The Giver
By: Lois Lowry Flyer Created By: Kyle Marcano
Book Summary
The Giver takes place in a community completely controlled by a group of elders. When Jonas is given the assignment of Receiver of Memory he starts to realize through his training that the community in which he lives is even worse than he thought. He decides that something must be done. Along the way of trying to save his community from the Sameness they are accustomed to,he learns about the emotions he had been missing out on his whole life.
Main Character- Jonas
Jonas is a kind-hearted, understanding twelve-year-old boy. He is chosen as the new Receiver of Memory. But when he begins his training as the new Receiver, and gains wisdom from memories he realizes that people gave up their rights for Sameness, he becomes outraged and frustrated. He decides that something must be done. On his journey, Jonas learns to understand very deep emotions and learns about love.
Other Important Characters
The Giver
The Giver is the current Receiver of Memory and trains Jonas to become the next Receiver. He holds all the memories of not just the community but the world which can sometimes cause him tremendous pain.The Giver is lonely and is skeptical and frustrated at times because he notices the biggest problem in the community and wants to see a change. He loves Jonas and the people in the community.
Gabriel
A newchild who begins spending nights with Jonas' family unit because he needs extra attention and care. Gabe is deeply cared for by Jonas and often sleeps in Jonas's room. Because of his "unhealthy" state he is just escaping release.
Father
Jonas' father is a shy, quiet, considerate, man. He is a Nurturer, responsible for the overall needs of every newborn child during the first few months of their life. He is also responsible for the release of infants who are considered "worthless" because something either emotional or physical, or both, is wrong with the child.
"If it's right how could it be against the rules"
Teacher-like Questions
- Once Jonas receives the first memory how does he feel about his community?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of Jonas leaving the community?
- Why do you think Jonas cared so deeply for Gabriel.
Overall Rating
Overall I enjoyed this book. The concept of the community and the way they lived was really interesting to me. I also liked how The Giver showed Jonas how to love and all the things the community was missing out on. Although there were many things i liked about the novel there were some things that I didn't. I didn't like the cliffhanger ending, and the fact that there were very few details about all the memories Jonas receives during training.