Overheard a wild theory about the ending of 'The Giver' at the library cafe

Two women at the table next to me were arguing that Jonas actually died in the snow at the end and the sled ride to 'Elsewhere' was a final hallucination. One of them said, 'It's obvious, the lights he sees are his brain shutting down.' I'd never considered that angle before, and now I can't stop thinking about it. What's the most out-there book ending interpretation you've ever heard in your club?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamesf291mo ago

Paul's mental hospital theory gets even wilder when you connect it to the ducks in Central Park. If Holden's already locked up, then his whole trip to ask about the ducks could be a story he's telling his doctors. It explains why he keeps asking random people this weird question that nobody can answer. The ducks might just be a symbol for his own fear of disappearing, which he can't say out loud. That theory adds a whole new layer of sadness to the book for me.

the_paul1mo ago

Ever hear the one about Holden Caulfield actually being in a mental hospital the whole time in Catcher in the Rye? That one messed me up for a week, because it kind of fits. Some theories just stick with you, even if you don't fully buy them.

the_hayden1mo agoMost Upvoted

Nah that theory always felt like a cheap trick to me. It takes away from Holden just being a messed up kid trying to figure stuff out. Like, the whole point is how confusing real life feels when you're that age. Saying it was all a dream or he was locked up the whole time just makes it less powerful, you know? It's trying to be clever but it misses the point completely.