The Giver
The Giver Quartet
Social Science
Houghton Mifflin CO., NY NY
1993
192
THE STORY:
Jonas, the main character, is an eleven-later twelve-year old boy who lives in a society where emotions and color have been removed from life. This area is hinted to be set in the future perhaps a few hundred to a thousand years from now meaning we should expect a sci-fi and modern vibe. The protagonist is introduced as a boy who is content with his life. The world which he lives in is one where rules are enforced heavily and when broken are severe consequences. It is nearing the Ceremony of Twelve , a joyous celebration where all children in their twelfth year are granted a job. Jonas is chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory, this is a high honor as only one person every generation is chosen. The Receiver is the one person who is able to see colors and house memories of the past. This job helps the Council on deciding rules because they still know that one must learned from the past in case any major catastrophe may happen. While training with the previous Receiver of Memory-now referred to as Giver- Jonas sees that the people in his Community are ignorant of most everything and he sets to fix it.
MY OPINION:
My first impression of The Giver was from the movie trailer and not the actual story. At first, I had believed it to be the classic rebel story but it has turned out to be different. It took a strange spin on equality as colors and true emotions were not present. A world without war and sadness yet at the same time not joy and excitement. The vocabulary was not at all difficult, only a few harder words. I would recommend it to late elementary and early middle-schoolers as that is the time children start to understand the weight of society and also read it through a simpler manner. To further help those who wish to read it, I would rate it eight stars out of ten.
STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:
FIRST SECTION
1. What caused confusion amongst the Community?
1a. A lone jet that was flying off-course. (2)
2. What ‘number’ is Lily?
2a. Lily’s birth-number is twenty-three. (16)
3. Why does Jonas’ mother think Birthmother is a bad job?
3a. Birthmothers have “little honor” as they only birth three children before becoming a simple Laborer
the rest of their working lives. (27)
4. What quirk of Asher’s gives him trouble?
4a. Asher speaks to quickly and trips over his own words. This is an unlucky trait as Asher’s setting believes punctuation must be impeccable. (5;70)
5. Who is the replaced child?
5a. The child who is replaced is Caleb, a Four who drowned. (56)
Palpable (4)
Transgression (11)
Chastise (25)
Meticulously (61)
Acquisition (68)
MIDDLE SECTION
6. How many years ago was a Receiver of Memory chosen?
6a. The last selection was made ten years ago. (76)
7.Which of the rules startled Jonas the most?
7a. The rule which startled he was allowed to lie. (87)
8. Which memory did Jonas first receive?
8a. The memory of sledding down a snow-covered hill. (100;101)
9. Which color did Jonas see first?
9a. The first color of the spectrum is what Jonas first saw, red. (119)
10. What happened to the memory of sailing?
10a. When Jonas touched Gabe’s back, the memory unknowingly transferred to Gabe. (147)
Conveyance (106)
Commerce (112)
Daub (138)
Carnage (150)
Anguish (149)
LAST SECTION
11. What is the Giver’s favorite memory?
11a. The Giver’s most loved memory was one of Christmas Eve. (154)
12. Why was Jonas about to cry when his friends were playing?
12a. The game they were playing was one of war and reminded Jonas of a very painful memory. (168)
13. What is the nickname Jonas’ father gives him?
13a. His father calls Jonas “Jonas-Bonus”. (172)
14. What was the name of the previous Receiver-to-be and who was she?
14a. Her name was Rosemary and she was the Giver’s daughter. (176;203)
15. How long did the previous Receiver train for?
15a. She only trained five weeks before she was released. (177)
Ruefully (176)
Imploringly (178)
Solace (201)
Emphatically (206)
Augmented (210)