Community Rules
How many children are families allowed to have? Can they have just boys or just girls?
Each family unit is allowed 2 children, 1 boy and 1 girl.
What is the name of the eleven-year-old protagonist of The Giver? How is he feeling about his upcoming Ceremony of Twelve and why?
Jonas! He feels apprehensive about it because he is unsure about what might happen. It is a critical ceremony, as citizens are given their job for the rest of their lives.
Aptitude. What does this mean? Use it in a sentence.
The level of natural ability to do something
What happens at the Ceremony of One? This ceremony is described as "noisy and fun". Hint: 3 things happen.
1. Newchildren, the children born during the previous year, turn One. This means some of the newchildren are already walking and some have just recently been born, but all are considered One at the same time.
2. The Naming occurs during the Ceremony of One; each new child is named, previously having been referred to as just a number.
3. The new child and their comfort object, a stuffed animal that is given to them at birth, are given to the assigned family unit after the Naming.
Why do you think no one knows what happens when a release is made, except for the committee?
The fact that the leaders of the community keep the nature of the releases secret hints that there is something sinister about them. They are trying to intentionally keep this process from the citizens of this society.
What are Stirrings and when teens start getting the Stirrings, what happens and why? In other words, why does this society not want their citizens to experience Stirrings?
Stirrings is what the Community refers to as feelings, and even dreams; it is the feeling of pleasure and emotions. They happen when a citizen begins the early stages of puberty. To stop the Stirrings, the citizens are required to take pills.
He works as a Nurturer. At his job, he takes a peak at classified information about one of the children under his care. Who is this character AND why did he take a sneak peak at classified info? What was he looking for and why?
Jonas' father! He was taking a sneak peak at the name of one of the babies because that baby was not doing as well as the others and he thought calling him by his name would help.
Adherence. What does this mean? Use it in a sentence.
The ability to follow and commit to a guideline or principle
What happens at the Ceremony of Twelve? This is a big, important ceremony!
The children are assigned their career by the Committee of Elders. The twelves begin adulthood and their training for their new career.
What similarities are there between the new children and the Old?
They are both helpless, people can see them naked, and they have to be bathed by someone else.
What is the rule around seeing people naked?
In Jonas's community, it is forbidden to look at naked people, unless they are very young or very old. The fact that elderly and the very young are exempt from certain rules is another testament to their being separated from the community.
“When he began to talk again, it was with greater precision. And now his lapses are very few. His corrections and apologies are very prompt. And his good humor is unfailing.” The audience murmured in agreement. [His] cheerful disposition was well-known throughout the community".
Which character is this quote talking about? How is this character an example of the society’s factory-like production of mindless drones?
This quote is referring to Asher, Jonas' friend. Asher had a lot of difficulties with language precision so he got hit. As a result he stopped talking all together out of fear. He is an example of the society molding people to their idea of Sameness and keeping all their citizens in line.
Appeal. What does this mean? Use it in a sentence.
make a serious or urgent request, typically to the public.
apply to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court.
The process of contesting the career assignment given by the Committee of elders.
What happens at the ceremony of 9? Hint: there are 2 things that occur when a child turns 9.
1. They receive bikes.
2. The girls also no longer need to wear ribbons in their hair and are removed at the ceremony.
Why is there a rule against bragging?
Bragging is rude and no one should be put above anyone else.
Explain the process around family units. People are not allowed to choose their own families so how do they create a family and get a child? If people get a child, when does this happen?
Citizens are matched up, they can not just date each other and decide for themselves. To get a child, prospective parents must apply and be considered. If they are approved, they get a child when they are 1 years old. This is also when that child is given a name, selected by the committee, not the parents.
She a talkative and active seven-year-old. She loves to chat and recount stories from her day at school, so much so that her parents joke that she should be given the position of Storyteller once she reaches age 12. Who is this character?
Jonas' little sister, Lily.
Apprehensive. What does this mean? Use it in a sentence.
To be worried about what might happen.
What happens at the Ceremony of Eight? Hint: 3 things happen.
1. Eights have the comfort objects they received as newchildren taken away to be recycled for a new group of newchildren.
2. At the Ceremony of Eights, children receive a new jacket that has smaller buttons and, for the first time, pockets.
3. Volunteer hours also begin at the age of Eight, allowing them some freedom of choice in where they want to volunteer.
In chapter 4, Larissa told Jonas about the celebration of Roberto’s release that morning. Then she went on to tell about Edna’s release. Larissa said, “Well, they tried to make her life sound meaningful. And of course, all lives are meaningful, I don’t mean they aren’t. But Edna. My goodness. She was a Birthmother, and then she worked in Food Production for years, until she came here. She never even had a family unit.”
In contrast, when she spoke about Roberto, she said, “But Roberto’s life was wonderful. He had been an Instructor of Elevens – you know how important that is – and he’d been on the Planning Committee. And – goodness, I don’t know how he found the time – he also raised two very successful children, and he was also the one who did the landscaping design for the Central Plaza…”
What do Larissa’s words tell you about how the people in the community view others and place value on them? (Hint: Think about the roles to which people are assigned.)
People are under the impression that their lives are meaningful, but in reality they all live meaningless lives.
Larissa's comment about Edna shows that people in the community DO judge one another and are aware of differences despite their efforts to create a community of uniformity. So people are still judged according to their intellect/ability, much like our society.
Name at least 2 rules in The Giver that are similar to rules in our world (does not have be be the U.S.).
Rules against theft.
Three strikes policy.
Capital punishment.
Laws. We elect officials who create and pass laws in committees in our legislatures.
Two Child Policies.
This infant isn’t developing at the rate of the other children in his group and is at risk of being released.
What is his name? Why does Jonas' dad get permission to bring this baby home for round-the-clock care?
This baby is Gabriel. Jonas' dad get's permission to take care of him at his home because he is hopping that he can help the child meet his developmental milestones.
Transgression. What does this mean? Use it in a sentence.
the violation of a law, a duty, or moral principle.
What happens at the Ceremony of Three? Hint: 2 things.
1. Children are required to begin sharing and discussing their dreams with their family units each morning at breakfast.
2. Instruction on correct language acquisition begins.
3. As they are learning Precision of Language, using an incorrect word can result in being smacked with the wand by a Childcare specialist.
Generalize why both parents in the family unit work outside the home and why the family includes only non-biological children.
It decreases emotional ties within families and makes families purely functional to raise children to serve the community.