Summary

The book, “The Giver” is a tale of a boy named Jonas, who is raised in a community that has many restrictions and the citizens don't have choice. At the start of the book, Jonas is apprehensive about the yearly ceremonies, which end at the age of 12. Jonas is 11. In the community, at the 12th ceremony of age, you are assigned your job for the rest of your adulthood. At the ceremony, Jonas was chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory. The Receiver of Memory holds memories, both painful and happy, and uses them to advise the Council of Elders, which are the leaders of the community. Receivers also hold onto memories, protecting the unknowing people of their society from the pain of the past. The process of becoming a Receiver is hard and painful. Dive into this story by Lois Lowry and find yourself in Jonas’s mind, following him as he discovers the truth of the world around him.

Characters

Jonas

Jonas is 11 at the beginning of the book. His friends are Asher and Fiona. Throughout the book, his character traits, such as courage and intelligence are shown. They are demonstrated in moments where Jonas has to make quick decisions. Throughout the story, the reader can see that Jonas is different from other people in the community. This includes physical attributes, such as his pale eyes, and mental traits, such as his insightfulness. Near the end of the book, after Jonas realizes that he can "See Beyond", he concludes that his pale eyes are the reason for this. "Seeing Beyond" allows Jonas to qualify to become the next Receiver of Memory. Jonas seems to struggle at first, especially dealing with the pain of bearing memories. Yet, after time training, he seems to start to deal with the pain easier. Slowly, after thinking about the memories, though, Jonas begins to be horrified at the truth of his society and he wants to make a difference.

Mother

Jonas's mother is only referred to as Mother throughout the book. The reader knows very little about Mother. We did learn that she works at the Justice Building and did not give birth, like all mothers in the society, to her children. She also takes any job seriously. This is shown with Jonas's comment on how she brings her work home from her job. She also takes her task as a mother seriously. She demonstrates this when she gives advice about the challenges her children face as they age. In all, Mother is a hard, dedicated worker.

Father

Jonas's father plays a major role in the book. His assignment was Nurturer, a person who takes care of infants right after birth. Father takes his job seriously, trying to get the infants to meet the requirements of newborns, which includes a specific weight range, no crying, and sleeping soundly. Yet, he will perform the Ceremony of Release on Infants, if it seems to be the best decision. He is, at heart, still a child because of his playful nature with his children, by calling them nicknames and playing games with the infants he nurtures. One can conclude, Father is a dedicated and spirited person.

Fiona

Fiona is another one of Jonas's friends. She has red hair, something only Jonas and the Giver can see. Jonas has had dreams about her and likes her. Fiona is patient and did her volunteer hours at the House of the Old. Her assignment is to train to be a Caretaker of the Old.

Asher

Asher is Jonas's best friend. He is a fun-loving boy who loves to play and joke around. He is known for speaking too fast, causing words to come out wrong. Due to his unique nature, Asher was assigned to be the Assistant Director of Recreation, a position made for fun. He likes his position in the society and takes pride in it.

Lily

Lily is Jonas's sister. She is full of words and is well informed on topics around the community. She is excited about the upcoming Ceremony of 9, where she will get her bike. Lily and Jonas get along together well and like to play with each other.

The Giver

The Giver is Jonas's instructor, teaching him how to be a Receiver of Memory. He has been doing his job for years, bearing the pain of the memories and horror of times past. He advises the Council of Elders, the leaders of the society. He also has developed senses and feelings, such as the ability to see color and love. The Giver (and Jonas) are the only ones in the community who have these developed senses and feelings. The Giver shows that he has feelings because he, like Jonas, is horrified by Release and wants the community to understand how wrong Release is.

Gabriel

Gabriel is a newborn child. He needed extra nurturing due to his inability to meet the infant requirements. He is calm and peaceful during the day, but at night he is restless and cries. He only sleeps whenever Jonas gives him happy memories. Jonas has developed an attachment for Gabriel.

Rosemary

Rosemary was the failed Receiver from 10 years before Jonas. Being the Giver's daughter, she was destined to be a Receiver of Memory. Yet, during her training, the Giver developed feelings for her and refused to give her memories of pain. Instead, he gave her memories of loneliness, loss, poverty, and fear. This lead to her ask for release. She could not bear the memories and decided to end her suffering.