psychological sanctuary. This means that a “place” does not have to be explicitly visible; it could be a creation only locatable in one’s mind. However, the terms “sanctuary,” “safety,” and “comfort” are likely to vary between individuals of different values and beliefs. For example, one might find the middle of the woods where one can be isolated as safe and comfortable, while another might relate a hectic city to a secure place. Therefore, regardless of how one defines “safety,” a “place” should provide one with the sense of what one believes is sanctuary and comfort.

A place is not exactly a “place” unless it means something or has some previous value to someone. A “place” could be where hunter-gatherers collected berries and fished, but it could also be where a girl named Mary had her first hike. As show in these examples, a place’s history can be something as grand as where the Romans fought the Greeks, or it can be a place that offered a small, yet memorable personal experience. Thus, the size of a place’s history can be different from person to person. Nonetheless, the significant thing is that a “place” holds some meaning and value to someone who has been there physically or psychologically. The term “place” holds much deeper meaning than plainly being an area in space. A “place” is where one belongs to and feels comfortable, where stories and memories are made for people. However, there is still a lot to explore about what makes a place a “place,” and until an undisputed agreement is reached on what a “place” means, there should not be any definite answer to what defines a