The Giver: Study Guide

Rituals/Rules-List and describe at least 4 major rules or rituals (1 pt)

1. No one is allowed to invade the community. This happens in chapter 1 when the plane goes to low above the community. 2. Families are limited. Each family can only have two children: one male and one female. 3. People who transgress three times are "released." Those who break "the rules" of the community are removed from their families; if they acquire three offences they are removed from the community permanently. 4. Children are not allowed to ride bikes before they become 9s. This is said on page 13. They Elders specially say not to do because it counts as a rule break.

What is the difference between being "Assigned" vs. being "Selected"? (.5 pt)

Assignments are designated when a member of the Community goes through their respective Ceremony of Twelve. Assignments are made by the Elders may be appealed by contacting them, who form a committee to discuss it. They are the assignments for everyday people in a way. Jonas, on the other hand, is selected for a special appointment as the Receiver of Memory. This special calling is not only an honor, but he will eventually be an Elder of the community. Elders must be selected, whereas people working in regular jobs are only assigned. It is most likely that Asher and Fiona will not serve as Elders, for instance; but Jonas has been selected for a more important role in the community.

Family Unit-describe what makes up a family unit (.5 pt)

Each family unit in Jonas's community consists of a male husband and female wife, who can apply for two children, one male and one female. In order to raise children, a couple must fill out an application, which is reviewed by the Committee of Elders. They can also request a second child. This is the family unit.

What is "Rudeness"? (.5 pt)

For most of the beginning of The Giver, there is an absence of war, hatred, and rudeness because the reader learns about the rules of Jonas's community. The rules demand strict adherence to being polite and respecting oneself as well as others. For example, when Asher is late to school in chapter one, he is expected to apologize to his class. The class then tells him that they accept his apology in unison. This shows that community members are held to a high standard of politeness at all times. Also speaking inappropriately is rudeness.

Why do you think Jonas still has the memory of the house with the family inside celebrating Christmas? Why do you think it was the Giver's favorite memory? Why do you think the author chose to end the book this way? (1 pt)

I think it was because during the chapter the author talks about how Jonas's memories faded away after getting farther away from the community. It was his first memory that he witnessed and it could save Jonas's life also. I think the Giver predicted that the memory was going to save Jonas that's why it could be his favorite. I think the author does this to symbolize that Jonas was saved.

What is a comfort object? Who has them? (.5 pt)

In the book The Giver, "comfort object" is used as a term to refer to all stuffed animals. The comfort objects are described as being "imaginary creatures with funny names" because the dystopian community where the book takes place has no animals. Comfort objects are taken from children when they become Eights, recycled, and given to new children, probably until they are worn out.

Who is Rosemary? What happens to her and why is this important? (.5 pt)

It is revealed that Rosemary is the Giver's daughter and became the Receiver-in-training after him. After experiencing all the pain and loss that were in the memories transmitted to her, she applied for Release. She passed. This is important because it shows the importance of Jonas and his job.

Know the main characters and traits/actions about each of them. (3 pts) A. Physical Traits B. Character Traits C. Actions/Motives

Jonas - The eleven-year-old protagonist of The Giver. Sensitive and intelligent, with strange powers of perception that he doesn't understand, Jonas is chosen to be the new Receiver of Memory for his community when he turns twelve. Even before his training, Jonas is unusually thoughtful, expresses great concern for his friends and family, and thinks it would be nice to be closer to other people. After his training begins, Jonas's universe widens dramatically. His new awareness of strong emotions, beautiful colors, and great suffering makes him extremely passionate about the world around him and the welfare of the people he loves, though, on the whole, he remains level-headed and thoughtful. He has pale eyes. The Giver and the memories he has received from him is a big motive. The Giver - The old man known in the community as the Receiver of Memory. The Giver has held the community's collective memory for many years and uses his wisdom to help the Committee of Elders make important decisions, even though he is racked by the pain his memories give him and believes that perhaps those memories belong in the minds of everyone in the community. Like I said he is old and has a white beard. He is motivated by Jonas and his daughter Rosemary. Jonas's Mother and Father - Jonas' Father is a Nurturer who works with infants. He is very sweet with his two children. He enjoys his job and takes it very seriously, constantly trying to nurture children who will stay alive until the Ceremony of Names. However, even if he is attached to a child, he will release it if that seems to be the best decision. He has an affectionate, playful relationship with his two children, usually referring to them by silly nicknames, and he likes playing childish games with the children he nurtures. He did some terrible things to some of the baby's that made Jonas horrified. Just like Jonas's mother, his motive is his family. Jonas's mother is a practical, pleasant woman with an important position at the Department of Justice. Jonas's mother takes her work seriously, hoping to help people who break rules see the error of their ways. She frequently gives Jonas advice about the worries and fears he faces as he grows up. Her motive is family. Lily - Jonas's seven-year-old sister. She is a chatterbox and does not know quite when to keep her mouth shut, but she is also extremely practical and well-informed for a little girl. I think her motive is important and she helps Jonas and is open to Jonas's new memories. Gabriel - The newchild that Jonas's family cares for at night. He is sweet and adorable during the day, but has trouble sleeping at night unless Jonas puts him to sleep with some memories .He and Jonas become very close. Even though Gabriel is little his motive is not to be killed. Jonas knows he is special. The Chief Elder - The elected leader of Jonas's community. She to shows genuine affection for all of the children at the Ceremony of Twelve, knowing of their names and an anecdote about each one. She is older lady and she wants to keep the community the same how it is. She is not very easy to please and can be dissapproving. Fiona - Fiona is a character in The Giver. She was assigned to be a Caretaker of the Old because she is gentle and careful. She is cheerful and eager to help old people at the Home, and is also Jonas and Asher best friend, and is the main subject of Jonas's Stirrings. She has dark eyes like almost all of the others in the Community and has red hair. She is very kind and trusts Jonas. Their friendship is her motive. Asher - Jonas's best friend. Asher is a fun-loving, hasty boy who usually speaks too fast, mixing up his words to the exasperation of his teachers and Jonas. He is assigned the position of Assistant Director of Recreation. His motive is their friendship.

Symbols-List and describe at least 3 symbols (1 pt)

Rainbow - It symbolizes color and also emotions and human experiences, that only Jonas and the Giver understand. The River - The river forms a border of the community before continuing on to Elsewhere. The sled - The first memory Jonas receives from the Giver, symbolizes the journey Jonas takes during his training and the discoveries he makes.

What is "Sameness? (.5 pt)

Sameness means exactly what it sounds like. In The Giver sameness is the idea that everything must be the same and that people should not be different from one another. It's when things are not the same that creates problems. For example, the people in Jonas' world realized that unpredictable weather caused problems. Just think about all of the damage caused by snow, storms, and floods. But instead of simply living with these things, they looked for a solution.

Describe: (1 pt) A. The Community: B. Elsewhere:

The community - In The Giver, Jonas lives in a community ruled by The Elders who dictate a policy of Sameness and total conformity. Scientists have engineered the climate so that harvests are always plentiful. There are no hills. Citizen's lives are fully controlled, from their marriages and jobs to the things they can see and hear. This is the main setting Elsewhere - Elsewhere is a term used to keep citizens in the dark about what happens when someone is "released" from the community. Both Elsewhere and "release" are coverup words. They cover up the truth about the murder of innocent children and the elderly, which is done all in the name of population control.

Setting-when and where the story takes place and describe.

The story takes place in a community that is futuristic and is engineered to get rid of pain and painful memories by taking away personal choices.

What are volunteer hours? Who does them? Why? (.5 pt)

The volunteer hours are important because Elders observe children determine their skills and interests. From the age of eight, children in Jonas's community have to meet a requirement of a certain number of volunteer hours. The volunteer hours are actually very important because they are essentially a test. Asher, Jonas, Fiona, and Lily do them.

Ceremonies-List and describe at least 3 age ceremonies (1 pt)

The Ceremony of the Twelves - The Ceremony of Twelve marks the official end of "childhood"; Twelves are given Assignments, the professional roles they will occupy for the whole of their adult lives until they are too elderly to continue. The Committee which governs the community gives Twelves their Assignments based on each child's personality and strengths. An intellectual child might be assigned to a scientific role, a nurturing child to a caregiving role, and a strong child to a laboring role. They are considered adult members of the community after receiving their Assignments. The Cermony of the Nines - Nines continue the volunteer work they began as Eights and are gifted bicycles to enable them to transport themselves around the community. The bicycles are powerful symbols of the Nines' independence and distinguish them from the younger children, who still depend on their families for transportation. The Ceremony of the Sevens- Sevens are old enough to start becoming more independent. Their back-buttoned jackets are exchanged for front-buttoned jackets, symbolizing the Sevens' growing ability to take care of themselves.

Know the difference between a utopia and a dystopian society. Be able to explain which one the setting of The Giver would be considered with support/examples from the book. (1 pt)

The Giver as a Dystopian Society beneath the seemingly perfect surface, The Giver actually portrays a dystopian society. Let's start with the government. The Committee of Elders runs the show; it helps make laws and major decisions that affect everyone in society. When a child reaches the age of 11, the Committee of Elders determines what career path a child will follow. This is said in Chapters 7 - 9. Every moment of people's lives is planned by someone else.

What is the House of the Old? Who lives there and why? (.5 pt)

The House of the Old is where older residents of the Community live. It is never said at what age a citizen is considered "old". The Old is among the most respected members of the Community. They are well cared for and live lives of leisure. Larissa, who is an old lady, lives there. She wants to go to Elsewhere she stays there for comfort.

Memories-List and briefly describe 4 of the many memories that are transmitted in the novel. (1 pt)

The Sled - Jonas first memory. It represents rescue and Jonas need for escape, mentally and physically. War - This is a very painful memory for Jonas. He first sees anger, hatred, killing, and lots of pain. It is a very disturbing memory that is important in the book. Sunshine/Sunburn - Jonas learns more about warmth and learns what sunshine is. While doing so, he stands in the sun to long and gets sunburn. He feels pain from that. Birthday - Jonas gets the memory of a birthday. It is very joyful ad he feels happy. He also learns about grandparents during this memory.

What does it mean to have the "Capacity to See Beyond"? (.5 pt)

The capacity to see beyond is the ability to use any of the senses from memory. Jonas found that he had the this ability to see color.

What does it mean to have the "Capacity to Hear Beyond"? (.5 pt)

The capacity to see beyond is the ability to use any of the senses from memory. Jonas found that he had the this ability to see color. The Giver, on the other hand, had the capacity to hear music.

What does this novel teach us about Love and Family? Why are both of these things so important to us today? (1 pt)

This book teaches a lot about the different meanings of love. It shows also how it is expressed. It says that love can be "dangerous". Family is a lot in this book. It teaches us that family can have a different opinion. It also shows the love and cares that Jonas teaches us. He cared for his baby brother in the freezing cold. That is real love. These are very important today because a little bit of love can change a person's day. It makes us more human. We are all family too.