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Essays on The Giver

Prompt examples for "the giver" essays, dystopian society.

Examine the characteristics of the dystopian society depicted in "The Giver." How does the society control its citizens, and what are the consequences of this extreme control?

Individuality and Memory

Discuss the themes of individuality and memory in the novel. How does the absence of memory and emotions impact the characters' sense of self, and what does the importance of memory reveal about the human experience?

The Role of the Receiver

Analyze the role of the Receiver of Memory in the community. How does Jonas's training and experiences challenge the conformity of the society, and what does it teach him about the power of knowledge and emotions?

Freedom and Rebellion

Explore the themes of freedom and rebellion in "The Giver." How do Jonas and others in the community resist the oppressive rules and seek a more liberated existence, and what risks are involved?

Ethical Dilemmas

Discuss the ethical dilemmas faced by Jonas and other characters as they confront the reality of their society. What moral decisions do they make, and what are the implications of their choices?

Symbolism and Color

Analyze the symbolism of color and its significance in the novel. How does the absence of color represent the lack of individuality and emotion in the community, and what does the introduction of color symbolize?

Hook Examples for "The Giver" Essays

Anecdotal hook.

"As I ventured into the seemingly utopian world of 'The Giver,' I couldn't help but reflect on the price of conformity, the value of individuality, and the profound consequences of memory."

Rhetorical Question Hook

"What if you lived in a society where all memories, emotions, and choices were controlled? Lois Lowry's 'The Giver' prompts us to explore the boundaries of human experience and the cost of a so-called perfect world."

Startling Quote Hook

"'When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong.' These words from the novel encapsulate the central theme of 'The Giver' and its exploration of the human desire for both freedom and security."

Dystopian Elements Hook

"In the dystopian community depicted in 'The Giver,' individuality is sacrificed for sameness, and memories of the past are erased. Explore the chilling aspects of this controlled society."

Narrative Hook

"Step into the shoes of Jonas as he embarks on a journey to challenge the norms of his society and uncover the truth. This narrative captures the essence of Lois Lowry's thought-provoking storytelling."

Character Development Hook

"Witness Jonas' transformation from a compliant citizen to a courageous individual who questions the status quo. Analyzing the character arc adds depth to the narrative."

Ethical Dilemmas Hook

"What ethical dilemmas do the characters face in 'The Giver,' and how do these dilemmas resonate with contemporary moral questions? Exploring the novel's ethical dimensions prompts reflection on our own values."

Memory and Emotion Hook

"How do memories and emotions shape human identity, and what happens when they are suppressed? Delving into the role of memory in the story sheds light on the characters' experiences."

Utopian vs. Dystopian Hook

"What does 'The Giver' reveal about the complexities of utopian ideals and the dangers of conformity? Examining the contrast between utopia and dystopia offers valuable insights."

Lois Lowry's Literary Impact Hook

"How does 'The Giver' contribute to Lois Lowry's literary impact and her legacy in young adult literature? Exploring the novel's place in the genre reveals its enduring significance."

Ashers Change in The Giver

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Freedom in "The Giver"

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Plot Summary of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

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Censorship, Control and Conformity in "The Giver"

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Novel, Young Adult Fiction, Children's Literature, Science Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Dystopian Fiction, Utopian Fiction

Asher, Jonas, The Giver, Fiona, Gabriel, Lily

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102 pages • 3 hours read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Chapters 16-18

Chapters 19-21

Chapters 22-23

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Further Reading & Resources

Discussion Questions

What does it mean to be “released” from the community Jonas lives in? Name a few reasons people are released and explain how the act of releasing someone reflects the community’s values.

Receiver is described as a position of honor, while the Birthmother assignment is said to lack honor. Why is this the case? What might happen if the status of these roles were switched?

At several points in The Giver , Jonas expresses that having choices is dangerous. Why does he feel this way, and how does his opinion about choices change as the story unfolds?

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Themes and Analysis

By lois lowry.

'The Giver' is, at times, a dark and disturbing novel, touching on themes of loss and control.

Article written by Emma Baldwin

B.A. in English, B.F.A. in Fine Art, and B.A. in Art Histories from East Carolina University.

At the same time, it’s also a novel of hope , depicted through the beauty of colors seen for the first time and joys never before experienced. It’s a novel that ends with an image that alludes to the enduring nature of the human spirit and future possibilities.

The Giver Themes 

Memory .

It’s through memory in The Giver that the community leaders exert control over everyone else. Collective memory is a thing of the past. Wars, loves, hate, joy, and any remnant of the time before the community is lost. Lowry was interested in using this novel to explore what happens when all memories disappear. Does a happier community emerge when the dark parts of human history are lost?

Despite the community’s desire to leave their past behind, the elders also understood the age-old proverb that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. This meant that someone had to remember. The Giver plays the role, and Jonas was meant to take it up after him. He’s there to make sure that no one starts down a dangerous path that might lead to consequences known only to him. 

Free Will/Control 

Jonas’s community is nothing without control. The community leaders exert control by making everyone believe that total obedience is the only way to live. The rules are their lives, and there is no choice but to follow them. There are rules for every part of life, ensuring that free will is surprised and the individual. 

The Individual 

This final theme is tied directly to the other most prominent themes in the novel. There are moments in Lois Lowry’s novel where Jonas notes the individuality of his friends, family members, and most importantly himself. Jonas feels different than his friends do, and he knows he sees the world differently as well. This is something that proves to be correct when at the Ceremony of the Twelve, he’s singled out to be the new Receiver of Memory. It’s the first time in his life, and in the lives of the other children, that they’ve had their differences highlighted. Some are more suited for one job or another.

Jonas only becomes more of an individual, something the community doesn’t encourage, as the novel progresses. He’s given memories, something unique in his world.  One of the more powerful moments of the novel comes at the end when Jonas realizes that he’s making memories of his own, ones that belong only to him. 

Analysis of Key Moments in The Giver 

• Jonas sees an airplane, learning that there’s life outside the community. 
• His father brings Gabriel home. 
• Jonas feels the “stirrings.”  
• Jonas goes to the Ceremony of the Twelve and becomes the next Receiver of Memory. 
• Jonas meets the Giver and learns about good and bad experiences.  
• He gives Gabriel memories to calm him down. 
• Jonas starts to see colors. 
• He learns about the Giver’s daughter, the previous receiver of memory, and her release. 
• Jonas learns what “releasing” means . 
• The Giver and Jonas make a plan for him to escape the community. 
• Jonas runs away with Gabriel. 
• Jonas and Gabriel sled down the hill towards Elsewhere. 

Style, Literary Devices, and Tone in The Giver 

Lowry’s narrative style in The Giver is straightforward and clear. It comes across as a simple recitation of events, almost journalistic. The plot progresses from the beginning to the end of the story with very few exceptions. Lowry uses clear language that’s easy to understand throughout the book, solidifying her choice to direct this novel towards young adults. Additionally, the simple language helps describe the simple lives of Jonas, his family, and his friends. Everyone lives preplanned, organized lives, similar to how Lowry’s writing depicts them. This is also how one might describe the tone. It is direct in most parts of the novel and, as it progresses, becomes more emotional and distressed as Jonas learns more about his community. 

It’s not until the Giver comes into the narrative and starts relaying memories to Jonas that the style changes at all. The memories are moving, mysterious, and strange. This changes the way that Lowry writes and the images she creates. In these passages, and in all those in which Jonas is thinking about his world, Lowry uses rhetorical questions. These are questions to which the speaker does not expect an answer. Jonas is filled with them regarding every element of his life. 

Lowry makes use of several other literary devices in The Giver as well. These include euphemisms or phrases that stand-in for something uncomfortable or difficult. For example, “release” is used instead of kill. This is a great example of how the language Lowry selected for the community reveals something about them as much as it tries to hide the truth. When the families gather together to share their feelings, they’re doing the exact opposite. Lowry employs a cliff hanger at the end of the book when she chooses not to reveal what happens to Jonas and Gabe. 

Symbols in The Giver

The apple .

The apple is a symbol for all that’s missing in the community. Its red color, something that’s lost to everyone in the community except Jonas, represents freedom, human nature, and emotions. The red of the apple also appears in other parts of his life. It comes to represent desire when he sees it in Fiona’s hair, and then later. It features in the rainbow that the Giver shares with him. It reemphasizes the entire range of human experiences and emotions that Jonas, his friends, and family members are missing out on.

Gabriel 

Gabriel is different as Jonas is different . This is something that Jonas recognizes right away. He has pale eyes (later revealed to be blue, like Jonas’s), and Jonas can tell he’s far more thoughtful. The child represents innocence and acts as a powerful contrast to the emotionless community that chooses to kill him. For Jonas, Gabriel also represents hope. Hope for a better life, one filled with love, and one where a child can grow up without the threat of being “released.” 

Sled Ride 

The sled rid is the first memory that Jonas receives from the Giver. It’s one of pure joy, untouched by anything unpleasant. It’s a wonderful experience that does not prepare him for the terrible memories to follow. After receiving the memory, Jonas dreams about the sled ride and the unknown destination at the hill’s bottom. There’s something in the distance that he’s riding towards, but he doesn’t know what it is. It symbolizes his future and the new life that waits for him when he escapes the community at the end of the novel. 

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About Emma Baldwin

Emma Baldwin, a graduate of East Carolina University, has a deep-rooted passion for literature. She serves as a key contributor to the Book Analysis team with years of experience.

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The Giver Introduction

In a nutshell.

Imagine if you were told that, as of age twelve, you had to get a job... and then keep it for the rest of your life. Terrifying? Try this: imagine if you were always watched over by an obscure governing force. Yikes? 

All of this is horrific, but The Giver is the gift that keeps on giving (you nightmares): imagine a society where there are no emotions. No love, no hatred, to lust, no envy, no annoyance.

Excuse us while we spend the next day under our comforter, quaking in fear.

Lois Lowry published The Giver in 1993. At the time, she had already won a Newbery Medal for her earlier novel, Number the Stars , in 1990. But, because two is always better than one, she won a second Newbery for The Giver .

The Giver tells the story of a young boy named Jonas living in a highly controlled community some time in the future. The novel fits into a larger genre of cautionary tales called "dystopian literature." A utopia is a society in which everything is perfect, so a dystopia is the opposite: everything has gone wrong. The novel explores Jonas's encounter with memories of "the past," a time much like ours, in which people still had the freedom of choice.

And, because anything intended for young adults that mentions sex or government is often labeled "controversial," it was banned. A lot.

That's hilarious, right? A novel about a society that bans seasons, free will, music, colors, emotions and books... was banned.

But despite the initial controversy—or maybe, hey: because of it— The Giver is one of the most popular YA books around. And it's not just for young adults, either— The Giver is studied even in college-level Philosophy and Political Science classes. So whether you're a lover of YA or a scholar of Kant, a middle-school student or a wise old grandma, you should read The Giver .

If only because you can.

What is The Giver About and Why Should I Care?

Life hurts. A lot.

We know that statement's a downer, but it's also undeniably true. From the first horrors of childhood (bruised knees, mandatory broccoli, watching Bambi's mother die) to the indignities of adolescence (getting a nosebleed in front of the whole class, forgetting yoir homework, moving to a new school and having to eat lunch by yourself) the world seems to reinforce the Princess Bride quote "Life is pain."

And sometimes you might fantasize about a world without pain. Where you don't have make the hard choices. Or be lonely. Or feel unsure. Or worry about... anything.

But before you start wishing too hard for a Shangri-La of perpetual summer and ease, pick up The Giver.  Read it.

Because The Giver shows us what that kind of world would look like and—spoiler—it ain't pretty. In fact, it's hideous.

When you don't have to worry about anything, states The Giver , that means you don't have to worry about failing... but you also never experience the joy of success and pride. If you're never unsure, you never wait queasily for your crush to text you... but you also never get the elation that comes when that text is "What are you doing? I miss you!" Sure, when you're never lonely you never feel timid and unlovable... but you also never get to experience the warm fuzzies you get when your friend says "You look down. Let's get ice cream and watch all the Adventure Time. "

And sure, when you never have to make a hard choice, that means you'll never make the wrong choice. But you'll never make the right choice either. (And when we say "right choice" we mean "adopting a tiny kitten named Baby Beluga even though we were broke. ")

Basically The Giver states that, without clouds, there would be no silver linings. Oh, and don't worry about getting bored—Lois Lowry inserts that oh-so-life-affirming message into a page-turner filled with dystopian horror, doctors that kill babies, young love, and a daring escape plot.

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W hy's T his F unny?

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In Jonas's community, no one makes choices. All choices about the community were made in the distant past when Sameness was created, and any additional changes involve painfully slow bureaucratic procedures. Without choice, no one suffers the consequences that come from making wrong choices, but they also don't experience the joys that come with making right ones. By sacrificing the freedom of choice, community members are guaranteed a stable, painless life. Consequently, the people lead pleasant—but robotic—lives.

When Jonas discovers memory, he realizes that choice is essential to human happiness. Choice, he learns, is power. He makes the first real choice in his life when he decides to escape from the community and take Gabriel with him. In making this significant and dangerous choice, he gives a windfall of pleasure and pain to the people he leaves behind, and gives the freedom of choice back to the community.

Freedom and Choice ThemeTracker

Freedom and Choice Quotes in The Giver

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The Giver Thesis Statements and Essay Topics

Below you will find four outstanding thesis statements / paper topics for “The Giver” by Lois Lowry can be used as essay starters. All four incorporate at least one of the themes found in “The Giver” and are broad enough so that it will be easy to find textual support, yet narrow enough to provide a focused clear thesis statement. These thesis statements offer a short summary of “The Giver” in terms of different elements that could be important in an essay. You are, of course, free to add your own analysis and understanding of the plot or themes to them. Using the essay topics below in conjunction with the list of  important quotes from “The Giver”  on our quotes page, you should have no trouble connecting with the text and writing an excellent essay.

Topic #1: The Capacity of Decision Making in the Absence of Experience

Human beings have the unique ability of making decisions based on personal beliefs and knowledge gained from the consequences of previous experiences. In Jonas’s world, individuals have very few choices to make. They are told what to say and do at all times. Through genetic science, individuals cannot distinguish color and are strikingly similar in appearance. Even their most important decisions such as whom to marry or which career path to select are assigned by the Elders. With this limited agency dating back for generations, how capable is the average community member of making choices for themselves? How well could the community survive with the responsibilities and painful knowledge suddenly thrust upon them after Jonas’s departure?

Topic #2: Secrecy and Deception in Totalitarian Governments

Within totalitarian governments, the dictator is the ultimate authority. One of the powers these governments have over their citizens is the ability to withhold information and block communication. In some countries, for example, social media websites such as Facebook are banned. Within the community in “The Giver” contact with the outer world is completely blocked. Only members from similar communities may visit, but only for a brief time. In addition to preventing external communication, an internal structure of secrecy is built within the community. Jonas’s instructions for training include not disclosing information about his training, and the statement, “You may lie.” Upon receiving this, he immediately wonders if others have been given the same instruction. By comparing the Jonas’s community to examples of totalitarian countries, how do the rigid rules, distrust of others, and lack of communication contribute to community loyalty? Why has no individual challenged this concept? If a person attempted to, what would the outcome be?

Topic #3: Family Dynamics Without Love

Some of the strongest emotions people can experience involve love and physical intimacy. The bond between husband and wife is strengthened through sexual passion, as mother and child bond through pregnancy and birth. Jonas’s community separates Birthmothers from those who raise children. These women are looked down upon by other members of the community and are sentenced to hard physical labor after they can no longer bear children. From as early as they are first experienced, sexual desires are inhibited by a mandatory medication. These attitudes and mandates towards intimacy contribute to insubstantial and superficial relationships between family members. In what ways does this mindset contribute to Sameness? How do family dynamics compare with the memories of the past? Which differences between the family structures are most significant to creating love within the family?

Topic #4: Growth Through Experience

Oscar Wilde, a playwright of the Victorian Era, stated, “Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” In other words, he believed personal experience is the most critical aspect of learning and growth. On a related note, Marcel Proust, a French philosopher, claimed he gained the most profound learning and sense of self through the times in life that he suffered. If novel opportunities promote growth, Sameness prohibits it. Discuss how Jonas’s development throughout the novel supports this claim. How does his personal evolution compare to his friends and family?

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by Lois Lowry

The giver essay questions.

What does the ending of The Giver mean for our interpretation of the text?

Answer: Lowry has left the ending ambiguous. The more likely approach is to decide that Jonas did die and was merely hallucinating at the end of the novel, which could imply a pessimistic ending that completes our image of a dystopia that cannot provide its citizens with both safety and independence. Under this interpretation, we also see the difficulty of separating oneself from the collective; successful resistance requires more than just one or two people. One might decide instead that Jonas coincidentally finds the sled and Elsewhere at the conclusion of the novel. This development might suggest the ability of the human spirit to survive centuries of suppression and hint that Jonas's society will recover from the adverse effects of Sameness. It is important to note that in a later novel, Messenger , Lowry resolves the ambiguity by suggesting that Jonas survived, but this does not invalidate the possible interpretation that Jonas died.

What is the significance of snow in The Giver ?

Answer: Jonas's experiences with his memories are intimately connected with the idea of snow, from his first received transmission of sledding through snow on a hillside to his experience of a broken leg and finally to his real encounter with it at the novel's conclusion. As with many other things that have been eradicated through Sameness, snow involves the dangers that the community chose to end in its quest for safety. At the same time, however, it brings Jonas great joy, through his exhilaration in his first memory and in his apparent recognition of the existence of Elsewhere in the last chapter. Snow is neither good nor bad, but the novel implies that its absence takes some essential aspect away from the world. Removing a risk involves removing the benefits that could have resulted from taking the risk.

What meanings does the phrase "back and back and back" hold within the novel?

Answer: The phrase represents the traditional role of The Receiver within Jonas's community, and it gives a sense of history and continuity to the position of Receiver. Yet, as Jonas notes later in the novel, it also represents the burden and constraints that the society has given to The Receiver in the search for safety and Sameness. Whereas The Receiver is forced to remember "back and back and back" and understand all the pains of humanity, the rest of the community has no sense of history and thus loses both the positive and negative aspects of retaining a common history. For the community, the earlier times were times of hurt and danger, "backward" times that the people do not want to remember or relive.

How does The Giver's acquaintance with Jonas change The Giver's outlook on life?

Answer: Although most people read The Giver 's relationship to Jonas in terms of The Giver's teachings to Jonas--The Giver is in control, helping Jonas develop wisdom to augment his intelligence and courage--The Giver also gains some wisdom himself over the course of their relationship. Prior to meeting Jonas, The Giver had resigned himself to the stagnant nature of both the community and his role within the society, judging that the society was supreme and that he was powerless. However, by seeing the changes that his memories and teachings effect in Jonas, he learns that he also has the ability to teach others and perhaps reverse the oppression of individuals. By talking to Jonas about the problems of their society, he gains the resolve to make a difference and affect the society's future course.

Discuss how the idea of release is used in The Giver.

Answer: Because the nature of release is not revealed until very late in the novel--at a point that could be considered the climax of the plot--the continued references to the mysterious process of release unsettle us and lead us to suspect that it is intentionally hidden because of moral cracks in the society. The narrative introduces us to the idea of release in the first chapter as an apparently excessive punishment for a pilot's innocent mistake while indicating the presence of fear, which sets the tone for the rest of the novel. The novel then proceeds to both soothe and unnerve as it alternates examples of people who are happy to be released with those who are banished from the community for wrongdoing or for simply being weak. Considering that the Old are eventually released, it is not hard to figure out that being released means being euthanized. When the process of release is finally revealed, we are not surprised to see that it is lethal injection. The long period before the novel's revelation adds to its significance in revealing the problems in the community's structure. If the society has really done away with the troubles of this world, why do they still call euthanasia a release? Figuratively, people are being released from the bondage of the oppression in this tightly controlled society, but of course they do not see it in this way.

Discuss the role of family in The Giver .

Answer: Over the course of the novel, Jonas forms in a sense a second family. The first one consists of his family unit, and the second is a new family including Gabriel and perhaps also The Giver, who are joined to him by the transference of memories. The first unit serves as a foil for the second, as its apparent functionality is shown to be somewhat lacking in real love or permanent attachment. Most families are tightly controlled for the sake of the society (compare Plato's treatment of families in the Republic ). In contrast, Jonas's relations with The Giver and with Gabriel are more suggestive of the love that he feels in the memory of family and grandparents, and the novel suggests that their ability to feel true emotions such as love represents what is lacking in the rest of the community.

How do Asher and Fiona illuminate our understanding of Jonas's character?

Answer: Asher and Fiona serve as foils throughout the novel for Jonas. Initially, Asher's character description in particular highlights Jonas's characteristics of intelligence and thoughtfulness. Later in the novel, however, as Jonas's training begins to alienate him from the community, Asher's and Fiona's behavior during the war game shows the lack of understanding that results from their lack of historical awareness. The revelation that Fiona is training in release serves as a final indication of how Jonas has grown apart from the conventions and cruelties of his society.

Discuss the role of solitude or isolation in Jonas's experiences.

Answer: At one point in the novel, Lowry references the positive aspects of solitude as learned by Jonas through transmitted memories. However, for the most part, the effect of Jonas's role as Receiver-in-Training is to isolate him and make him experience the more negative aspects of his society. Because he has been trained to act always as a member of a group, he now learns that to honor The Receiver increases his burdens by adding the pain of loneliness to the weight of his memories. In his role as sage, he will always stand apart. He will develop his own sense of right and wrong, of good and evil, based on unique experiences that the regular society never has. His distanced vantage point allows him to critique the society more fully than he would have been able to do had he remained a normal member of the collective.

Write a second ending for The Giver that tells the fate of the community after Jonas's departure.

Answer: This question asks you to engage in a creative exercise. One might address the community's reaction to the loss of Jonas and what the people and The Giver are thinking as the people search for him. More importantly, one might consider the community's reaction to the return of their memories and about The Giver's attempt to help them. Such an ending could be written from the perspective of The Giver or the perspective of one of the members of the community, such as Jonas's sister Lily or his friend Asher. The narrative could then describe whether the community chose to reject or keep Sameness or what small risks the community began to take in order to appreciate individuality and the chance of developing a stronger, more free society.

How does Jonas's training as The Receiver of Memory serve as a coming-of-age story?

Answer: Jonas and his society proceed from the assumption that after the Ceremony of Twelve, all of the new Twelves are no longer mere children, although they stay with their family units and continue their schooling. However, Jonas's training reveals that after just twelve years of life, he has not acquired the wisdom necessary to approach his life as an adult. In his interactions with The Giver, he acquires this wisdom and mentally ages rapidly through his experiences of war, death, and starvation. This approach to development contrasts with that of Fiona and Asher, both of whom remain in a sense like children because their experiences do not grant them self-awareness and maturity.

The Giver Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Giver is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

How does the author begin showing that Jonas may not quite fit in or not agree with everything in his community? How might these details contribute to the conflict in the story going forward?

Jonas interperets events like the jet at the beginning as the stringent rules differently than others. Jonas asks questions and doesn't take things at face value. He also begins to see colour which others do not see. Jonas eventually questions the...

What do you think of the morning dream telling ritual?

This question calls for your opinion. There is no right or wrong answer. In my opinion, dream telling is rather ridiculous. We all know that dreams are inexplicable for the most part.... and most dreams disappear when we wake up.

Should Jonas have asked them to stop playing the game of bad guys and good guys? CHAPTER 17

No, I don't think Jonas should ask them to stop playing. These kids cannot handle the emotional trauma  of forgetting their lunch let alone understanding emotions behind war and death. They simply would not comprehend what Jonas is talking...

Study Guide for The Giver

The Giver study guide contains a biography of Lois Lowry, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of The Giver.

• About The Giver
• The Giver Summary
• The Giver Video
• Character List

Essays for The Giver

The Giver essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Giver by Lois Lowry.

• The Cost of Security
• A Lonely Mind With a Heavy Burden: Hope in The Giver
• Is the Society of The Giver a Utopia?
• Reproductive Regulation and the Construction of Relationships for Populace Control in The Giver and “Pop Squad”

Lesson Plan for The Giver

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Giver
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Giver Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Giver

• Introduction
• Analysis of themes
• Literary significance and reception

“The Giver” by Lois Lowry

Lois Lowry is the author of the story “The Giver”. She is an American writer who has written almost forty children stories. Lowry lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Lois Lowry’s place of birth is Hawaii. She was a calm and introverted child who liked reading. During childhood, she had to live in different locations because her father was a military officer. Lowry started hew writing activity in 1977 with the novel “A Summer to Die”. The following works were written in various genres. Such a diversity represents author’s versatile talent and creativity.

The novel “Autumn Street” (1979) and a humorous story “Anastasia Krupnik” (1979) are two books of the author.

“The Giver” is the story of the eleven-year-old boy Jonas. He lives in the utopian society where people have no private life. They are deprived of pain, feelings, hate, music, and love. Jonas becomes the Receiver of Memories, a job that includes pain and realizing the injustice of life. Jonas meets the Giver who tells the boy the truth and makes him feel that it is a wrong way of living. The boy decides to escape to Elsewhere — the unknown world where the life is usual and without rules.

Reading for Meaning

Lowry, L. (2014). The Giver. Boston, USA: HMH Books for Young Readers.

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Bibliography

StudyCorgi . "“The Giver” by Lois Lowry." April 8, 2020. https://studycorgi.com/the-giver-by-lois-lowry/.

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