Literary Devices
Personification is when...
a non-human thing is given human qualities. Example: "The fire danced and bit the tree's roots."
What color is Fiona's hair?
Red
What can The Giver transfer?
Larissa
What name is chanted over and over by the community during the NAMING ceremony? Why was it chanted?
Caleb; Caleb was the name of a boy who had drowned. This name was repeated as a celebration for the family after they lost their previous son.
Why literary device is used in the quote below? "Downward, downward, faster and faster."
Repetition
Why did Gabriel join Jonas's household?
Gabriel is fussy and cries at night instead of sleeping.
Read the quote:
"Each night he gave memories to Gabriel: memories of boat rides and picnics in the sun; memories of soft rainfall against windowpanes; memories of dancing barefoot on a damp lawn."
When does this occur in the novel?
When did Jonas first see color?
When Asher and him were playing catch with an apple
What is unique about the Ceremony of Ages?
Children of the community receive a new responsibility, item, or freedom at each new age. It represents their transition from babies to young adults.
What literary device is the sled?
The sled is a symbol for freedom and happiness.
What does the family have to share every night at supper?
"feelings" - it is one of the community's many rituals.
Where does the falling action in the novel begin?
When Jonas and The Giver make a plan for him to leave, but then Jonas finds out that Gabriel is going to be released.
Why do Jonas and Gabriel travel at night when they escape the community? What can the reader infer will happen to them if they are caught?
They are being hunted. If they are caught, they will probably be released.
What does release really mean in the community?
Release means they are killed by euthanasia. (a needle)
Read the quote: "Each time, at each announcement, his heart jumped for a moment, and he thought wild thoughts. Perhaps now she would call his name. Could he have forgotten his own number?"
This quote is an example of-
suspense and foreshadowing
At first, Jonas has a positive relationship with his parents. He sees it as normal. After receiving memories from The Giver, Jonas realizes that it is a cold, loveless relationship. His parents do not love him, and he grows to dislike them after finding out what release is.
Read the following quote:
"Warming himself ever so briefly had shaken away the lethargy and resignation and restored his will to survive. He began to walk faster on feet that he could no longer feel. But the hill was treacherously steep; he was impeded by the snow and his own lack of strength."
What did Jonas use to keep him and Gabriel warm?
He used memories of joy he had from his time in the community.
What does Jonas see at the beginning of the novel that frightens him? Why does it frighten him?
An airplane flying overhead; it is different from the usual airplanes they see and goes in the wrong direction.
What happens to a child if they accidentally die in this community? What does this say about the community?
The community holds a brief ceremony of loss; the child's name will be given to another child born later. It shows that the community does not value individual lives. They see everyone as replaceable.
The members of the community enjoying themselves at the release ceremony of Roberto, even though they do not know what release is, is an example of--
Irony
Why did Asher ignore Jonas after he tried to explain why he interrupted the good-guy-bad-guy game?
Asher has been conditioned to dismiss problems or negative situations with apologies. He cannot empathize with Jonas or hear him out because he does not know how to face conflict.
What happens to members of the community if The Receiver goes missing or is released?
They receive the memories that The Receiver had and must face the emotions that come with them.
What is a theme present in the quote below?
“Our people made that choice, the choice to go to Sameness. Before my time, before the previous time, back and back and back. We relinquished color when we relinquished sunshine and did away with differences.” He thought for a moment. “We gained control of many things. But we had to let go of others.”
Getting rid of differences and individuality erases people's freedoms and joy. In other words, happiness comes from having the freedom to choose and be yourself.
Read the excerpt below:
"But the most conspicuous difference was the books. In his own dwelling, there were the necessary reference volumes that each household contained: a dictionary, and the thick community volume which contained descriptions of every office, factory, building, and committee. And the Book of Rules, of course.
The books in his own dwelling were the only books that Jonas had ever seen. He had never known that other books existed."
Why doesn't the community have books?
Books contain knowledge, wisdom, and history. If community members had access to them, they would not be easy to control.