Life in the Community
What happens every December in Jonas’s community?
The Ceremony, where everyone gets older and receives new privileges.
What are the names of the members of Jonas’s family unit?
Father, Mother, Lily, and Jonas.
What happens at the Ceremony of Twelve?
Children are given their life assignments (jobs).
Who is the Giver?
The old man who holds all the community’s memories.
What special ability does Jonas have that others don’t?
He can “see beyond” — like seeing colors and emotions.
What is the main rule about being polite in the community?
People must use precise language and talk about their feelings every evening.
What job does Jonas’s father have?
He is a Nurturer who takes care of newchildren.
What is Jonas’s assignment?
Receiver of Memory.
What is the first memory the Giver gives Jonas?
A memory of sledding down a snowy hill.
What does Jonas start to notice changing in his friends?
They don’t understand real feelings like he does.
Why are rules so important in the community?
They keep everyone safe, organized, and the same.
What does Jonas’s family do at the end of each day?
They share their feelings during the evening ritual.
What happens when Jonas’s number is skipped during the Ceremony?
Everyone is confused until he’s chosen for a special role.
What kind of memories does the Giver share with Jonas?
Both joyful and painful ones — like love, sunshine, war, and loss.
Why does Jonas stop taking his daily pills?
He wants to feel real emotions instead of hiding them.
What happens to people who break rules three times?
They are released.
Why is Jonas’s father worried about the baby named Gabriel?
Gabriel isn’t sleeping well and might be released.
What does the Chief Elder say to Jonas after giving him his assignment?
“Thank you for your childhood.”
Why does the Giver have to give Jonas memories?
So Jonas can hold them and help advise the Elders.
What does Jonas realize when he sees the children playing war?
They don’t know it’s violent or real — it makes him sad.
What is unusual about the way the community controls people’s lives?
The Elders make all decisions — even who you marry or what job you get.
How does Jonas’s relationship with his parents change by Chapter 17?
He realizes they don’t feel real love, even though they care for him.
How do Chapters 16–17 show what “Thank you for your childhood” really means?
Jonas realizes he’s lost the innocence of childhood — he now feels pain, love, and truth that others never will.
What lesson does Jonas learn from the Giver about life?
Real life includes both happiness and pain — you can’t have one without the other.
By the end of Chapter 17, what major change is Jonas thinking about?
Leaving the community so everyone can experience real feelings and memories.