Characters & Relationships
Who is the Receiver of Memory before Jonas?
The Giver
What is Jonas selected to be at the Ceremony of Twelve?
The Receiver of Memory
What is one main theme of The Giver?
The importance of memory and individuality.
What does “Sameness” mean in the community?
Everyone and everything is made uniform to avoid conflict or difference.
What does color symbolize in The Giver?
Emotion, individuality, and freedom of perception.
What is Jonas’s father’s job in the community?
He is a Nurturer who cares for newborns.
What rule shocks Jonas most after his selection?
He is allowed to lie.
What does the novel suggest about freedom of choice?
It’s essential for true happiness and humanity.
What happens to people who break the rules three times?
They are released (killed).
What does the sled symbolize?
Jonas’s journey toward freedom and understanding.
Who is Jonas’s best friend who has trouble with precision of language?
Asher
What does Jonas witness when he watches the video of a “release”?
He realizes his father kills (injects) the infant — it’s euthanasia, not a ceremony.
Why does Lowry show the absence of pain and emotion?
To highlight what is lost when people give up freedom for comfort and control.
How are families created in the community?
Adults apply for spouses and are assigned children born by Birthmothers.
What does the apple symbolize when Jonas first notices it change?
His ability to see beyond — to perceive color and truth.
How does Jonas’s relationship with The Giver change over time?
It grows from student–teacher to almost father–son, built on trust and shared emotion.
What causes Jonas to decide to leave the community?
He learns what “release” truly means and wants to give the memories back to the people.
How does Jonas’s view of his society change by the end?
He realizes it’s not perfect — it’s controlling, emotionless, and unjust.
What are two ways the community controls its citizens?
Through strict rules and by suppressing emotions with daily pills.
What does the concept of “release” symbolize?
The community’s deception — hiding death behind peaceful language.
What makes Jonas and Gabe’s bond different from other relationships in the community?
Their connection is based on love, emotion, and shared memories — something forbidden in their society.
What happens at the very end of the book?
Jonas and Gabriel sled down a hill toward music and lights — possibly real or symbolic of hope and freedom.
What does the novel suggest about the role of memories in shaping identity?
Memories help people understand love, empathy, and moral responsibility, without them, humanity is lost.
What does the river represent for the community?
A symbol of escape or freedom beyond control.
What might the music Jonas hears at the end represent?
Hope, memory, and the human spirit continuing beyond control.