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The Giver by Lois Lowry

• Publication Date: October 2, 2018
• Genres: Dystopian , Fiction , Science Fiction , Young Adult 12+
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• ISBN-10: 1328471225
• ISBN-13: 9781328471222
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• Reading Guide (PDF)
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Copyright © 2024 The Book Report, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

by Lois Lowry

The giver study guide.

The Giver combines themes of young adult fiction, such as that of the protagonist Jonas 's coming of age, with themes taken from dystopian novels such as George Orwell's 1984 or in particular Aldous Huxley's Brave New World , which deals with a society in which the majority of the population has been manipulated into a sense of blithe submission. Within the novel, Jonas learns that despite the apparently idyllic aspects of his society, the general absence of history, deep emotions, and individuality has driven the community into stagnation and, in significant ways, dystopia. In the process, he discovers the wisdom and maturity necessary to choose his future while cognizant of the likely consequences of his choices.

Lois Lowry has named several aspects of her childhood as influences on her writing. By her account, she grew up in a very safe community and lived a kind of predictable existence that parallels Jonas's apparently idyllic community in The Giver . In addition, her lack of a father during wartime has often led her to focus on the role of the father figure in the family, a theme that she explores in depth in the interactions between Jonas and his father. That Jonas eventually learns that the community is not as perfect as it once seemed is a sign of disillusionment, yet it is not so far from the usual awakening of maturity associated with becoming an adult and moving out of the community's safe boundaries.

The novel also deals with several sensitive issues such as suicide and the onset of sexuality in adolescence. Jonas, under the encouragement of The Giver, explores aspects of human nature that are never faced by the other members of the community. Jonas thus, in significant ways, becomes more of a mature adult than his parents are. Whereas his parents have never experienced the Stirrings and thus have suppressed all sexual desire, Jonas eventually ceases taking the pills in favor of embracing this aspect of his coming of age. The inclusion of such topics as budding sexuality has in the past led The Giver to be banned by many school libraries, but defenders have argued that it is important to engage topics of death and sexuality among young adults.

Lowry wrote The Giver in 1993 as a science fiction novel aimed at young adults, and it was critically acclaimed in that context, winning the Newbery Medal in the following year. Lowry later wrote two novels set in the same literary universe as The Giver , Gathering Blue in 2000 and Messenger in 2004. Although the protagonist differs in each novel, Jonas reappears as a character in Messenger , and the three novels form a trilogy.

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.

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...

Chapter 13-16

Jonas advocates choices, as well as real family units rather than created family units.

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 Literature Guide

The giver: discussion questions, 1. throughout the novel, lowry presents complex issues that all children will face as they become adults: sexuality, individuality, and politics, to name a few. however, lowry’s interpretations of these events have often caused the novel to be banned in schools and communities. why do you think that  the giver  is so often a banned book how can the issues presented in  the giver  be helpful to children who are on the brink of adulthood.

The Giver’s  social critique has resulted in controversy and multiple attempts to ban it from schools. In some quarters, the book’s mention and treatment of sex, suicide, hunger, infanticide, and euthanasia are seen as unsuitable for kids. Further,  Jonas’  rebellion and his assertion of his  individuality  might have made parents uncomfortable. Some people notably objected to the violence in the book.

However,  The Giver  does have the potential to help children deal with their complex emotions. It is, after all, impossible to protect children from everything. Although it is dark, it sends out the important message that authority and rules are not always for one’s betterment. If unjust and unfair, they ought to be challenged. Even though humans might not always make the right choices, it is still important to have the freedom to make those choices and learn from them.

2.  The Giver  presents its story exclusively through Jonas’ point of view. How do you think the novel would differ if we learned the story through Jonas’ father’s point of view? The Giver’s point of view? Rosemary’s point of view?

Any story becomes richer when told from different points of view. The novel would have had a different texture and conclusion had it been told from the father’s point of view.  Jonas’ father  is an unquestioning rule-follower. In fact, he always argues in favor of following rules. However, had he been the narrator, readers might still have been able to gain an insight on the changes engendered by the introduction of  sameness .

The Giver’s point of view might have focused a great deal more on his challenges and responsibilities. Since the Giver is required to place the common good ahead of personal good, it might have given readers an account of how he came to terms with the harsh demands of his position, of the many compromises and decisions he must have made to carry out his role efficiently.

Rosemary’s point of view could have revealed more. She would have narrated the story from a female point of view, thereby giving the story a gendered aspect, which in turn would have given more insight into Rosemary’s motives for her suicide.

All characters think and act differently, and with a change in the narrative voice and style, the conclusion and the reading experience would likely have been different, too.

3. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Sameness in Jonas’ community.

Sameness  was introduced in the hopes of building an ideal community. The original intent had been to eliminate all wrong choices by making decisions on the people’s behalf. Sameness, to an extent, helped to maintain peace and order in the community. Everyone followed a certain set of rules, and all decisions were taken by the Elders. Society was free of conflict.

However, sameness had major drawbacks, too. The residents lived under an authoritarian regime where they did not have any kind of freedom. People had not been transmitted any  memories  and, therefore, were not equipped to deal with serious emotions. They had grown into apathetic individuals with no regard for anyone’s feelings or thoughts.

4. Comment on the author’s use of style and language in  The Giver .

Lowry narrates  The Giver  in a simple, straightforward journalistic manner. Her clarity of style and her portrayal of everyday details conveys what it means to lead an ordinary life in  Jonas’  community. However, she uses a more lyrical style to describe  memories . Lowry’s imagery is rather similar to the imagery commonly found in poetic language: snow, cold, war, etc. Lowry also uses euphemisms. Euphemisms are usually deceptive, hiding the real meaning of a word or an incident. For instance, in the novel the term  “release”  is used to talk about death. Release tends to cover up the violence inherent in the act of death in the novel.

Lowry also uses this style to create an ambiguous ending, which, much like poetry, is layered and open to interpretation.

5.  The Giver  is a dystopian novel. Discuss.

Utopia and dystopia  were topics of interest in the nineteenth century. In particular, fantasy and sci-fi works mostly made use of these literary devices. “Utopia” signifies a place that one can only dream about, a true paradise. “Dystopia,” which is the opposite of utopia, is a term used to describe a utopian society in which things have gone wrong.

Jonas’  community appears to be a utopia, but soon the readers realize that it is indeed a dystopian land. The residents’ lives are determined by rigid rules. All critical decisions, such as those related to career, marriage, or childbirth, are taken by the Community of Elders. Although there is no poverty, starvation, unemployment, the community is beset by oppression and hypocrisy. The residents have had to give up their freedom to choose, think, and question to achieve this. They have also had to give up their  individuality  to achieve a semblance of peace and a nominally conflict-free society.

The novel also shows how this society is especially unfair to the weak and old. There is constant surveillance, and residents live in constant fear. The community also actively suppressed natural desires such as love and sexuality.

Browse Popular Homework Q&A

• Literature Notes
• Book Summary
• About The Giver
• Character List
• Summary and Analysis
• Chapters 1-2
• Chapters 3-5
• Chapters 6-8
• Chapters 9-10
• Chapters 11-12
• Chapters 13-15
• Chapters 16-17
• Chapters 18-20
• Chapters 21-23
• Lois Lowry Biography
• Critical Essays
• Major Themes in The Giver
• Style and Language in The Giver
• What Are Utopias and Dystopias?
• A Note about Infanticide and Euthanasia
• Full Glossary for The Giver
• Essay Questions
• Cite this Literature Note

Lowry narrates The Giver in third person ("He said," as opposed to "I said," which is called first person), using a limited omniscient viewpoint (only Jonas' thoughts and feelings are revealed). Through Jonas' eyes, his community appears to be a utopia — a perfect place — that is self-contained and isolated from Elsewhere, every other place in the world. No evidence of disease, hunger, poverty, war, or lasting pain exists in the community. Jonas' family, like all other families in the community, includes a caring mother and father and two children — one male child and one female child. Jonas' mother has an important job with the Department of Justice, and his father has a job as a Nurturer, taking care of newborns. Jonas has one younger sister, Lily. His family seems ideal. Each morning, they discuss their dreams that they had the previous night; during the evening meal, they share feelings about the events of the day, comforting and supporting each other according to the rules of the community.

As we learn more about Jonas' family, we also learn about the community as a whole. Family units must apply for children, spouses do not get to choose one another but, instead, are matched, and grandparents do not exist. All of a sudden, this utopia that Lowry has created doesn't seem quite right. The mood is foreboding, a feeling that something bad will happen. This mood suggests that Jonas' community is far from perfect.

A long time ago, the people in Jonas' community chose to have the community ruled by a Committee of Elders. The Committee of Elders controls everyone and everything, blasting rules and reprimands from loudspeakers located throughout the community, including in every family dwelling. A total of fifty infants are born to Birthmothers every year. Each peer group is identified by its age — for example, Threes, Sevens, Nines — and must follow specific rules about appropriate clothing, haircuts, and activities for that particular peer group. When children become Eights, they begin mandatory volunteering and are closely observed by the Committee of Elders so that the committee can assign a lifelong profession to each child at the Ceremony of Twelve, which takes place every year during the December Ceremony.

The Giver begins with Jonas' apprehension about his Ceremony of Twelve, when he will be assigned his lifelong job. He can guess which jobs his friends, Fiona and Asher, will be assigned, but he has no idea what his own job Assignment will be. At the Ceremony, Jonas learns that he has been selected to become the next Receiver of Memory, the highest position in the community.

Jonas begins training under the present Receiver of Memory, an older man whom Jonas calls The Giver. The Giver lives alone in private rooms that are lined with shelves full of books. Jonas' training involves receiving, from The Giver, all of the emotions and memories of experiences that the people in the community chose to give up to attain Sameness and the illusion of social order. The first memory that Jonas receives from The Giver is a sled ride down a snow-covered hill. Jonas has never before experienced going downhill, cold weather, or snow. Eventually, through memories, The Giver teaches Jonas about color, love, war, and pain. Jonas begins to understand the hypocrisy that exists in his community — that is, the illusion that everything in the community is good when in fact it isn't. The people appear to love each other, but they don't really know what love feels like because their lives are a charade; their reactions have been trained. Jonas realizes that people have given up their freedoms to feel and think as individuals, choosing instead to be controlled by others.

One day, Jonas asks The Giver if he can watch a video of a release his father performed on an infant earlier that morning. He watches and is horrified when he realizes that a release is really forced death by lethal injection. Jonas discusses his feelings with The Giver, and they decide on a plan that will force the people to give up Sameness. However, before they can carry out their plan, Jonas learns that Gabriel, a two-year-old infant who has been staying with Jonas' family unit because Gabriel has trouble sleeping through the night, is going to be released — killed. To prevent Gabriel from being killed, Jonas takes Gabriel, whom he loves, and together they ride a bicycle out of the community to Elsewhere. By escaping the community, all of the memories that Jonas has received from The Giver will be transmitted back to the citizens in the community, forcing them to experience feelings and emotions and to remember their past.

Jonas travels for days and days with Gabriel, who is dying from starvation and the cold weather. Finally, they come to the top of a hill where there is snow and a sled. They get on the sled and ride downhill toward music and Christmas lights. What actually happens to Jonas and Gabriel? Do they die? Are they dreaming? Do they go to a house with lights and music? Do they end up back in their original community? Do the people in the community change? All of these questions are left unanswered at the end of the book. Lowry intentionally writes an ambiguous ending so that readers can decide for themselves what happens to Jonas and Gabriel at the end of The Giver .

Next About The Giver

Themes and Analysis

By lois lowry.

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

About the Book

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. 

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 Test — The Giver Final Assessment with Answers

Description

This resource includes:  The Giver  Final Test with Answer Key!

This test, based on the novel  The Giver by Lois Lowry , requires students to establish what they learned from the novel and their overall comprehension of the book. This assessment requires students’ knowledge about: symbolism, characterization, theme, and more.

The exam consists of 46 questions and offers students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities in a variety of ways:

• 18 multiple choice questions
• 11 true or false questions
• 10 character identification questions
• 6 short answer questions (1-2 sentences)
• 1 open-ended question (4-6 sentences)

This resource includes the following file types:

• READY TO PRINT Test Student Copy (PDF)
• EDITABLE Test Student Copy (Word document)
• READY TO PRINT Test Teacher Copy with Answers (PDF)

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