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The Giver by Lois Lowry - MonkeyNotes by PinkMonkey.com

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PinkMonkey Literature Notes on . . .

The Giver

by

Lois Lowry 1993

MonkeyNotes Study Guide by Jane Johnson

Reprinted with permission from TheBestNotes.com Copyright © 2005, All Rights Reserved Distribution without the written consent of TheBestNotes.com is strictly prohibited.



KEY LITERARY ELEMENTS SETTING The setting of The Giver by Lois Lowry is both familiar and strange. The time is the future. There are family groups, each with a boy and a girl. The adults work. The children go to school. But, people have made changes in how society operates since our time. As we first encounter the characters in the story, we think that they live in a utopia. There is a sense that their way of living is better than that of communities that are far from them historically or geographically. CHARACTER LIST Major Characters Jonas - Jonas, the protagonist, is an eleven year-old boy at the beginning of the book. He has blue eyes. He is awaiting an important milestone in December when he and all the other Elevens will find out what their future jobs will be and will begin preparing for their new assignments. He receives a very special job assignment. He is to become the Receiver, the only one besides the Giver who has Memories. After he begins receiving the memories, Jonas changes. He seems to become more intelligent. He does not accept the ways of the community as easily as he did in the past before he was the Receiver. The Giver - The Giver, known in the community as the Receiver of Memory, already knows what Jonas will discover. He is troubled by what he knows. He believes that the community would be better able to live wisely if everyone had the Memories, even though some of the memories would be painful for them as they are for him. Like Jonas, the Giver does not approve of much that he knows about the community. However, he seems resigned to living with his inability to change it. Jonas’s father - Jonas’s father is a Nurturer, a job that fits his personality. He cares for infants in their first year of life. He, like the rest of the community, has no memories. He lives the way that the community rules dictate. He does not believe in love, but does seem to exhibit it at times nonetheless. Minor Characters Jonas’s mother - Jonas’s mother does what is required of her in her assigned job and in her role as mother to Jonas and Lily. As with the other women in the other family groups, she is not the natural mother to the children in her home. Lily - Lily, Jonas’s sister, is a Seven when Jonas is an Eleven. She becomes an Eight in the December ceremony when Jonas becomes a Twelve. Gabriel - Gabriel is one of the babies that Jonas’s father nurtures. The other babies that Jonas’s father nurtures do not have names yet. But, hoping to help him to thrive by calling him by name, Jonas’s father finds out what name is planned for him at the Naming Ceremony and begins to use it. Gabriel becomes especially close to Jonas. Asher - Asher is Jonas’s best friend. He has difficulty always using the correct words when he speaks. Using precisely the right word is an important ability for community members. Fiona - Fiona is Jonas’s friend. She has red hair. The job that she is assigned is as a Caretaker in the House of the Old. She is in a dream that Jonas has as he matures. Larissa - Larissa is an old woman in the House of the Old. She looks forward to her Release. The Chief Elder - The Chief Elder is the person whose job it is to announce the assignments of the Twelves.



CONFLICT Conflict arises when Jonas becomes aware of reality as he receives Memories. This awareness is very unsettling to him. He begins to mentally revolt against some of the restrictions placed on community members. Protagonist - Jonas is the protagonist in this story. Antagonist - No one character fits the label, antagonist. But, the antagonist can be something in the physical environment or in the society. The system of Sameness under which the community lives is the antagonist when this more expansive definition of the word is used. Climax - The climax of the story, the point of no return, is when Jonas realizes that “Release” of newchildren is actually killing them. The fact is made worse by the knowledge that it is his father doing the killing. Outcome/Falling Action - The outcome of this realization is that Jonas flees the community with Gabriel in order to save Gabriel from being "released". SHORT PLOT/CHAPTER SUMMARY (Synopsis) The Giver is written from Jonas’s point of view. We see his community through his experiences. At first, his community seems to be a good place to live. There is no pain. Everyone is polite. Everyone has what they need. They have a home and food. They have a job that fits their interests and abilities. As the story progresses, we learn more about the community. Some of it is unsettling. Children are born to Birthmothers who never see them. After their first months in the Nurturing Center, they are given to compatible couples who have applied for a child. Each family can include two children, no more. When the children are grown, the parents go to live with the Childless Adults. Later, when they no longer contribute to the community, they go to the House of the Old until they are released. Release happens to the Old, unacceptable newchildren and those who break three rules. Release is actually death, but is not called that. Talk of death along with other topics that might upset people is unacceptable. People in the community cannot see color and they cannot feel love. They have no memories of the past. This started many generations ago when the community went to Sameness. Jonas lives with his father, mother and sister. They are the father, mother and sister who have been selected for him. Father is a Nurturer. He cares for newchildren at the Nurturing Center. He has brought home one newchild who needs special attention. His name is Gabriel and he has trouble sleeping through the night. Mother works at the Department of Justice. Lily is four years younger than Jonas. Jonas is Eleven at the beginning of the book. He is looking forward to being assigned the job, or Assignment, that he will have for all of his working life. It will be a job that fits him, his interests and abilities. The Elders have been watching him and the other Elevens for a year or longer to help them make the best matches between children and jobs. He does a variety of volunteer activities, not concentrating on any special one. If he had shown a special interest in one particular activity, like his father had done when he constantly volunteered at the Nurturing Center, he could guess what his Assignment might be. Jonas has light eyes, which is rare in his community. And, his eyes are developing a special ability. At first, he does not know what it is. Later, he finds out that he can see color. His ability to see color is only transient at first. When the Ceremony of Twelve finally takes place, Jonas receives an unusual assignment. He becomes the new Receiver of Memory, the person who is responsible for all of the memories of the community. The current Receiver trains him by passing on his memories to Jonas. There are many, many memories to pass to Jonas. There are all the memories of the past, the wars, the famines, the floods, and many pleasant memories as well. The current Receiver, who tells Jonas to call him the Giver, has much to give. As Jonas absorbs the memories of the past, he grows. He realizes how much he has been missing, how much his community has been missing. They have avoided suffering, but at a high cost. They have given up much that enriches life. As his growth continues and as his store of memories grows, he becomes more and more



uncomfortable with his life as it is. A distance develops between Jonas and his friends, Asher and Fiona, as he becomes able to feel love and they cannot. In the meantime, Jonas and the Giver grow closer. The Giver understands him as no one else in the community can. He has felt like Jonas feels for years. As Jonas’s distress grows, the Giver says that they can formulate a plan to change things. And they do. But, before they can put it into action, time runs out. Jonas helps his family care for a newchild, Gabriel. In his involvement with Gabriel, Jonas becomes attached to Gabriel. Jonas eventually learns what Release really is (death), and that his father performs it on unacceptable newchildren (Gabriel won't sleep without crying). He finds out that the Nurturing Center plans to release Gabriel because he still has trouble sleeping through the night. He makes a quick decision and takes off, heading for Elsewhere with Gabriel. Elsewhere is outside the place where the community is located. In Elsewhere things are like they were before the change to Sameness took place in the community. While Jonas’s sudden departure does not allow for much of the original plan, one part of the plan can still take place. Jonas’s memories flow back to the community as Jonas and Gabriel head toward Elsewhere. Jonas and Gabriel travel many days in winter weather. It is a difficult journey, made more difficult by the lack of preparation time. But, finally, after struggling through snow, they reach the crest of a hill from which they can see a place with windows in which are colored lights. Jonas knows that this is the place they wanted to reach. THEMES Major Themes The Importance of Memory - In Jonas’s community there is no need for memory. At least that is what those who guide the community believe. Jonas’s community does not want its members to experience the pain that memory often brings. But, some memories are pleasant. And, without memory there are no pleasurable recollections either. The Importance of the Individual - As Jonas grew up he ignored differences between people. The members of the community considered it impolite to draw attention to differences between people. As Jonas acquired memories he realized that differences are something to be celebrated and made use of, not ignored. The Value of Freedom to Make Choices - The people in Jonas’s community do not make choices. The community’s choices have been made by others in the past. A few new choices are made by a small group selected to do that. Most people in the community do not realize that there is a better way. As the story develops, Jonas realizes the importance of making choices even if the wrong choice is sometimes made. The story leads us to realize that the positive results of freedom to make choices outweigh the negative effects, such as making mistakes. The Relationship between Pain and Pleasure - Just as sweet and sour tastes each help us to notice the other more fully, pleasure and pain each help us to notice the other more fully. Minor Themes The Value of a Multi-generational Family - The members of the families in the community are put together by others. When the two children in each family are grown, the parents do not remain together. There is no longer a family unit. The older people are separate from the rest of the community. When Jonas receives a memory of a family group that includes grandparents, he immediately sees the value of such a group. The Importance of Making Connections - Our connections with other people are very important. The author knows this and incorporates it into her story.



The Value of Diversity - The story shows the value of diversity. Sameness gives the community a feeling of safety, but diversity is more interesting. The Importance of Honesty - When he becomes the Receiver of Memories, Jonas is told that he can lie. He begins to wonder if others also have permission to lie. He cannot ask if those whom he asks are forbidden to lie because an affirmative answer could be a lie. This distresses Jonas. He is also distressed by the way that the names of various things are misleading and dishonest. An example is the use of the word “release” in the community. MOOD The mood of this novel is apprehensive. We see through the eyes of the protagonist, Jonas. In the beginning of the story, Jonas’s apprehension is centered on what assignment he will be given during the Ceremony of Twelve. Later in the tale, the causes of his apprehension are more serious. BACKGROUND INFORMATION - BIOGRAPHY Lois Lowry was born in Hawaii on March 20, 1937, but did not stay there. Her father was an Army dentist, and as many military families do, they moved a lot. She went to Brown University in Rhode Island and majored in writing, but left during her sophomore year at age 19 to be married. Her husband was a Naval officer and she and her husband similarly moved from place to place. After he left the military, they lived in Cambridge, Mass. where her husband went to Harvard Law School. They later moved to main and had four children. While there, she went to the University of Southern Maine and finished her degree and began Graduate school. After her marriage ended in 1977, she began writing. Her writing has been inspired by her children's adventures. She has focused on children and young adult novels and been a prolific and award winning author. She won the Newbery Medal for The Giver and for Number the Stars. The Newbery Medal is a highly coveted award given each year to an author by librarians. It is named after an eighteenth century British bookseller who was interested in producing quality books. All of her books are not like this one. She has a series of books about a girl named Anastasia Krupnik. She also has many stand-alone books about many different characters in many different situations. Her books tend to illustrate for us the importance of human connections. She has chosen a number of varied and important topics in her novels, including: cancer, the Holocaust, mental illness, adoption, and in this title, future societies. She stated, "I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another". She has written two books since she wrote this one that will surely interest readers who like The Giver. They are Gathering Blue and Messenger. The Giver, Gathering Blue and Messenger are a trilogy. Each is about a different culture, different than ours and different from each other. Lois Lowry is now a grandmother. She lives in Massachusetts and has a vacation home in New Hampshire. Her works include: A Summer to Die, 1977 (autobiographical) Find a Stranger, 1978 Anastasia Krupnik, 1979 Autumn Street, 1979 Anastasia Again!, 1981 Anastasia at Your Service, 1982 Taking Care of Terrific, 1983 Anastasia Ask Your Analyst,1984 Us and Uncle Fraud, 1984



One Hundredth Thing About Caroline. 1985 Anastasia on Her Own, 1985 Switcharound, 1985 Anastasia Has the Answers. 1986 Rabble Starkey, 1987 Anastasia's Chosen Career, 1987 All About Sam, 1988 Number the Stars, 1989 * Newberry Medal Winner Your Move J.P.!, 1990 Anastasia at This Address, 1991 Attaboy, Sam!, 1992 The Giver, 1993 * Newberry Medal Winner Anastasia, Absolutely, 1995 See You Around Sam!, 1996 Gathering Blue, 2000 Messenger, 2004 (note: The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger are a trilogy) CHAPTER SUMMARIES WITH NOTES CHAPTER ONE Summary Jonas is thinking about the upcoming December ceremony where he will be told what job he will have for the rest of his life. The Committee of Elders will decide which job best fits his qualifications. Jonas is trying to decide what word best describes how he feels about the ceremony. He decides that “frightened” is not the best word. Jonas remembers a time in the past when that word did describe how he felt. It was when, against the rules, an airplane flew over the community. People stopped what they were doing. Directions came over the loudspeaker to go to the nearest building. Everyone did as they were told. Nothing happened. When the possibility of danger was over, the voice on the loudspeaker assured everyone that the pilot would be released. Jonas knows that “released” was not a word to be used casually. Children are not to threaten each other with it. Jonas remembers once when he used it against his friend, Asher, and was reprimanded for doing so. Asher frequently used the wrong word. Once he had used “distraught” when “distracted” would have been correct. Jonas tries to use the correct word at all times. He decides that he was apprehensive, not frightened. Over dinner every night Jonas’s family have a conversation called “the telling of feelings.” Each dinner time the family members tell the others gathered at the dinner table about an emotion they had earlier in the day. This night Jonas lets his sister, Lily, go first. His sister tells about a visiting child at her school who did not follow the rules. Her mother suggests that perhaps the child’s community has different rules. Father suggests that perhaps the child felt strange. Then Father tells of his concern for a baby that he has been caring for at work. The child is not doing well. Father wants to bring him home at night. He feels that might help because the night crew does not have the best Nurturers. Mother likes the idea. Jonas and Lily do, too. After Father’s turn is Mother’s turn. She works in the Department of Justice and is concerned about a repeat offended that was brought to her. Mother mentions the rule about offenders being released after a third transgression. The family all comfort her. Now it is Jonas’s turn to tell his feelings. When he says that he is apprehensive about the upcoming Ceremony



of Twelve, Father and Mother know that this conversation should not include Lily. They send her to get ready for bed. Notes The word “frightened” in the first sentence of the book is a clue to what is ahead. Otherwise, we might not be aware of the fact that all is not as it appears. On the surface the community seems like a good place to live although we can already tell that it is different than our communities. There is emphasis on sharing feelings and on correct word usage to avoid misunderstandings. The family members seem interested in each other. These are good ways to act. The presence of the loudspeakers gives the feeling of a dictatorship, but it seems like a benevolent one. There is something strange about the word “release,” however. If it only has its usual meaning, then why is so much emphasis placed on not using it lightly? Jonas’s life will soon change dramatically. He is looking forward apprehensively to the change. This foreshadows dramatic changes that will soon be taking place in the community. CHAPTER TWO Summary Father tries to sooth Jonas’s anxiety about the Ceremony of Twelve by telling him that every year the ceremony in December is exciting. Every December brings a change for every child. Jonas remembered back to when Lily was a One and received her name. That was the day that they received her. All the babies go to their families on that day. Some are beginning to walk already while some were just recently born. Father tells Jonas that, although he was not supposed to do so, he looked up the name planned for the boy he hopes to bring home in the evenings. It is Gabriel, or Gabe. In the past Father did something else that he was not supposed to do. He taught his own sister to ride his bicycle before she was given one as a Nine. There is a rule against that, but unlike most other rules, that is a rule that is frequently broken. A committee was studying the rule regarding teaching those who were not yet a Nine to ride a bicycle. But, committees take a long, long time to make rule-changing decisions. Some more serious changes have to be reviewed by the Receiver, who is the most important Elder. Father tells Jonas that, while he was very excited at his Ceremony of Twelve, it was different than with Jonas because he was fairly sure that he would be chosen to be a Nurturer. He had shown by the free time he had spent with the newchildren where his interest was. But, with Jonas it is not the same. And, his apprehension is increased by the knowledge that there are some Assignments with which he would be disappointed. Some children are chosen to be, for example, Laborers. Father doesn’t think that Jonas has cause for concern. Father reminds him that there is an appeal process. That causes laughter because appeals are studied by a committee. It would take a very long time to get an answer to an appeal. The way that Father had spent a lot of time with the newchildren did help the committee decide that he should be a Nurturer. Jonas was aware that he and the other Elevens had been observed this year by members of the committee. The committee members had then met to discuss what would be the job for each Eleven. Jonas’s thoughts turn to Asher, his best friend, and what Assignment Asher might receive. Father reminds



Jonas that after the Ceremony of Twelve his group of friends will likely change. He will be with the other Twelves chosen for the same job much of the time in the future. The conversation ends when Lily comes back into the room wanting her comfort object. Mother reminds her that when she turns eight at the December ceremony she will give up her comfort object. Comfort objects are supposedly imaginary animals, like elephants and bears. Notes The community tries to shelter children from things that might upset them. We see this in the use of words for unpleasantness that obscure the real meanings. And, we see this when Mother and Father ask Lily to leave the room before discussing Jonas’s apprehensions about the Ceremony of Twelve with him. We are told that, while the community rarely breaks rules, many break the rule forbidding them to teach children to ride a bicycle before they are a Nine. Why is this? Could it be because they think that the rule will someday be removed by the committee studying it? Or, that it would have been removed already, if the committee were not so slow? We see several examples of Father’s willingness to break rules. We hear of how once, when he was young, he broke the rule forbidding him to teach his sister to ride a bike before she was a Nine. And, we hear that he looked at the Naming list to find out Gabriel’s name before anyone was allowed to know his name. So far, Father seems like a really nice man. Jonas remembers noticing the committee monitoring the Elevens. On the one hand that seems like a very intrusive thing to do. But, as with other snooping that members of the community do, this monitoring seems meant to bring about a good result. It is somewhat astounding that the community members do not know that there were once real animals like elephants and bears. Why were these animals done away with in the past? Was it a safety issue? Was it because they seemed to contribute nothing to the community? Was it because they were thought to use up scarce resources? CHAPTER THREE Summary Father brings Gabriel home. Jonas sees that Gabe has pale eyes like he does. Jonas knows that few members of the community have pale eyes. Jonas once noticed a female Five with pale eyes. Most people have dark eyes. Lily breaks a rule by mentioning the difference. Differences are considered to be unsettling and that is not good. Then Lily suggests that perhaps Jonas and Gabe had the same Birthmother. After looking at Gabe, Jonas decides that pale eyes give one’s looks depth. Observing the newcomer, Lily decides that she wants to be a Birthmother someday. Mother cautions her. But a Ten told Lily about the Birthing Center at which the Ten sometimes volunteers. The Birthmothers are given good meals and only do gentle exercise. They have a lot of free time. Mother explained that the good life only lasts three years while they are producing three babies. After that, Birthmothers become Laborers until they enter the House of the Old. Father tells Lily that Birthmothers never even get to see their babies. He suggests that, if she likes babies, a good Assignment for her would be Nurturer. Jonas thinks to himself that a good Assignment for Lily would be Speaker. Speakers are the ones whose voices are heard on the loudspeakers. They remind everyone about rules that have been broken. They don’t say the offending person’s name, but the person and everyone else know anyway.



Jonas thinks back to a day when a loudspeaker announcement was directed at him. Against the rules, he had taken home an apple. Jonas remembers the day it happened. He had been playing catch with Asher. Jonas was surprised when, in midair, the apple had changed in a puzzling way. This happened four times, always when the apple was in midair. But, when he examined the apple in his hands, the apple was not changed. He took it home to study some more. But, he never understood what had happened. Notes This chapter brings to our attention the way that families are not blood relatives. This chapter tells us how children are taken from their mothers at birth and raised by strangers. The Birthmothers have no claim to their babies. This is a very cruel way for a seemingly caring society to operate. We now see that perhaps this community is not as compassionate as we earlier thought that it was. What other shocking things will we soon discover? Jonas’s eye color is unusual within the community. So is the ability that he starts to discover when he notices the change in the apple. CHAPTER FOUR Summary Jonas thinks about a groupmate of his named Benjamin. He is impressed by Benjamin’s accomplishments. But, he has never told him. Complimenting someone is difficult. It is always hard for someone to discuss their accomplishments without breaking the rule against bragging. Jonas finds his best friend, Asher, at the House of the Old. Jonas’s friend, Fiona, is also there. They are in the bathing room. They are both bathing the Old. Jonas knows what to do because he has worked there in the past. He takes an old woman, Larissa, to a tub and bathes her. It is acceptable to see the Old and newchildren naked. Larissa tells Jonas about the Release celebration for Roberto, who formerly lived in the House of the Old. They told his whole life story. It was very interesting. She compares his life story to that of Edna, who was a Birthmother and later worked in Food Production. She was never allowed to be part of a family unit. Larrisa thinks that Edna’s life story was boring. Jonas wants to know more about the celebration. Larissa relates that after the telling of his life story, they had a toast and sang the anthem. Then it was Time for Roberto’s good-bye speech. Some who were there also gave good-bye speeches. Larissa tells Jonas that Roberto had been thrilled. Jonas asks her about the actual release. Where did Roberto go when he was released? He went through a door to the Releasing Room. She doesn’t know more than that. No one does, except probably the committee. Anyway, Roberto had been very happy as he went. Notes When reading Larissa’s description of Release, it sounds very pleasant. But Jonas is not satisfied with Larissa’s description. He wants to talk to someone who has actually seen, or possibly, experienced a release. We get the feeling that he wants to continue asking questions and investigating the subject. And, we hope that he does, because we are also curious. Bathing the Old allows Jonas to experience a human closeness that he usually is not allowed to experience. He will retain the memory of closeness and it will affect what he does in the future. The care that is given to newchildren seems to be a good aspect of the community and so does the care that the Old receive. CHAPTER FIVE Summary The next morning at the daily Dream-telling, Jonas relates a dream that he had. In the dream, he was standing



by a tub without his tunic. Fiona was there and he was trying to talk her into getting into the tub so that he could bathe her. Father asks him what he felt. He felt a strong wanting. They do not discuss it further. After Father and Lily leave with Gabriel, Mother sits down and tells Jonas that his dream was his first Stirrings. He should start taking a pill for them. Jonas remembers that Mother and Father both must take a pill every day also. He remembers hearing announcements that Stirrings should be reported immediately so that they can be treated. Mother tells him that he must not forget to take one of the pills every day. In answer to a question, Mother tells Jonas that he will need to take them until he goes to the House of the Old. Notes Sexual feelings are not allowed in Jonas’s community. But, they are not tinged with shame as in many societies that try to control them. Sex is dealt with in a simple, matter-of-fact way, like one would deal with a headache. The reason that sex is frowned on by the community is because it tends to create close relationships between people. If people became close to other people, they might put the good of those people ahead of the good of the community as a whole. The community would suffer as a consequence. CHAPTER SIX Summary It is finally time for the Ceremony. It will last two days. It is an important occasion. Parents have two days off from work. First, the newchildren are given to their parents and given their names. The Twelves will be last. One of the newchildren is a replacement for another earlier child with the same name, Caleb, who was lost. When the earlier child was lost, the community took part in the Ceremony of Loss. During that ceremony, the lost child’s name was repeated over and over, each repetition a little quieter, each interval a little longer until, supposedly, the memory of the child faded. Now the opposite is occurring. During the Murmur-of-Replacement Ceremony, the name is first heard as a low, slow murmur, and, over time, is repeated faster and louder. Another of the newchildren is given the name Roberto, the name that belonged to the man Larissa in the House of the Old knew before he was released. Later during that first day of the Ceremony, Lily becomes an Eight. But Jonas and the other Elevens have to wait until the afternoon of the second day to become Twelves. During the midday break, Jonas thinks about how well-ordered the community is. This makes him more confident that he will be given the right Assignment. As an example of how carefully things are done, the Matching of Spouses can take years. And after the match is announced, the couple is monitored for three years before they can receive a child. Notes The real birthdays of the children were not celebrated. That was not the way of the community. That would draw attention to them as individuals, something best not done. Instead, there was a celebration for everyone born during a year. The Ceremony of Loss served the same purpose as the pills to ward off the Stirrings. They were used to limit emotion. The community seemed to believe that one child could replace another, like, if you wreck your car, you buy a replacement.



By a committee naming the newchildren, it was assured that there would not be two people with the same name in the community at the same time. That would cause confusion. When someone was released, their name became available for use again. CHAPTER SEVEN Summary It is finally time for the Twelves. Asher is ahead of Jonas. The Chief Elder, who speaks to the group, tells the audience about a time when Asher was younger. He had mixed up the words “snack” and “smack” and, as a result, had been smacked with the discipline wand. This did not only happen once, but repeatedly, over several weeks. Finally, Asher stopped talking. To the Chief Elder, the important thing is that Asher finally learned. Jonas waits expectantly as those ahead of him are called. When it is the time to call Jonas, he is skipped over. He and his parents and friends do not know what to think. He waits and waits while the others are called. Notes Earlier, when we learned about Birthmothers, we saw how heartless the community can be. Now, again, we see their heartlessness. The way that Asher was treated when he mixed up two words was cruel. But, it was acceptable cruelty in the community. When Jonas is skipped over, attention is drawn to him. Generally, in the community, it is not polite to draw attention to someone. And, if it does happen, the person who is the center of attention feels uneasy. But, the Chief Elder did not intentionally cause Jonas discomfort. CHAPTER EIGHT Summary At the end of the giving of Assignments, the Chief Elder apologizes to those gathered there to see the Ceremony for causing them unease. The audience accepts the apology with one voice. She apologizes separately to Jonas, who was most affected, and he, of course, accepts her apology. Instead of being assigned, Jonas has been selected, the Chief Elder tells those gathered. Sitting in the middle of the Elders is a man who Jonas has never seen before. He has pale eyes like Jonas has. He has a beard. He is the Receiver of Memory. Jonas has been chosen to be the new Receiver. The group is told that in the past a Receiver was chosen but that choice failed. A long time, ten years, has passed since then. Discussing the failure is uncomfortable for everyone, so it is not generally discussed. The Chief Elder says that the position of Receiver is the position with the most honor. She says that the new Receiver will not be monitored as the other Twelves will be. But, he has already frequently been watched to insure that he is the correct choice. The Chief Elder lists four essential attributes of a Receiver. They are intelligence, integrity, courage and wisdom. Courage is needed because there will be physical pain involved. This bit of information makes Jonas uneasy. There is another requirement. The Receiver must have the Capacity to See Beyond. The Chief Elder says that no one who doesn’t have the ability understands it. The current Receiver has assured them that Jonas already has that ability.



Jonas decides that he must admit to everyone that he does not have the necessary ability, whatever it is. As he looks out at the people, ready to confess his lack, that thing like with the apple happens again. The people change. Then they change back again. Jonas decides that perhaps he does have the required ability. Instead of saying that he does not have it, he tells everyone that he think that he does have it, although he still doesn’t understand it. As the crowd accepts his new position they begin to chant Jonas’s name, quietly and slowly at first and then faster and louder. They are accepting him as Receiver in the same way that they accepted the newchild as Caleb. Jonas’s emotions are mixed as he looks forward to his new life. He is grateful and proud at the same time that he is fearful and uncertain regarding what lies ahead for him. Notes Avoiding causing anyone unease and apologizing when one does are important to the community. They help the community run smoothly. Running smoothly is a very important aim of the community. This smoothness is achieved at a great price, some of which we have already learned. The older Receiver is the man who we will also think of as the Giver, the character after whom this book is named. His position has great honor attached to it. When we are told that he has pale eyes, we are also being told that he has depth like Jonas. This is also a slight hint, never developed, that they could possibly be related. The community does not talk about the Receiver who ten years ago failed. This seems to be the way that the community always deals with failures and similar unpleasantness. Notice how the constant monitoring that is done is always for the good of the person being monitored. It is also done for the good of the community as a whole. The people give up freedom and in return usually have a painless, stable life, unaware of what they are missing. CHAPTER NINE Summary As they leave the auditorium, all the new Twelves feel different. They will no longer be studying school lessons. Now they will be learning how to perform their new assignments. The one who feels changed the most is Jonas. He was told that he will be apart from the others when he trains. But, already he feels alone and different. People treat him differently now, like he is special. This different treatment and the mystery of what exactly is ahead for him cause Jonas to be uneasy. At home, after being complimented by his parents on his selection as the new Receiver, Jonas asks them about the earlier Receiver, the failed one. His parents are hesitant. But, they tell him that the earlier Receiver was a female. But, her name cannot be spoken ever again. Jonas knows that the designation Not-to-be-Spoken is a great disgrace. He is told that the female just disappeared. When he returns to his room and opens the folder with instructions for his new assignment he finds that there is only one page. Jonas knows that some Twelves with other Assignments received thick folders. The instructions tell him that he is not to go anywhere between school and home except to the old Receiver. He can ask anyone any question, even if it is rude, and expect an answer. He is not to discuss his training or his dreams with anyone else, not even his parents. He cannot apply for medication related to his training. He cannot apply for release. He can now lie. That final instruction stuns Jonas even more than the others. He can now lie! He was taught not to lie, not even unintentionally. The possibility of lying unintentionally is a reason for the emphasis on precision of



speech. And, now suddenly he can lie. He begins to wonder if any other Twelves have ever received such an instruction. If he asks someone if they can lie and they say that they cannot, he won’t know if they are telling the truth or if they are lying because they have been told that they can. Notes It is always important to members of the community that they not stand out. It is the same with Jonas. He is uncomfortable with his newly acquired difference from the rest of the community, from his family and friends. Adjusting to it will require some time. When the community fails at something they no longer talk about it, as they are doing with the failed Receiver. There is no discussion of ways to change or possible alternative strategies. The solution to a problem is to simply no longer mention it. Jonas will probably have trouble trusting people in the future. Now that he has been told that he can lie he has no way of knowing who else can lie. CHAPTER TEN Summary It is the day of Jonas’s first meeting with the old Receiver. He goes to an Annex of The House of the Old. After he rings the buzzer, he is let into the building. The Attendant stands when she greets him. She respectfully calls him what he now is, Receiver of Memory. He is taken aback by how deferential she is. By pushing a button she unlocks a door. The Attendant notices that Jonas is uncomfortable. She explains that the locks are only to insure the Receiver’s privacy. There is no danger. On the other side of the door is the Receiver’s living area. In most ways the Receiver’s living area is much like that of Jonas’s family, only more luxurious. The main difference, however, is the many books. Jonas’s family, like every other family, only has three books in their home. The old Receiver greets Jonas, calling him Receiver of Memory. Jonas looks around the room, and then apologizes to the Receiver. The Receiver does not respond like anyone else would have. Anyone else would have automatically, without thinking about it, accepted the apology. Confused, Jonas questions him about why he called Jonas by the title that belongs to him. The old Receiver tells Jonas that beginning today Jonas is the Receiver. The old Receiver tells Jonas that, like Jonas, he became the Receiver when he was Twelve. The relationship between himself and the prior Receiver was much like the relationship between the two of them. The Receiver tells Jonas that what will happen is that he will transmit all his memories of the past to him. Jonas thinks that the Receiver will be telling him about his own childhood. The receiver corrects his impression. The memories that he will be passing to Jonas are memories of the whole world, back into the past. Jonas is confused. Jonas doesn’t know that there are other people and other times. Jonas learns that the memories are important because they allow the Receivers to become wise and to help shape the future. The first memory that the Receiver will give to Jonas is of going downhill fast on a sled through snow. Until now, Jonas has known nothing of hills or snow or sleds. In preparation for giving the memory, the Receiver turns off the speaker that is in the room. Every home also has a speaker, but those speakers cannot be turned off. It is not allowed. Jonas removes his tunic and lies on a tapestry-covered bed that is in the room. The old Receiver, who is now actually the Giver, tells Jonas to relax and places his hands on Jonas’s bare back. Notes From Jonas’s reaction to the locks on the doors, we surmise that the homes in the community are not generally locked. It would be nice to feel safe enough to not use a lock. But, how much does this sense of security cost the community?



The only books that Jonas has seen until now are the three books that are in every home. He has gone to school. The schools must teach without books. The Receiver/Giver’s furnishings are somewhat different than the furnishings in other homes. He has access to information about furniture styles to which the other inhabitants have no access. We learn that in Jonas’s community there are no hills and there is no snow. Not only is there none, but no one has ever heard of hills or snow. And, remember, there are no animals either. There is much that they are missing. CHAPTER ELEVEN Summary The Giver transmits the first of many memories to Jonas. It seems very real to him. A part of his mind realizes that he is still lying on the bed, but, at the same time he experiences all the feelings of cold and speed that the actual experience would give. This is achieved by the Giver placing his hands on Jonas’s bare back. Finally the piled snow causes the sled to stop. When the transmission is over, and Jonas opens his eyes, the Giver tells Jonas that he no longer has the memory of the experience. Now, it is Jonas’s instead. Because he no longer carries the memory, he feels lighter. But, he is still exhausted from the experience. In response to questioning by Jonas, the Giver says that he still has many, many memories of other rides on other sleds down other hills in other snow. Jonas is full of questions now. Why is there no snow where they live? Was there ever snow there? The Giver explains that the memory is from long, long ago, in the distant past. He explains that is why giving the memory to Jonas was so exhausting. It had to be pulled up from the past. It was exhausting for the Receiver before him, when he gave him the memory, too. The Giver explains that Climate Control put an end to snow. That was at the time when Sameness started. The same happened to hills. There were no hills after Sameness started. Jonas wishes there were still hills and snow, at least some of the time. Jonas suggests that the Giver could do something to bring them back because the Giver has power. The Giver corrects him. He does not have power, only honor. Next, the Giver gives Jonas the memory for sunshine. Sunshine is new to Jonas, but he perceives the word on his own, without explanation from the Giver. The Giver is pleased. His job will be easier. The Giver explains that, before Sameness with its Climate Control, sunshine came from the sky. Before their session ends, Jonas brings up the subject of pain. Both the Chief Elder and the Giver have mentioned that there will be pain. The Giver says that will come later. He wants first to give Jonas pleasant memories. He learned that is better when he lost the last Receiver. When Jonas declares that he is brave, the Giver decides to give him one more memory. He gives him the memory of sunburn. Jonas feels the pain, but is glad to have the experience. Before leaving, Jonas brings up the subject of what to call the old man. Up until now, he has been told that the old man is the Receiver and he, Jonas, is the Receiver. The old man says that he can call him the Giver. (In this review, we have already started referring to him as the Giver.) Notes The method by which the Giver transmits memories to Jonas seems unusual. He seems to simply put his hands on Jonas’s back and the memories flow from him to Jonas. How does this work? We are never told. It seems mystical or magical.



In this chapter Sameness is mentioned. This name describes the community way of life very well. The emphasis is on everyone being the same as much as possible, with any differences being ignored. To call attention to any difference is considered to be impolite. Sameness sounds like it would be a boring environment in which to live. There are more important considerations than efficiency. Variations make life more interesting. Starting Sameness must have been a gigantic task, probably taking more than one generation. It seems that a society that was able to complete such a task would have also been able to continue as they were. They had to already be quite efficient or they could never have finished the task. The Giver makes a distinction between honor and power. Those who have honor have respect. Those who have power have influence. Some things cannot be achieved with honor alone. But, it can be used to influence those with power. That is what the Giver does. The Elders have power and the Giver influences them because they know that he has the memories and is very wise. CHAPTER TWELVE Summary In the morning Mother asks Jonas if he dreamed last night and he shakes his head indicating that he didn’t. Actually he did dream last night. He was in snow on a sled going down a hill just like in the dream. He dreamt of the ride many times. But there was more to the dream. There was a strong emotion. When he reached the bottom of the hill, he longed to go further, to reach a welcoming destination that lay ahead of him. In school all the Twelves talk eagerly about their new Assignments. Jonas is not supposed to discuss his Assignment. He thinks to himself that anyway he could not describe his experience, the snow, the hill, to his fellow students. They had never experienced height or wind or cold. They would not understand. After school, as Jonas rides with Fiona, she mentions that she waited for him yesterday. He apologizes for causing her to wait and tells her that he stayed longer than expected. He doesn’t tell her what took place while he was there. He changes the subject to Fiona’s training. She tells him that there are still many things for her to learn. She tells him that one thing she learned yesterday was that a discipline wand is used on the Old, as it is used on children. After Jonas and Fiona reach the House of the Old and park their bicycles, that thing happens again. What he now thinks of as seeing beyond happens. This time it happens to Fiona’s hair. Jonas decides to ask the Giver about it. When Jonas tells the Giver about the apple and the audience and Fiona’s hair, the Giver seems to understand what has been happening. He has Jonas return to the memory of the sled ride that he gave him yesterday. He has him look down at the sled. When Jonas does this, he sees that the sled has the same quality as the apple, the faces at the Ceremony, and Fiona’s hair. Only, the quality stays with the sled. It doesn’t change like the apple, the faces and Fiona’s hair changed. When Jonas returns from the memory, the Giver has him look at one of the shelves of books. Jonas tells him that the same thing happened to the books, but it did not last. The Giver concludes that Jonas is beginning to see color, the color red. The faces at the ceremony were not red, but had red tones. On the subject of skin color, the Giver tells Jonas that before Sameness skin had many different colors. Regarding Fiona’s hair, the Giver says that the genetic scientists are still working on perfecting hair color. After all this time, they still have not completely mastered Sameness.



The Giver tells Jonas that he sees all the colors all the time now. And, Jonas will see more colors as he receives more memories. The Giver continues. Long, long ago, when they went to Sameness, they gave up color. That was at the same time that they gave up sunshine. That was when they gave up differences. Their control of many things increased. But, other things had to be given up. When Jonas voices his disagreement with what was done, the Giver compliments him on how quickly he came to that decision. It took him much longer. Now it is time to transmit another memory. The next one will be of a rainbow. Notes Jonas wants to follows the directions that he has been given. He does not want to tell others about his dreams. And, he knows that he is now allowed to lie. But, he prefers to just shake his head instead of saying out loud that he did not dream. The end of Jonas’s dream gives us a foreshadowing of what happens later. It also shows us what is actually going on inside Jonas. As his horizon widens, he knows that he wants more out of life. As Jonas learns more from the memories and from the Giver, he feels a widening divide between himself and the other Twelves with whom he goes to school. Again we see the discipline wand mentioned. Fiona has helped out at the House of the Old many times in the past, yet she only found out about the wand after receiving her Assignment. Anything unpleasant is kept from all those who do not need to know. CHAPTER THIRTEEN Summary Just as the Giver said that he would, Jonas learns the colors through the memories he is given. But, when he sees the colors outside the memories, they are fleeting. They do not stay with him. Jonas is angry because he cannot hold onto them. He tells the Giver that seeing the colors would allow him to make choices. He wants to make choices. For an example of how nice it would be if everyone could make choices, Jonas mentions Gabriel’s toys. Jonas calls Gabriel his brother and then corrects himself. After thinking about it, Jonas decides that it would be fine for a child to be able to see color and make choices. However, it would be dangerous for people to be able to make choices after they mature. They could make bad choices. Jonas decides that not having choices is safer. But, somehow, he feels unsatisfied. And, Jonas’s anger lingers. Jonas wants his friends to be able to see colors as he does. He tries to transmit the ability to see the color of a flower to Asher by touching his shoulder like the Giver does to him when transmitting the memories. However, he comes across as rude. Touching another is considered rude. Another time, Jonas tries to transmit to Lily and Father the memory of an elephant, a real one, not Lily’s comfort object elephant. But, he is only successful in irritating Lily. Jonas questions the Giver about whether he ever had a spouse. He did. The Giver tells Jonas of the difficulties of having a wife and not being able to share his work with her. The Giver goes on to say that part of his work is giving counsel to the Committee of Elders when they ask for it. But, they seldom ask for his advice. This leads to the subject of the failed Receiver. When she failed, her memories went out into the community. Everyone had access to them. This was very upsetting. There was real suffering until the memories were assimilated.



They discuss the way the brain works. Jonas starts to quote his teachers, but the Giver says that the teachers are well trained but that they know nothing because they do not have the memories. Some days, when Jonas goes to see the Giver he is sent away. This is because the Giver is in pain on those days. When he is sent away, he spends the afternoon exercising his new memories. He concentrates on grass or the sky until he sees green or blue. Then he holds onto the color as long as he can. At other times, he remembers sunshine until he can actually feel warmth. Sometimes, he stands at the bridge that is crossed only with permission. On the other side one can reach communities like his own but slightly different. The area between the various communities is flat. It is farmland. Jonas’s thoughts go to the area beyond the nearby communities, to Elsewhere. He wonders if there are still hills Elsewhere. Is there wind? One day Jonas asks the Giver what causes pain. Jonas tells the Giver to give him some of the pain to carry for him. The Giver agrees that it is time. It will all be Jonas’s to bear in the future, he says. The Giver decides to begin with a memory that will be partially familiar to Jonas. It is of a hill and a sled. Notes Jonas mistakenly referring to Gabriel as his brother illustrates for us the closeness that he is developing with the newchild. It illustrates the changes that are occurring in Jonas as he mentally moves further away from the ways of the community and closer to those of the Giver. We remember what Lily suggested earlier. Perhaps they both have light eyes because they have the same birth mother. Jonas decides that not having choices is safer. But, he questions whether it is actually better than having choices. Why is touching considered to be rude? The rational is that touching would tend to develop connections between individuals. For a stable community, individuals should have a strong connection to the community as a whole, not to individual members of the community. It is difficult to accept the belief of those who developed Sameness that a world without animals is better. The Giver cannot give the Elders advice that they do not ask for. If he could, he could help the community tremendously. The requirement that advice be requested prevents the community from improving itself. CHAPTER FOURTEEN Summary The memory of snow and sled this time is different. The ride downhill is not smooth. The sled is out of control. There is a crash and then Jonas hears the bone in his leg crack. His face skids over ice, tearing the flesh. There is unbearable pain. When Jonas finds himself once again back on the bed in the Giver’s room, he finds that his leg is straight, not broken, like it was in the memory. But, there is still some pain. Jonas asks the Giver for relief-of-pain, but the Giver does not give him any. Jonas limps home. That night, Jonas does not share what happened with his family. He does not take any relief-of-pain medication either. He follows the rules regarding sharing and medication. He is brave, like the Chief Elder said at the Ceremony of Twelve. Over and over, he dreams of the accident in the memory. After the memory of the sledding accident, the memories always include pain. At the end of each pain filled afternoon, the Giver kindly gives Jonas a pleasurable memory. At one meeting, Jonas asks why the painful memories are needed. The Giver tells him that the memories give him wisdom. Without wisdom, advice could not be given. For example, when the Elders asked for advice on increasing the population, the Giver had pulled up his memory of starvation and advised against an increase.



The Giver tells Jonas that starvation can lead to war. Then Jonas realizes something. He will need to receive memories of war, very painful memories. He wishes that the memories could be shared. The Giver tells him that the people do not want the memories of pain. That is why they want there to be Receivers of Memory. Jonas is not ready to give up on the idea of sharing. Together, the two of them can think of a way to convince people to accept memories. The Giver disagrees. Jonas realizes then that changes can not be made. At home, the family is discussing Gabriel. He is progressing nicely, but is still having difficulty sleeping at night. Father’s thoughts turn to another developing situation involving newchildren. Soon twin boys will be born. One will need to be released. It will most likely be the one with the lower weight. Jonas has the belief that when newchildren are released they go Elsewhere to live. He imagines the smallest twin going Elsewhere and being received by Larrisa, who was recently released. Jonas asks if he can put Gabriel’s crib in his room. That way, Father and Mother can sleep through the night. The family agrees with Jonas’s plan. At first, Gabriel sleeps soundly, but later, he wakes up. Jonas comforts Gabriel. As he does so he thinks of a pleasant memory of sailing that he recently received. Before he realizes it, the memory starts to move to Gabriel. When he feels the memory leaving him, he realizes what is happening. He pulls his hand away from Gabriel. As he stands beside Gabriel’s crib no longer touching Gabriel, he recalls the memory again. Now the memory is less intense. Later, Gabriel reawakens. Jonas puts his hand on Gabriel’s back a second time and gives him the remainder of the memory. He notices emptiness where the memory had been. Jonas wants a memory of sailing for his own pleasure. But, he doesn’t think that he should ask the Giver for another one. Jonas knows that the Giver would be alerted to the possibility that Jonas gave someone a memory. Jonas does not yet have permission to be a Giver. And, Gabriel has not been selected as a Receiver. He plans to keep this a secret. Notes Jonas has followed the rules he was given when he received his Assignment, even though it has been difficult at times. But, now, he has a problem. He has transmitted a memory without permission. And, he has decided not to tell. Jonas has become wiser and wiser, but he still thinks that being released means going Elsewhere. When Jonas first transmits the memory of sailing to Gabriel, it is accidental, not on purpose. But, shortly afterward, he willingly transmits the rest of the memory. CHAPTER FIFTEEN Summary Jonas goes to a meeting with the Giver. He sees that the Giver is in terrible pain. Jonas wants to help the Giver by taking some of the pain. When the Giver agrees, Jonas lays on the bed and receives a dreadful memory of war. Just when he can stand it no longer the dream ends. The Giver apologizes to Jonas for giving him the dream. Notes This is an extremely short chapter. The author, who lost one of her children to war, knows first-hand the pain that it causes even to those not actively involved in it.



CHAPTER SIXTEEN Summary Jonas does not want to continue being the Receiver of Memories. But, he has no choice. It has been decided for him. The Giver understands Jonas’s feelings well. He treats him with compassion. He reminds him that there are many pleasant memories. Jonas asks him about his favorite memory. The Giver does not hesitate to transmit it to him. The Giver’s favorite memory is of a family Christmas gathering. There are three generations present. There is a tree and presents and much, much love. Afterward, Jonas questions why the old people are there. In their community the old are in the House of the Old. The Giver says that the old people are called grandparents. He explains that they are the parents’ parents. They discuss the people in their community. The Giver says that Jonas can find out who the parents of his parents are by going to the Hall of Open Records. When Jonas and Lily are grown and get their own houses and possibly, their own families, their parents will go to live with Childless Adults. When they no longer work, they will go to the House of the Old. Afterward, Jonas tells the Giver that he wishes that the Giver was his grandfather. He wishes living arrangements were more like in the memory. He quickly adds that he knows that the way living arrangements are now is better. He adds that the old way was dangerous. They had fire in the fireplace and candles. But they did make one feel warm. When he gets home, after much rehearsal, Jonas asks his parents if they love him. Mother refers to love as a meaningless word. Jonas is taken aback. To him it is full of important meanings. The parents bring up the requirement for precision of language. Love is an imprecise word. Yes, they enjoy him and they take pride in his accomplishments. When Mother asks if he understands why the word love is inappropriate, Jonas tells his first lie. That evening, Gabriel is again in Jonas’s sleepingroom. He had been in there and sleeping well for a number of nights, so he had been considered to be ready to return to the Nurturing Center in preparation for the December Ceremony in two months, when he would go to a family of his own. But, he did not continue to sleep through the night in the center, so he is once again back with Jonas’s family and back in Jonas’s sleepingroom at night. As Gabriel sleeps, Jonas talks to him, voicing what is on his mind that he usually keeps to himself. He describes to the sleeping Gabriel how things could be better. Gabriel is sleeping well now because Jonas has been giving him pleasant memories. The next morning, Jonas does not take his pill. The memories are causing him to look at life differently now. Notes Earlier, we got the feeling that Jonas was pleased to be the Receiver of Memories. He seemed to thrive on the knowledge that he was acquiring. But, when he decides that he does not want to continue being the Receiver because of the pain in the memories, we find out that he has no choice. The choice was made without any input from him. And, he cannot change it. The Giver is a very compassionate person. He understands what Jonas is going through. He tries to alleviate his suffering as much as he can, even to the extent of giving him one of his most valued memories. When Jonas wishes that the Giver was his grandfather, we are aware that possibly he really is. They both have



light, deep eyes. Regardless of whether or not he is Jonas’s grandfather, he fills a role in his life not unlike that of a grandfather. When Jonas voices both his desire that life be more like in the memories and his understanding that life is better-arranged in his community we realize that he is only partly converted. Jonas’s parents have no understanding of the importance of love. But, they do seem to exhibit some signs that they feel love for Jonas and Lily, even if they do not call it by that name. Gabriel needs to shape up and start sleeping through the night at the Nurturing Center very soon. He needs to be ready to go to his new parents in two months. If he isn’t, there is a strong implication that his time will be up. Jonas’s decision to stop taking his pill is a major step in his conversion from supportive member of the community to wise member of the community. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Summary Today is an unscheduled holiday, a rare occurrence. Four weeks have passed since he stopped taking his pill. For Jonas there is no going back. The memories are contributing to the changes in him. He is now able to see colors more easily. And, they do not fade away any longer. Jonas’s feelings are deeper, deeper than they were in the past, and deeper than the feelings of others in the community. Jonas decides to look for Asher. He finds him and others playing at a game of war. This upsets Jonas. After he interferes in the game and most of the children leave, Jonas asks Asher not to play the game in the future. Asher reminds him that he is the one training to be Recreation Director, not Jonas. Jonas tries to tell Asher the background of the game, but Asher does not understand. Fiona suggests to Jonas that they ride down to the river. He would love to do that, but he can not, not at this point. Soon his friends leave on their bicycles. Jonas sits down on a bench and is overwhelmed by his feelings. He has feelings of loss. He is sad because his friends do not understand his concerns. He loves Asher and Fiona, but they cannot love him back. Jonas knows that he cannot change the way things are. In the evening, Father mentions that tomorrow he will be called on to release one of the identical twins being born. Jonas takes the opportunity to try to learn more about the subject of release. He asks Father if he is to be the one who takes the infant Elsewhere. Father tells him that he will just decide which one should be released. After he cleans the one to be released and makes it comfortable, he will perform a ceremony and wave bye-bye. In response to Jonas’s questions, Father says that someone from Elsewhere will take the child. Notes Life for Jonas is becoming unbearably frustrating now. He feels more and more distance between himself and his friends. But, he cannot go back to the way he was. If he could, he would not want to do so. The children in the community know how to play the game of war without knowing what it is really about. They know the rules of the game without having any clue to the history behind it. It has lost its meaning. Jonas seems to be getting more pain than pleasure out of his newly acquired depth of understanding. He is not able to show his family and friends his love or to receive love from them. He is able to feel the frustration of not being able to share many things with his family and friends.



Jonas continues to search for answers to his questions about release. And, he will continue to search. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Summary The next afternoon when they meet, Jonas asks the Giver about release. Neither of them is allowed to request release. The memories are too important to the community. They discuss the prior Receiver-to-be, the one who was lost ten years ago. There was no rule at that time forbidding the Receiver-to-be to request release. After she had received more painful memories than she could bear, she had requested release and, because it was not forbidden to her, the community had to release her. The Giver tells Jonas what happened after she was released. The memories went to the community and the people all suffered with the memories. The Giver was too grief-stricken to help them. He cautions Jonas to take care that nothing accidentally happens to him because he has even more memories now than the earlier Receiver-to-be had at the time of her release. It would be much harder on the people now, if something happened to him and his memories were released. The Giver adds that perhaps he could help the people instead of concentrating on his own grief. Notes It is likely that when the people were flooded with the unwelcome, painful memories that came from the previous Receiver-to-be, their demand that memories be held only by the Receiver of Memory was reinforced. It would be very difficult for someone to try to change the setup with the unwelcome flood of memories still recent. The Giver is very wise. He seems to be growing wiser, too. When the prior Receiver-to-be was lost, he did not help the community because he himself was too grief-stricken. But, now he knows that a better way would be helping other even though he is grief-stricken. CHAPTER NINETEEN Summary Jonas and the Giver continue their conversation. Jonas tells the Giver that his father released a twin this morning. When the Giver says that he wishes they would not do that, Jonas laughs at the idea of having two identical people to confuse the community. Jonas wishes aloud that he could have watched the release. Watching releases is forbidden to children. The Giver reminds Jonas of the special rules for his position. For him watching a release is allowed. And, since it was recorded, they can watch a recording of it. The Giver calls in a request and soon it is available on the video screen. As the video begins, Father walks into a room followed by a woman. Each is holding a baby boy. Father weighs each one. He gives the larger one to the woman who takes him to the Nurturing Center. He opens a cupboard and takes out a syringe and a little bottle. He fills the syringe from the bottle. He inserts the needle into a vein in the newchild’s scalp. The newchild wiggles and cries softly. He moved his arms and legs and then he stops moving. Jonas is slow to realize what has happened. But, then he does. He tells himself that his father killed the newchild. He is shocked. His father puts the body into a carton and sends it down a chute. Then he says “Bye bye.” Then, the video ends. The Giver tells Jonas about the release of the prior Receiver-to-be, Rosemary. The Giver has seen a tape of it also. In the tape, Rosemary was in a room waiting to be released. When a syringe was brought in, she requested to be allowed to inject herself. The Giver tells Jonas that he did not watch as she injected herself. Rosemary was brave and he was horror-struck.



Afterward, the Giver and Jonas are both very upset. Notes Jonas’s search for answers takes a giant leap forward today. And, the new information received is definitely not pleasant. He was suffering before this, but now it is worse. One unbelievable piece of information that he receives through the video is that his father lied to him. The fear that was already in the back of his mind that others could be lying to him is actually accurate. This is a difficult piece of information for him to accept. In his own way, Father was still the gentle Nurthurer with the released twin. He would have preferred that there was another way to handle the situation, but to Father there did not seem to be another way. Finding out that the community has been less than honest about release can cause Jonas to be alert to other misnomers. CHAPTER TWENTY Summary Jonas refuses to return home after what he found out. The Giver agrees to let him stay with him overnight. The Giver tries to explain to Jonas why people act as they do. “They know nothing” he says. His father lied because that is what he was told to do. The people in his community, including his father, are living the life that was created for them. Jonas would be the same if he had not been chosen to be the new Receiver. A terrible possibility hits Jonas. He asks the Giver if he also lies to him. The Giver replies that, although he is allowed to lie, he has not lied to Jonas. Jonas wants to know if release is always like it was with the twin. The Giver tells him that it is. It is the same with those who break the rules three times. It is the same with the Old. Jonas’s thoughts turn to Fiona. She is training in the House of the Old. What will she say when she finds out about release? The Giver tells him that she already knows. Feelings are not part of what she has learned. Jonas does not want to go back to the community. They order their evening meal and then start a plan. Jonas is skeptical at first about the usefulness of a plan, thinking that planning for change is useless. Change is impossible. The Giver reminds him that things were once different, long, long ago. The Giver has himself been hopeless over the possibility of change, but being with Jonas now for almost a year has caused him to realize that things must somehow change. And Jonas, several hours ago, inadvertently showed him a way. The plan is developed. Jonas will leave. The Giver will stay with the community because he will be needed. He will be needed if Jonas reaches Elsewhere. At that point, the memories will come back to the community. The community will need the Giver’s help as they deal with the memories. And, they need the memories to survive. Jonas knows that there is a possibility that he will die. But, to him, it is worth the risk. However, he wants the Giver to go with him. They don’t need to be concerned about the community. Then he thinks some more and realizes that they must continue to care. The Giver tells Jonas something that makes him very sad. The Giver no longer sees colors. He has given them to Jonas. The Giver tells him this as an example of why he cannot go with Jonas. He is weak now. Jonas is reminded of what the Giver told him almost a year ago. He told him that, in the beginning, seeing colors was different for him. He questions him about this. The Giver says that when he was young, he did not see beyond



like Jonas. Instead, he was able to hear beyond. He heard something called music. Jonas does not want the Giver to share it. He wants the Giver to keep it for himself when Jonas is gone. The next morning Jonas goes home. He acts as though everything is fine. Lying is easier now. At school he mentally reviews the plan again and again. The Giver will give him memories of courage and strength to help him when he leaves on his journey toward Elsewhere. On the night before the ceremony, at midnight, Jonas would write a note to his parents explaining that he would be back very soon, and leave his dwelling, even though there is a rule against anyone leaving their dwelling at night. He would take some clothing and his bicycle to the river and hide them. After that, he would go to the Annex. The Giver will order a vehicle and the driver will be sent to do something else. The Giver, with Jonas hidden in the vehicle along with some clothing and food, will take Jonas on the first leg of his long journey. Jonas’s disappearance won’t be discovered until the midday break of the ceremony because everyone will think that he is with someone else. By then, he will be far away. The bicycle and clothing will be found and the Giver, having returned, will announce that Jonas was lost in the river and begin the Ceremony of Loss. Soon the community will be busy dealing with the memories. The previous night, when their long planning session was ending, Jonas had once again asked the Giver to make the journey to Elsewhere with him. Once again, the Giver had refused. The Giver has other plans. After he takes care of the community and the community becomes adjusted to the memories, he plans to join Rosemary, who is actually his daughter. Notes The Giver tells Jonas that, if he had not been chosen to be the Receiver-to-be, he would be like the rest of the community. At this point, after all the changes he has gone through, it is difficult to remember that. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Summary The plan seems workable. Jonas is confident. But, that night everything changes. That night Jonas leaves the community. He does not have time for any of the plan, not even going to the Annex, to the Giver. He just hopes that the Giver receives his mental message of good-bye. It had all changed so quickly. At the evening meal, Jonas had found out that Gabriel would be released. The previous night, when Jonas was away, Gabriel had stayed at the Nurturing Center and he did not sleep well. The decision had been made, with Father concurring, that he should be released. It was scheduled for tomorrow. Jonas crosses the river and leaves the community which has no color, no pain, and no past. He has a little food taken from some of the dinner trays that were waiting to be picked up, his father’s bicycle with the child seat on it, and Gabriel. He has Gabriel. Gabriel has received a soothing memory to help him sleep through the night. Jonas pedals all night. In the morning, he stops at a stream and removes Gabriel from the child seat. After a meal and a drink from the stream, they sleep in a hidden place throughout the day. Gabriel needs a memory of exhaustion to put him to sleep. It is now days later. Airplanes are the biggest problem. The planes are searching for them. Jonas and Gabriel travel only at night and sleep in the daytime. Jonas grows stronger. Because he knows that the planes can use heat-seeking devices, Jonas gives Gabriel memories of snow to lower his temperature. He notices that the memories are becoming weaker. That is as he expected. Eventually, the planes come less frequently. Notes The Giver and Jonas put a lot of thought into their plan. And, now it isn’t being used. There was no time for



the Giver to pass additional memories of strength and courage to Jonas. But, Jonas is doing well with the strength and courage that he already possesses. Jonas has broken rules of the community. He has taken food. He has left his dwelling at night. He is also breaking some more important, generally unstated, rules on which his community is based. He is emphasizing the importance of the individual. He is making choices of his own. He is not avoiding pain. This is not to say that he is ignoring the good of the community. What he is doing will also benefit the community. When the memories flow back to them, they will gain. Jonas’s use of memories of snow seems very creative. We feel confident that he has the ability to make it to where he wants to go. As the memories become weaker for Jonas, they are presumably being received by the community that he left. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Summary Now, the road is rougher. It is more difficult to ride the bicycle. Once, Jonas falls and hurts his leg, but Gabriel remains uninjured. Jonas begins to feel that it is safe to ride in the daytime since planes have become a thing of the past. Once again, Gabriel thinks that he sees a plane. But, it is not a plane. It is a bird. Soon, there are more birds, and animals. These, along with other new discoveries, like wildflowers, give Jonas much joy. They are no longer near cultivated land. It is becoming more difficult to find food. Jonas and Gabriel are continually hungry. Jonas begins to think that he made the wrong choice. If he had stayed, he would not be starving now. But, he would have starved for love and for color. Jonas knows that, considering what would have happened to Gabriel, there was really nothing he could have done except leave. They begin to encounter hills. Because of Jonas’s injured leg, and his empty stomach this is not good. Then, they encounter a lengthy rain. Gabriel cries because he is cold, wet, and hungry. Then, Jonas cries because he is worried that he won’t be able to continue to take care of Gabriel. Notes Jonas is learning more about the risks involved in making choices. Life is no longer neat. It is no longer painless. And, it can become unexpectedly complicated. From the description, the place in which Jonas and Gabriel now find themselves could easily be Elsewhere, their destination. Figuring out how to do something without any training shows resourcefulness. Jonas’s fashioning of strips of Gabriel’s blanket into a net shows his innate creativity. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Summary Jonas is confident that his destination is ahead. There is no clear evidence that it is. But, he definitely feels that Elsewhere is not far away. However, he is not sure that he can reach it. Now, instead of rain, there is snow. Jonas puts Gabriel against his chest and wraps the two of them together for warmth. He tries to pedal the bicycle up the steep hill that lies ahead of them. He cannot do it. He is tempted to drop into the snow with Gabriel and fall asleep. He doesn’t. He tries to remember sunshine and give the memory to Gabriel. He is



successful. They leave the bicycle lying in the snow and Jonas carries Gabriel up the hill. After several more warming memories, and a memory of happy times, they reach the top of the hill. With the help of a memory of his own, Jonas finds a sled on the crest of the hill. They start down the hill. Jonas feels that he knows where they are headed. He sees lights ahead, colored lights through windows. It is a place where people share love. He hears music. He hears singing. He also hears music coming from behind him, but, perhaps it is an echo. Notes The ending of this book leaves much for the reader to imagine. We can decide for ourselves what happens next. Perhaps the people behind the windows with the colored lights find Jonas and Gabriel and take them into their lives. Perhaps the windows with the colored lights are only in Jonas’s mind, not real, and they are freezing to death. Or, something else could be about to happen. Regardless of what happens to Jonas and Gabriel, Jonas has enabled his community to receive the memories and to experience color, love, and pain. OVERALL ANALYSES CHARACTER ANALYSIS Jonas - Jonas is the protagonist. The story is written from his point of view. He changes greatly as the story proceeds. In the beginning, Jonas is an Eleven. The time is nearing when he will go through the Ceremony of Twelve. After the Ceremony of Twelve, children are treated as adults. As with other children in the community, the Ceremony of Twelve is an important milestone in Jonas’s life. He looks toward it with some unease. He wonders what Assignment he will be given. At the ceremony, he is given a rare Assignment, that of Receiver of Memory. The Elders have been watching him and know that he is a good choice for this special Assignment. He meets every afternoon with the Giver, who could also be described as the old Receiver. He has depth. Jonas receives memories from the Giver. These are memories that the community wants the Receivers to keep for them. The memories, and the Giver who transmits them to Jonas, cause Jonas to change. He becomes aware of things that he has never previously known or experienced. He becomes aware of other ways of living. During this time he also learns that his community hides some realities from the people. He becomes disillusioned. He and the Giver make a plan by which Jonas will leave the community and travel to where things are different. But, after they make the plan, something happens that causes Jonas to leave immediately without making the planned preparations first. He takes a child that he has become fond of with him. They travel for many days, heading toward what Jonas is confident is a better place. The Giver - The Giver is a wise, older man who has a special place of honor in the community. He is one of a long chain of Receivers of Memory. Each Receiver becomes a Giver when he passes on the memories to the next Receiver of Memory. It is the job of the Giver/Receiver to hold all the memories from the past for the community. Some memories are painful, so it is felt that it is better if only one person holds them, thus saving the community from much pain. At times, the Elders call on the Receiver/Giver to counsel them on proposed changes in the community. He is able to use the memories to better judge what the likely results of changes would be. He is in a position to save the community from making mistakes. He is compassionate when he gives memories to Jonas. At first he gives him only pleasant memories. But, after a time, he begins to give him the painful ones. Each day when he gives him painful memories, he ends the session with a pleasant one. He remembers how it was to be a Receiver to Be because that is how he started, back when he himself was a Twelve. As time passes, he and Jonas develop a plan to help themselves and the community as a whole. If the plan works, the community will receive memories. This will enable them to see color and to love. The Giver/Receiver and Jonas will be free to do as they choose. Father - Father is the father of Jonas and Lily. His Assignment is Nurturer. He has always enjoyed taking care of the newchildren. When he became a Twelve, because the Elders had noticed his interest, he was give the Assignment of Nurturer. Nurturers take care of the newchildren until they become a One, receive a name, and are given to a family. Sometimes they must release a newchild. When one of the newchildren is in danger of



being released because he has trouble sleeping through the night, Father decides to bring him home each night. Even though he is not supposed to do so, Father looks up what name is planned for the newchild so that he can use the name to soothe the boy. Because of Father’s efforts, his release date is postponed. Father calls Jonas Jonas-bonus and he calls Lily Lily-billy. PLOT STRUCTURE ANALYSIS As The Giver begins, we are introduced to what seems overall to be a pleasant, if somewhat strange, community. We learn things about the community that seem appealing. At the same time, there are a few disquieting aspects of the community. The most important concern of Jonas, the protagonist, is the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve. This is the introduction or exposition. The day of the Ceremony of Twelve arrives but the stress in Jonas's life does not end. Instead, his life changes dramatically. Jonas learns much from The Giver. What he learns changes him. Because of what he learns, his life will never be the same. This is the rising action. When Jonas learns that a newchild that he loves will be released the following day, he knows that he must act. Release is a euphemism for death. This is the climax. Jonas flees with the newchild, hoping to reach Elsewhere. This is the falling action. At the point when he is exhausted and unable to continue, Jonas feels that he has reached his destination. This is the denouement or resolution. The story can also be divided into three parts. First, we see the way that the community is. We see its good points and suspect its bad points. Second, we see Jonas grow intellectually and change as he acquires the memories that the Giver passes to him. Third, we see Jonas realize what he must do and act upon that realization. The novel, The Giver shares many similarities with other dystopian novels like Brave New World and 1984. In each, a society is depicted which has sought to normalize everyone and eliminate basic human feelings and expressions to eliminate conflict and better the society. We see many of the same patterns here: The community has sought to eliminate pain and suffering and provide peace for all of those who conform to the rules. In order to do so, they seek to eliminate human emotion and individual freedom to prevent chaos and harm in the utopian society. Everyone works for the good and betterment of the society and not for themselves. Individual freedoms are repressed by harsh rules. The community imposes absolute restrictions on memories/thoughts, sexual activity, reproduction, and the family. On the surface this utopian community of the future seems perfect. Everyone does what is expected of them and there seems to be no conflict. In other dystopian novels, main characters eventually become uncomfortable and untrusting of the rigid rules and the strictly defined structure of the society. In their rebellion from authority, they eventually are led down a path of self-destruction and collapse. In this novel, while Jonas does revolt against the control and direction of the community, the ultimate outcome is left with the optimistic feeling that Jonas has succeeded in escaping to a better place. While the reader is left alone to fill in the specific answers to the many questions that spring to mind at the end of the novel, Lowry has stated, "I made the ending ambiguous on purpose. "Ambiguous" means that it can have



different explanations. I like to leave it that way so that each reader can use his or her imagination and decide what is happening. But I do think it is a happy ending." It is somewhat unusual to take on sensitive topics such as birth control, euthanasia, and sexual activity frankly in a young adult novel. Because of this, the book has been somewhat controversial, with many parents feeling that it should not be made available to young children. THEMES ANALYSIS The Importance of Memory - This story developed from the author’s understanding of the importance of memory, an understanding which came from her observation of someone who no longer had their memory. When one has no memory they cannot remember painful episodes in their life. Some people with memories of horrors, losing those memories can seem to be a blessing. But, if they also cannot recall the emotions associated with their good relationships with others, it is a mixed blessing. The author appears to believe that having all memories, good and bad, is better than having no memories. This book presents a convincing argument for the importance of memory. Memory is important for preventing repetition of mistakes. That is where the Receivers give their community valuable help. Without the Receivers, the community would have wanted to increase the population. But, because the Giver/Receiver had memories of famine and hunger, they avoided suffering through famine and hunger again. Jonas learns to love through memories. Those in the community who do not have memories are unable to experience love. This has enormous importance. The Importance of the Individual - What Jonas accomplishes shows what an individual can do. He manages to not only change his life and the lives of Gabriel and the Giver, but also the lives of everyone in the community by making it possible for the memories to go to the community. Before the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas was one of a group of Elevens who were all living according to the rules of the community. After the Ceremony of Twelve, when he became the new Receiver, and after he began receiving the memories, he developed into an individual with a life separate from that of the community. At that point, he was able to make a difference in the life of everyone in the community. Soon, now that they are receiving memories, they will also be able to act as individuals and make even more changes for the improvement of the community. The Value of Freedom to Make Choices - Sometimes we make the wrong choice, but, even so, the freedom to make choices outweighs any good that would come from losing our ability to make choices. Jonas, who has gone through his entire childhood without making a choice, begins to make choices after he starts receiving memories from the Giver. He learns what he has been missing. He knows that the freedom to make choices is the key to getting the most out of life. The choice that he makes to leave the community helps the community as well as himself, Gabriel and the Giver. Jonas’s choice to leave the community seems to have extra value because it will enable the community itself to begin making choices. The Relationship between Pain and Pleasure - A memory of pain gives meaning to pleasure. In the community, life is monotonous because pleasurable things do not have the value that a memory of pain would give them. Pain is not felt as fully as it would be if the person experiencing it had knowledge of pleasure. In the community, due to lack of memories of pain and pleasure, feelings are muted. As Jonas receives the memories, he is better able to experience pain and pleasure. This gives his life added richness. He wants to share this richness with his community, especially with his friends and family. The Value of a Multi-generational Family - The family in which Jonas grew up was only a temporary grouping of parents and children. When Jonas and then Lily grow up, it is expected that Father and Mother will live with the Childless Adults until they go to the House of the Old. Jonas and Lily will no longer be in contact



with them. As Jonas receives memories, he is exposed to memories of households that include grandparents, households filled with love shared by three generations. He is very impressed by the love that he finds in such households. He desires to live like that. The Importance of Making Connections - Memories are important. Sharing them is also important. Connecting with people with whom we can share memories enriches our lives. The feeling of being connected to the past that comes from memories of the past is also enriching. Having connections makes pleasurable memories more pleasurable and painful memories less painful. As Jonas gains memories, he has an increasing need to connect with his family and friends, a need that they cannot meet because they have no memories. He proceeds to solve the problem in a way. Because of Jonas’s departure from the community and his journey toward Elsewhere, the community recaptures the memories. We can assume that soon, with the help and support of the Giver, they will be able to love and make connections. However, Jonas is not planning to return to the community. The Value of Diversity - The community in which Jonas lives has, many generations before Jonas, moved to what they call Sameness. Those who set up the new way believed that Sameness solved many problems. By getting rid of diversity, life is simpler, but it also lacks the richness that diversity gives. Without diversity it was easier to gain control of what was left. As Jonas receives memories, he learns that it was a bad trade-off. The Importance of Honesty - We learn, with Jonas, the importance of honesty. When Jonas finds out that he can lie, he realizes that other Twelves may have also been given that permission. He can no longer feel sure about anything that is or has been told to him. Anything he has been told is now open to question. The situation worsens when Jonas discovers that his father lied to him about releasing a newchild. Jonas does accept the Giver’s statement that, although he has permission, he does not lie to him. POINT OF VIEW Limited omniscient. The story is told from Jonas’s point of view by someone who observed Jonas, who knew what Jonas was thinking and experiencing, but who only learned what others were thinking and experiencing as Jonas learned these things. OTHER ELEMENTS TERMS USED The author makes the community seem different by using common words in different ways. Here are some examples: A "Newchild" is an infant. A Birthmother is a woman who gives birth to a newchild. The newchild is immediately taken from the Birthmother. He or she goes immediately to the Nurturing Center to be cared for by Nurturers. A Comfort Object is a stuffed animal that, as its name implies, is given to a newchild to comfort him or her. A Bike Port is a place used to park a bicycle. Volunteer Hours are temporary jobs performed by children. These help the children to develop their skills and help the Elders to find out what job would be most appropriate for each child when they receive their Assignment as a Twelve. The House of the Old is where the Old live when they no longer contribute to the community. At the end of each person’s stay there, a Ceremony of Release takes place.



STAGES OF CHILDHOOD Fifty children are born each year. Each newchild is assigned a number and stays in the Nurturing Center until the December after her/his birth. The first December after birth, each newchild is given a name in addition to the number assigned at birth. Each child is also assigned a family and is called a One. The group of children born each year stays together. The group is promoted each year to the next age group. The third December, when the newchildren become Threes, their training in the correct usage of words begins. At this time, each child begins to take part in their family’s morning analysis of the previous night’s dreams. The fourth December, when the children become Fours, they wear jackets that button in the back. This ends the seventh December, when the children become Sevens. At that time they begin wearing jackets that button in the front. Then, the eighth December, when the children become Eights, they receive jackets with pockets and with smaller buttons. The eighth December, when the children become Eights, the comfort objects that were given to them in the Nurturing Center are taken away and Volunteer Hours, which will continue until they are Elevens, begin. Volunteer Hours take place daily. During Volunteer Hours the children develop skills and find their occupational interests. The ninth December, when the children become Nines, they are given bicycles to ride. During the previous year they had to get to their Volunteer Hours without a bicycle. The ninth December is when Girls stop wearing hair ribbons. The tenth December is when the children become Tens. This is when their hair is cut. The eleventh December is when the children become Elevens. Girls get new undergarments. Boys get long pants. Both boys and girls receive calculators. They are observed throughout this year at school, play, and Volunteer Hours by the Elders who will decide what their Assignments will be. The twelfth December is when the children become Twelves. This is the beginning of their adult lives. This is when children are assigned a career. Assignments are received at the December ceremony. This is the first time that differences between children are celebrated. Training for the Assignments begins and schooling continues. QUOTATIONS - IMPORTANT QUOTES AND ANALYSIS “We failed in our last selection....I will not dwell on the experience because it causes us all terrible discomfort.” (Page 61) The Chief Elder is referring to an earlier Receiver who did not complete her training. When she left, it caused much pain in the community. The reader does not find out the details until later, when the Giver talks to Jonas about what happened. “Well, there was the telling of his life. That is always first. Then the toast. We all raised our glasses and cheered. We chanted the anthem. He made a lovely good-bye speech. And several of us made little speeches wishing him well.” (Page 32) Larissa, one of the Old, is describing the ceremony before the Release of another of the Old. The community thinks that Release is something good. A few do wonder why it is such a secret event, but most just accept what they have been led to believe. “What if they had all been instructed: You may lie?” (Page 71)



When Jonas becomes the new Receiver, he is given a sheet of rules. The last rule on the page is “You may lie.” These three words send shocks through him. Throughout his childhood, he was aware that he was not allowed to lie. Based on this, he has assumed that others are likewise not allowed to lie. But, if he is allowed to lie, perhaps others have also been given permission, when they became a Twelve, to lie. He has no way to find out if others can lie. It is obvious to him that, if someone has permission to lie, they can lie about whether or not they can lie. “Well, everything’s different now.” (Page 72) On the day following the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas gives this response to Fiona when she says “I don’t know why I’m nervous. I’ve been here so often before.” For Jonas, everything is different now. His Assignment is one that he did not expect. And, it is different from all the Assignments given to the other Twelves. His life has been completely changed. He must go straight to the old Receiver in the Annex to the House of the Old each day after school. After he meets with the Receiver for his training, he must go straight to his home. He may now ask any question of anyone. He may not discuss his training or his dreams with anyone. He is not allowed pain medication for anything related to his training. And, he may lie! He practically has a whole new life. “I thought there was only us. I thought there was only now.” (Page 78) When this statement is made, Jonas has just met the old Receiver, also referred to as the Giver. He is telling us, along with the Giver, how the world appears to him before he starts receiving memories. He knows nothing that is in the memories. He knows nothing of the past, not even that there was a past. He knows nothing about the outside world. He has heard of a place referred to as Elsewhere, but knows nothing about it. Over the next weeks and months, Jonas’s fund of knowledge will grow enormously. “We gained control of many things. But, we had to let go of others.” “We shouldn’t have!” (Page 95) The first quote is uttered by the Giver. The next quote is from Jonas. They are talking about their ancestors’ switch to Sameness. Jonas is wise enough to know that when one figures out how much is gained by an action, one must subtract what is lost in the process. Jonas figures out that more was lost than was gained. “We really have to protect people from wrong choices.” (Page 99) This quote is taken from Jonas. He had decided that choices are good. But, then he realized that most likely sometimes people would make bad choices. Some bad choices would have no consequences or only minor consequences. An example given is choosing what color to wear. However, some bad choices would have dire consequences. An example given is choosing one’s job. At this point in the story, Jonas is still thinking about all the new ideas to which he has recently been exposed and trying to make sense of all that he has learned. “But why can’t everyone have the memories? I think it would seem a little easier if the memories were shared. You and I wouldn’t have to bear so much by ourselves, if everyone took a part.” The Giver sighed. “You’re right,” he said. “But then everyone would be burdened and pained. They don’t want that. And that’s the real reason The Receiver is so vital to them, and so honored. They selected me-and you-to lift that burden from themselves.” (Pages 112-3) The first quote is from Jonas. The second quote is spoken by the Giver. Jonas knows that sharing makes what is hard to bear easier to bear. It seems sensible to him that the painful memories be shared. At the same time, if all memories were shared, the pleasant memories would add to the pleasure of everyone’s life. And, they all could become closer to one another, if memories were shared. The Giver believes, as Jonas does, that sharing the memories with the community would be a good idea. But, he is not optimistic that the community will agree. They went to Sameness many generations ago. They do not want pain. The positive effects of sharing the memories do not seem important to them.



Soon, Jonas realizes that nothing can be changed, at least not by getting the community to agree. “I’m the next on the list. I’ll have to select the one to be nurtured and the one to be released. It’s usually not hard though. Usually it’s just a matter of birthweight. We release the smaller of the two.” (Page 114) This quote is from Father. He is telling his family about the decision to be made after the imminent birth of identical twins. Long ago, when the community went to Sameness, it was decided that having two people in the community who look exactly alike would be too confusing for the community. The community aims to have everyone be similar to everyone else, but not identical. When Father says “It’s usually not hard though” we get a sense of how unfeeling the community is. It is not that they are actually cruel people. They just do not have the depth of understanding that memories would give them. “What did you perceive?” the Giver asked. “Warmth,” Jonas replied, “and happiness. And-let me think. Family. That it was a celebration of some sort, a holiday. And something else-I can’t quite get the word for it.” “It will come to you.” “Who were the old people? Why were they there?” It had puzzled Jonas seeing them in the room. The Old of the community did not ever leave their special place, The House of the Old, where they were so well cared for and respected. “They were called Grandparents.” (Page 123) In this exchange Jonas and the Giver are discussing a memory that Jonas just received. It is the Giver’s favorite memory. It is a memory of a holiday celebration in a three-generation household. In the community where Jonas lives there are no multi-generation families. Once the children are grown, there are not even two-generation families. The “something else” that Jonas senses is love. This memory has a profound effect on Jonas. “Things could change, Gabe,” Jonas went on. “Things could be different. I don’t know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors. “And, grandparents” he added, staring through the dimness toward the ceiling of his sleepingroom. “And everyone would have the memories. “You know about memories,” he whispered, turning toward the crib. …”There could be love.” Jonas whispered. (Page 128-129) Jonas is talking to Gabriel while Gabriel sleeps. Jonas has been giving Gabriel some peaceful memories to help him sleep. Jonas knows that he is not supposed to talk about the memories with anyone except the Giver. Somehow, talking about them to a sleeping Gabriel seems acceptable. What Jonas says allows us to know Jonas’s thoughts. Jonas is growing quickly and what he thinks is changing just as quickly. “What’s wrong, Jonas? It was only a game.” Fiona said. “You ruined it.” Asher said in an irritated voice. “Don’t play it anymore.” Jonas pleaded. …”You had no way of knowing this. I didn’t know it myself until recently. But, it’s a cruel game. In the past there have—“ (Page 134) Jonas gives up mid-sentence trying to get through to his friends.



Jonas has just found a group of children, including Fiona and Asher, playing a game of war. They have no idea of the background of the game. They just know how to play it. But, Jonas has a memory of war now. He knows about its horrors. He is feeling a separation from his friends that he does not like. He desperately wants them to understand what he now understands. But, they don’t. “Do you actually take it to Elsewhere, Father?’ Jonas asked. “No, I just have to make the selection. I weight them, hand the larger over to a Nurturer who’s standing by, waiting, and then I get the smaller one all cleaned up and comfy. Then I perform a small Ceremony of Release and—“He glanced down at Gabriel. “Then I wave bye-bye,” he said in the special sweet voice he used when he spoke to the newchild. He waved his hand in the familiar gesture. (Pages 136-7) This is when Father lies about release. Jonas has been wondering about the details of release. Soon, he will see a video of the actual release and be upset that Father lied, as well as upset about the release itself. This conversation lays the groundwork for the revelation that will cause Jonas to make plans. “The community lost Rosemary after five weeks and it was a disaster for them. I don’t know what the community would do if they lost you.” “Why was it a disaster?” …“...When she was gone, the memories came back to the people. If you were to be lost in the river, Jonas, your memories would not be lost with you. Memories are forever....” (Page 144) The Giver is telling Jonas about the prior Receiver, who did not complete her training ten years ago. When she was released, her memories came back to the community and the painful ones disturbed the people. Jonas has more memories than she had at the time of her release, so there would be more to come flooding back to the people in the community. The Giver was still deep in thought. After a moment, he said, “If you floated off in the river, I suppose I could help the whole community the way I’ve helped you. It’s an interesting concept.…” (Page 145) This is where the Giver first gets the idea to stay with the people if something happens to Jonas that causes the memories to flow back to the community. He and Jonas incorporate this into their plan, although Jonas doesn’t like the idea. Jonas wants the Giver to be with him. “And after we eat,” he went on, “ we’ll make a plan.” Jonas looked up, puzzled. “A plan for what? There’s nothing. There’s nothing we can do. It’s always been this way. Before me, before you, before the ones who came before you. Back and back and back.” … “Jonas,” the Giver said after a moment, “it’s true that it’s been this way for what seems forever. But the memories tell us that it has not always been. People felt things once. You and I have been part of that, so we know. We know that they once felt things like pride and sorrow and—“ “And love,” Jonas added, remembering the family scene that had so affected him. “And pain.” He thought again of the soldier. (Page 154) Jonas feels that there is no way to improve the situation. It seems hopeless. But, the Giver has not given up hope. The Giver’s hope is infectious and Jonas catches it. Sameness was started many, many generations back, but the memories are from prior to Sameness, so the Giver and Jonas are both aware of the fact that there is another way. “Giver,” Jonas suggested, “you and I don’t need to care about the rest of them.”



The Giver looked at him with a questioning smile. Jonas hung his head. Of course they needed to care. It was the meaning of everything. (Page 156) Jonas wants the Giver to leave the community with him. But, the Giver knows that he will be needed by the community when Jonas’s memories leave him and go to the community. The Giver is adamant about not leaving, about staying to help the community. Jonas, searching for something to say to talk the Giver into leaving with him, tells him that they don’t need to care about the community. But, the Giver knows better. Caring about others is a trait that they have both developed due to having the memories. “When I was a boy, younger than you, it began to come to me. But it wasn’t the seeing-beyond for me. It was different. For me, it was hearing-beyond.” (Page 157) The Giver is discussing his version of Jonas’s ability to see colors. For the Giver, the special ability was the ability to hear music. Others in the community cannot hear music just as they cannot see colors. He would make the solemn announcement that Jonas had been lost in the river. He would immediately begin the Ceremony of Loss. “Jonas, Jonas,” they would say loudly, as they had once said the name of Caleb. The Giver would lead the chant. Together they would let Jonas’s presence in their lives fade away as they said his name in unison more slowly, softer and softer, until he was disappearing from them, until he was no more than an occasional murmur and then, by the end of the long day, gone forever, not to be mentioned again. (Page 161) This describes part of the plan developed by the Giver and Jonas. Jonas would be well on his way to Elsewhere before his absence was discovered. At the time when some explanation for his absence was needed, the Giver would make an announcement. The chant described is the same as the chant that follows the loss of any member of the community. It is a way of minimizing the pain of loss quickly. The Giver hugged him. “I love you, Jonas,” he said. “But I have another place to go. When my work here is finished, I want to be with my daughter.”… For the first time in their long months together, Jonas saw him look truly happy. “Her name is Rosemary,” The Giver said. (Page 162) Jonas wants the Giver to go with him when he leaves the community. The Giver wants to help the community deal with the memories that will be coming back to the people there when Jonas heads toward Elsewhere. Then, after the burden of carrying the memories for the community and the responsibility of caring for the people when they need him, he wants to fulfill his true desire and be with his daughter. But that evening, everything changed. All of it—all the things they had thought through so meticulously—fell apart.... “It’s bye-bye to you, Gabe, in the morning,” Father had said, in his sweet sing-song voice. (Pages 163 and 165) There is a dramatic change. Last night Jonas and the Giver spent many hours planning in detail what they would do to prepare for Jonas’s departure. But, tonight all the plans are forgotten when Jonas finds out that Gabriel is to be released in the morning. The way that Father can actually speak to Gabriel about his release like he is telling him that they will be going on a picnic, shows how different the community is from us.



Gabriel had not cried during the long, frightening journey. Now he did. He cried because he was hungry and cold and terribly weak. Jonas cried, too, for the same reasons, and another reason as well. He wept because he was afraid now that he could not save Gabriel. He no longer cared about himself. (Page 173) Jonas shows here how much he has changed in the last year, since he became the new Receiver for the community. The memories have given him the ability to love and to put concerns about Gabriel above concerns about himself. “We’re almost there, Gabriel,” he whispered, feeling quite certain without knowing why. I remember this place, Gabe.” And it was true. But it was not a grasping of a thin and burdensome recollection; this was different. This was something that he could keep. It was a memory of his own. (Page 177) The memories that the Giver gave to Jonas helped to change him, to bring him to the point where he could feel love for others and yearn for their love in return. Those memories were now fading. But, the changes that they had wrought in him made it possible for him to now have memories of his own that he could carry with him always. Downward, downward, faster and faster. Suddenly he was aware with certainty and joy that below, ahead, they were waiting for him; and that they were waiting, too, for the baby. For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing. (Pages 178-9) This is the second to the last paragraph in the book. For some of us this will seem to be a delusion developed in a mind now out of touch with reality. For others, it will be a happy ending. What comes next is for each of us to decide. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But, perhaps it was only an echo. (Page 179) As with the previous paragraph, we cannot be sure that Jonas isn’t delusional at this time. So, since this is the end of the story, we are left to decide for ourselves whether the community he and Gabriel left can now hear music. The above quotations came from the edition of The Giver published by Dell Laurel-Leaf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc. This edition was printed September 2002. SYMBOLISM / MOTIFS Symbols Gabriel - Gabriel, the newchild who Jonas takes to Elsewhere when he leaves the community, is a symbol of the future, as babies often are. Jonas takes this symbol of the future with him when he heads toward the future, leaving the community’s past behind. The Sled - The sled symbolizes the memories that carry Jonas from the community where he grew up to Elsewhere. The River - The river is a symbol of the uncontrollable. It flows away from the community and is out of the control of the community. Motifs Vision - The depth of vision that Jonas possesses is an ability to understand what he sees. Eye Color - The light eye color of Jonas and the Giver connects the two characters in what feels like a genetic link. The similarity of their eye color makes them seem to be connected. Nakedness - To Jonas nakedness stands for freedom. And it stands for peoples’ ability to really know each other. IMPORTANT / KEY FACTS SUMMARY Title: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry



Date Published: 1993 Meaning of the Title: In the community, there is almost always one Receiver. When it is almost time for a new Receiver, the old Receiver becomes the Giver. What are given and received are memories. The Receivers/Givers are the only members of the community that have access to the memories. Setting: Some time in the future in a seemingly utopian community that is actually a dystopian community. Genre: Dystopian novel for young adults. Protagonist: Jonas Mood: Apprehensive Point of View: Limited omniscient. The point of view is that of Jonas as told through an external narrator. Tense: The story is related in the past tense. Rising Action: When, during the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is made the new Receiver, his life and way of viewing things change. Exposition: The exposition takes place slowly of the first chapters, when we slowly learn how the community functions. Climax: The climax of the story is when Jonas views the video showing his father “releasing” one of the newchildren. Outcome: The outcome that we know is that Jonas and Gabriel head toward Elsewhere. The final outcome is not certain. It is not clear whether Jonas actually sees Elsewhere or whether he is hallucinating due to the cold. Either Jonas and Gabriel reach Elsewhere or they die as they approach it. If they reach Elsewhere and Jonas is not hallucinating, then it is likely that the community they left also changes and has music as Jonas hears. Major themes: The importance of memory; The importance of the individual; The value of freedom to make choices; The relationship between pain and pleasure Minor themes: The value of a multi-generational family; The importance of making connections; The value of diversity; The importance of honesty VOCABULARY These are some common words used in uncommon ways in this novel: Nurturer is one who takes care of the newchildren. Newchild is a baby before it is named and given to its family. House of the Old is where the Old live until they are released. Volunteer Hours are the hours spent by children after school when they try out various occupations. Children begin their Volunteer Hours after the Ceremony of Eight. By observing children at the various occupations the Elders can decide where their aptitude lies and assign them a compatible job when they turn twelve. Birthmother is the natural mother of a child. Unfortunately they are not allowed to see the child or to have any part in its life past the birth. Celebration of Release is the ceremony before someone is released. The release itself is the ending of the person’s life. Comfort Object is a toy “imaginary” animal given to a child to give him or her comfort. No one, not even adults, realizes that the “imaginary” animals are copied from what were once real animals. Comfort objects are given while the newchildren are in the Nurturing Center. They are kept by the children until the Ceremony of Eight. STUDY QUESTIONS - MULTIPLE CHOICE QUIZ 1. What happened to the pilot who flew over the community?

a.) He had to go to additional training. b.) He was jailed for two months. c.) He was released. d.) He was given another assignment and no longer allowed to fly. e.) He was put on display where others could make fun of him.

2. What is Jonas’s father’s assigned job? a.) Elder



b.) Caretaker of the Old c.) Instructor of Elevens d.) Receiver e.) Nurturer

3. What is Jonas’s mother’s assigned position? a.) Birthmother b.) Worker in Dept. of Justice c.) Librarian d.) Nurturer e.) Worker in Dept. of Education

4. At what age are children assigned the job they will perform as an adult? a.) 12 b.) 15 c.) 16 d.) 18 e.) 21

5. What book is not in every household? a.) Encyclopedia b.) Dictionary c.) A thick community volume containing descriptions of every office, factory, building and committee d.) Book of Rules

6. What was the name of the previous Receiver? a.) Fiona b.) Gabriel c.) Rosemary d.) Asher e.) Larissa

7. How many children did each Birthmother have? a.) 3 b.) 4 c.) 6 d.) No set number e.) Number set by the Elders for each Birthmother

8. How many children were in each family group? a.) 2 b.) 3 c.) 4 d.) No set number e.) Number set by the Elders for each family

9. The children in the community were taught to use words precisely, always saying exactly what they meant. Which word is an example of a word used in the community that really did not follow this guide?

a.) Recreation b.) Release c.) Road d.) River e.) Runner

10. Where did Jonas want to go when he left the community? a.) Elsewhere b.) To a neighboring state c.) Back in time



d.) To the future e.) Down the river

11. What did the Giver and Jonas have that no one else had. a.) Memories b.) Families c.) A map d.) Bicycles e.) Watches

12. Who does Jonas take with him when he leaves the community? a.) Larissa b.) Lily c.) Asher d.) Fiona e.) Gabriel

13. What was in the first memory the Giver gave to Jonas? a.) War b.) Gabriel c.) River d.) Sled e.) Asher

14. How does Jonas help Gabriel to sleep through the night? a.) He reads him stories while he falls asleep. b.) He takes him on a bicycle ride. c.) He rocks him. d.) He sings to him. e.) He gives him relaxing memories.

15. What is Lily’s impression of elephants? a.) They are imaginary. b.) They lived many years ago. c.) They live in Elsewhere. d.) They are only in zoos. e.) They only live on the other side of the river.

16. Why does Jonas leave the community more quickly than planned? a.) Preparations did not take as long as expected. b.) Gabriel will soon be adopted and Jonas will lose contact with him, so he needs to take him away. c.) The Giver wants to leave with Jonas and says that leaving soon would be better. d.) The decision to release Gabriel has been made, so Jonas needs to take him where he cannot be found. e.) If they leave immediately, they will be able to get a ride part of the way.

Answer key: 1) c 2) e 3) b 4) a 5) a 6) c 7) a 8) a 9) b 10) a 11) a 12) e 13) d 14) e 15) a 16) d ESSAY TOPIC IDEAS - BOOK REPORT TOPICS 1. Write your own ending for The Giver. What happens right after the given ending? Explain either why yours is the most logical ending, or why you prefer the ending you present. 2. What parts of the community would fit in a true utopia? What parts would only be found in a dystopia? 3. Do you think that twelve is the right age for the community members to be assigned their life-long job? Explain why you believe as you do. 4. Does The Giver’s (I am referring here to the book as a whole, rather than to the character.) attitude toward euthanasia promote it or discourage it? Explain your answer. 5. Assume for a moment that the community did receive the memories that left Jonas and that they now know music, as suggested in the last paragraph. In your opinion, is the community happier than they were?



6. Most rules in the community are seldom broken. But, there is one rule that is frequently broken, the rule against teaching children to ride a bicycle before their Ceremony of Nine. In your opinion, why do people break this rule more easily than the other rules? 7. What do you think of the way the community takes care of the Old? In your opinion, is it good, bad, or partly good and partly bad? 8. If you were observed by the Elders, what Assignment(s) would they likely think fit you? What would bring them to this conclusion? 9. What do you think about the absence of automobiles? Could you live well without having one for your family? 10. Consider what possible reasons may have been given for getting rid of wild animals in the past. Then, give reasons why these reasons are not valid. 11. The community never again mentions a failure such as the loss of the earlier Receiver. What would be a better way to handle a failure? COMMENT ON THE STUDY OF LITERATURE The study of literature is not like the study of math or science, or even history. While those disciplines are based largely upon fact, the study of literature is based upon interpretation and analysis. There are no clear-cut answers in literature, outside of the factual information about an author's life and the basic information about setting and characterization in a piece of literature. The rest is a highly subjective reading of what an author has written; each person brings a different set of values and a different background to the reading. As a result, no two people see the piece of literature in exactly the same light, and few critics agree on everything about a book or an author. In this study guide, we have tried to give an objective literary analysis based upon the information actually found in the novel, book, or play. In the end, however, it is an individual interpretation, but one that we feel can be readily supported by the information that is presented in the guide. In your course of literature study, you or your professor/teacher may come up with a different interpretation of the mood or the theme or the conflict. Your interpretation, if it can be logically supported with information contained within the piece of literature, is just as correct as ours; so is the interpretation of your teacher or professor. Literature is simply not a black or white situation; instead, there are many gray areas that are open to varying analyses. Your task is to come up with your own analysis that you can logically defend. Hopefully, these booknotes will help you to accomplish that goal. Copyright ©2005 TheBestNotes.com. Reprinted with permission of TheBestNotes.com. All Rights Reserved. Distribution without the written consent of TheBestNotes.com is strictly prohibited.

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