(TUM) Thematic Unit: Memories - The Giver Lesson

The Giver has many themes running throughout the novel. "Memories" is one theme that is very strong in this novel. Here is the basic summary of the importance of themes in this work:

The community in The Giver has decided that if there are no memories, then there will be no pain, no suffering, no fear, no conflict, etc. However, the elders in the novel are smart enough to know that if they do not learn from the past, they will make the same mistakes. So rather than have everyone retain individual memories, the elders appoint one person to hold all the memories for the community. This ensures that the community is protected from pain and fear, but also from repeating past mistakes. Is this too much for the memory holder to bear?

Memories

Before we start reading a story about memories, let's take a look at the science behind memories.

In psychology, memory is the process by which information is encoded, stored, and retrieved. Encoding allows information that is from the outside world to reach our senses in the forms of chemical and physical stimuli. In this first stage we must change the information so that we may put the memory into the encoding process. Storage is the second memory stage or process. This entails that we maintain information over periods of time. Finally the third process is the retrieval of information that we have stored. We must locate it and return it to our consciousness. Some retrieval attempts may be effortless due to the type of information.

From an information processing perspective there are three main stages in the formation and retrieval of memory:

1. 1. Encoding or registration: receiving, processing and combining of received information
   2. Storage: creation of a permanent record of the encoded information
   3. Retrieval, recall or recollection: calling back the stored information in response to some cue for use in a process or activity

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