TEACHING the CULTURE of LIFE: Son a Culture of Life Studies Book Review

TEACHING THE CULTURE OF LIFE: Son A Culture of Life Studies book review

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lois Lowry is best known for The Giver and for Number the Stars , both of which won a Newbery Medal. Lowry has written over 30 highly Son acclaimed books for children. Readers might also enjoy the other books by Lois Lowry (2012) in the Giver Quartet: The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger . Son is GENRE: Dystopian fantasy the fourth book in the Giver Quartet and ties the entire series together. LENGTH: 393 pages Recommended for STORY SUMMARY high school Son is the final chapter in the Giver Quartet , returning to the community and the time when Jonas is named Receiver of Memory. This time, the story is told from the perspective of Claire, a young birthmother. After Claire delivers her “Product,” complications force her to give up her position. Worried about her “Product,” Claire makes inquiries and learns that she had a son. Filled with love for her child, Claire sets out on a quest to find him. Claire’s son is Gabe, the baby whom Jonas rescues in the first novel in the Giver Quartet . Now that Gabe has grown into a young man, he feels an intense longing for the mother he never knew. When Gabe and Claire are finally reunited, evil reenters the village, threatening to separate them forever. It is up to Gabe to defeat the Trademaster and put an end to the evil once and for all. Son is new classic tale, showing the beauty of the gift of life, the love of a mother for her child, and the power of good over evil.

LIFE THEME: HEALING FROM THE LOSS OF A CHILD One of the main themes of the novel is the power of a mother’s love for her child and the sense of deep sorrow felt when a child is taken away. Even though Claire does not fully understand the gift of life that she carries within her during her job as birthmother, she feels a strong connection to her son. When Claire’s son is taken away from her, she feels an intense longing and a sense of loss.

Claire’s experience reflects what happens in an abortion. Before the procedure, the woman is reassured that she is not carrying a baby, but merely a “product of conception,” which is then removed. The mother never gets to see her child’s face, nor is she told how the abortion will affect her for years afterward. For Claire, the hope of finding her child again becomes her lifelong quest.

The power of a mother’s love is life-giving and self-sacrificial. Claire shows us that a mother’s love is so powerful that she is willing to do anything for her child, even if it means giving up her own life. Women

© 2015 American Life League who have lost a child, through abortion, miscarriage, or an accident or illness, experience such intense suffering that many would rather take their child’s place in death than watch their child die prematurely. After an abortion, these emotions often take years to resurface. Some post-abortive women even suffer deep depression to the point of having suicidal thoughts. Through prayer and healing, some women are able to recover from their abortions, but the mental and emotional scars will always be with them. Motherhood is a blessed and sacred vocation, not only because it involves cooperating with the life-giving power of God, but also because of the lifelong sacrifice that it demands.

The strength of a mother’s love can be seen in religious art, such as the Pietà, which depicts Jesus in the arms of His mother Mary after being taken down from the cross. Mary’s grief at losing her only child is so intense that she does not even weep. She can only look at the lifeless body of her son with a sorrowful gaze. The Blessed Mother knows the pain and the loss of losing a child. Through her intercession, we will be able to defeat the culture of death and instill respect for human dignity in our society.

HOW CAN I APPLY THIS TO MY LIFE? A mother’s love for her children is very powerful. When Jesus gave us Mary to be our mother during His final moments on the cross, He gave us an advocate, a helper, and a friend. The Blessed Mother loves us and cares for us like her own children. We need to continually ask for her intercession, not only for our daily wants, but also for an end to abortion. Our Lady of Guadalupe was named patroness of the preborn, as well as patroness of the Americas. Pray and ask for her intercession for the conversion of our country and on behalf of the thousands of preborn babies dying each day from abortion.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 1. What words are used to describe Claire and her job as birthmother and how does she come to realize the truth? Claire is called a Vessel. She becomes certified, meaning that she is pregnant, and her baby is called the Product. After her baby is delivered, she becomes decertified. Claire learns the truth about her “Product” when the nurse makes the mistake of telling her that she gave birth to a little boy, calling Gabe “he” instead of “it.” This one mistake forces Claire to realize that she has a son, and gives her an overwhelming desire to find him.

2. How do the actions of the community compare with the pro-abortion movement? Claire and the other birthmothers are not referred to as mothers while they are pregnant. Pregnancy is “certified” and then “decertified” once the baby is born. The baby is referred to as a “Product.” Just like today’s society, the community only values children when they are wanted or needed to stabilize the population of the community. The culture of death uses impersonal language to dehumanize preborn babies, making it easier to carry out an anti-life agenda.

3. How does Gabe feel the loss of Claire as his mother? Gabriel wonders why his parents didn’t “want” him at the nurturing center. He wishes he had parents just like his friends. Jonas reminds Gabe that they were both manufactured by the community and how that custom was lacking in love. Humans need and want love. If we consider ourselves as merely products that

© 2015 American Life League have been manufactured, we lose a sense of purpose. If we forget that we have been specially created by God for a specific purpose, we begin to lose respect for the dignity of the human person and each other.

4. What happens between Gabe and the Trademaster and how does Gabe defeat him? The Trademaster tempts Gabe to make a trade and to give up the blessings that he has received. At first he taunts Gabe with material wants, then his desires, and finally the Trademaster tempts Gabe with a vision of his young mother. Gabe uses his gift to see the Trademaster’s thoughts and finds that he is pure evil, cloaked like a man, feeding off the misery of others. With great courage, Gabe reminds the Trademaster of all the times that he intended misfortune to befall the citizens of the village, but how they were able to overcome their selfish desires. As he is reminded of the people’s courage in the face of adversity and triumph over their sinfulness, the evil Trademaster becomes weaker and weaker until he is defeated. Gabe confronts the evil, not with violence or hatred, but love and goodness and reminds the Trademaster of how his evil plots against the villagers have failed. The Trademaster is defeated by the unselfish love of Gabe, Claire, and the villagers.