the giver discussion questions pdf

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Chapters 7-9

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Chapters 13-15

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Chapters 19-21

Chapters 22-23

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The Giver Chapter Questions — Reading Questions for Every Chapter & Answer Keys

Description

While completing a novel study for The Giver  by Lois Lowry,  have your students answer reading comprehension questions for every chapter!

Included are 11 sets of questions (divided by every 2-3 chapters) which delve into character motives, themes, symbols, and essential plot details. The questions are a combination of literary analysis, reading comprehension, and critical thinking.

Detailed answer keys are provided for all questions. You can print this resource as one all-encompassing packet or you can provide students worksheets one section at a time.

This resource includes the following formats:

• READY TO PRINT Student Copy of Questions (PDF)
• EDITABLE Copy of Questions (Word Document)
• ANSWER KEY TEACHER COPY of Questions with Answers (PDF)

Everything you need for every book you read.

Welcome to the LitCharts study guide on Lois Lowry's The Giver . Created by the original team behind SparkNotes, LitCharts are the world's best literature guides.

The Giver: Introduction

The giver: plot summary, the giver: detailed summary & analysis, the giver: themes, the giver: quotes, the giver: characters, the giver: symbols, the giver: theme wheel, brief biography of lois lowry.

Historical Context of The Giver

Other books related to the giver.

• Full Title: The Giver
• When Written: Early 1990s
• Where Written: Maine
• When Published: April 16, 1993
• Literary Period: Contemporary
• Genre: Dystopian novel
• Setting: A managed community in a futuristic society. The community is cut off from the outside world, which is referred to as "elsewhere."
• Climax: Jonas learns that when his father "releases" newchildren, he actually kills them. Jonas decides to leave the community.
• Antagonist: Jonas's community and its system of Sameness
• Point of View: Third-person limited, through Jonas's eyes

Extra Credit for The Giver

Awards: The Giver won the 1994 Newbery Medal, considered the most prestigious award for children's literature.

Banned Book: Although The Giver tops countless school reading lists, it has also been banned by some schools, which claim that some of the material, like euthanasia and suicide, is inappropriate for children.

One of Three: Lowry has written two more books set in the world of The Giver and including some of the characters from The Giver . The three books together are often described as a "loose trilogy." The second book in the series is Gathering Blue and was published in 2000. The third, The Messenger , was published in 2004.

• Nov 8, 2023
• 13 min read

The Giver: Discussion Questions and Answers (PDF download)

Found this amazing resource from: https://www.lcps.org/cms/lib4/VA01000195/Centricity/Domain/4073/Giver%20Study%20Guide%20Answers.docx

The Giver: Short Answer Study Questions

Chapters 1-2

Q: What did the word "frightened" mean, according to Jonas?

A: It was a "deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen."

Q: What were Jonas and the other children taught to be careful about?

A: They were taught to be careful about language.

Q: How did Jonas decide how he felt? What was causing this feeling?

A: Jonas decided how he felt by paying attention to his body. He felt apprehensive because his special Ceremony of Twelve was coming in December.

Q: What evening ritual did the family perform after dinner?

A: The family performed a ritual after dinner called "Sharing of Feelings." Each family member shared their feelings about the day.

Q: What were the two occasions when release was not punishment?

A: Release of the elderly and release of a newchild were not considered punishment.

Q: What did Father want to do about the newchild, and why?

A: Father wanted to bring the newchild home with him for extra nurturing. The child was not progressing and would be released if he did not improve. Father thought the extra attention would be helpful.

Q: What fascinated Jonas about his father?

A: Jonas was fascinated by the fact that his father had broken the rule about looking at the year's Naming list.

Q: Why was the Ceremony of Twelve so important?

A: The Ceremony of Twelve was important because it marked the end of childhood and the beginning of adulthood. It was also the time when the Twelves would be assigned their adult jobs.

Chapters 3-5

Q: What was unusual about Jonas and the newchild?

A: Jonas and the newchild were both unusual because they had pale eyes. Most of the Community members had dark eyes.

Q: Describe the Assignment of Birthmother. What did Lily's parents say about the Assignment?

A: Birthmothers were responsible for having three children. They were not allowed to see the children after they were born. After the third child, the Birthmothers were given jobs as Laborers for the rest of their lives. Lily's parents said that the Assignment did not have much honor.

Q: What happened to the apple while Jonas was playing with it?

A: The apple changed for an instant. Jonas was not sure what the change was, but he knew it had changed.

Q: Describe the celebration of release of Roberto.

A: The celebration of release of Roberto began with Roberto telling about his life. Then the attendants toasted, cheered, and chanted the anthem. Roberto then made a good-bye speech and bowed before walking through a special door in the Releasing Room.

Q: Did Larissa know exactly where Roberto or anyone else went when they were released?

A: No, Larissa did not know exactly where Roberto or anyone else went when they were released.

Q: What was Jonas's dream about? What did his mother and father say about it?

A: Jonas dreamed that he wanted Fiona to take off her clothes and get in a bathtub. His parents said that it was the Stirrings and gave him a pill to stop them. They told him he would have to take one every day until he entered the House of the Old

Chapters 6-7

Q: Describe the jacket that the Fours, Fives, and Sixes wore and the reason it was designed the way it was. Also describe the jacket the Sevens wore and what it symbolized.

A: The jacket that the Fours, Fives, and Sixes wore buttoned down the back so that the children would have to help each other dress and learn interdependence. The jacket the Sevens wore had buttons in the front, which symbolized independence and growing up.

Q: Describe the Ceremony. Tell what happened at the Naming and the other age levels.

A: During the Naming ceremony, the Nurturers brought the newchildren to the stage, where they received their names and parents. At the age of Eight, children received new jackets with smaller buttons and pockets, which symbolized maturity and the ability to keep track of small possessions. At Nine, children received their bicycles. At Ten, girls had their long hair cut off. At Eleven, girls received new undergarments and boys received longer trousers with a special pocket for their school calculator.

Q: What Assignment did Asher get?

A: Asher was named Assistant Director of Recreation.

Q: What happened when Jonas's number should have been called? What did Jonas think?

A: When Jonas's number should have been called at the Ceremony, the Chief Elder skipped it. Jonas thought he had done something wrong.

Chapters 8-10

Q: What was Jonas's Assignment? Why was it important and unusual?

A:Jonas was assigned to become the new Receiver of Memory for the Community. This was a very important job, as the Receiver was responsible for storing and protecting all of the Community's memories, including those that had been forgotten or suppressed. The assignment was also unusual because the Community only had one Receiver at a time, and the Receiver chose his or her own successor.

Q.What were the four qualities the Chief Elder said the Receiver of Memory must have?

A.The four qualities were intelligence, integrity, courage, and wisdom. The Chief Elder explained that the Receiver needed to be intelligent in order to understand the complex memories that would be transmitted to them. They also needed to have integrity in order to keep the memories safe and to use them wisely. Additionally, the Receiver needed to be courageous in order to face the difficult challenges that would come with their job. Finally, the Receiver needed to be wise in order to use the memories to help the Community.

Q.What happened when Jonas was looking out at the crowd?

A. Jonas looked out at the crowd, he saw that their faces were changing in the same way that the apple had changed when he received his assignment. Their faces became blurred and indistinct, and he could no longer see their individual features. This was a sign that Jonas was beginning to see the world more clearly, without the filters that had been imposed on him by the Community.

Q: Did Jonas agree or disagree with the committee's choice of him as the new Receiver?

A: Jonas agreed with the committee's choice. He felt that he was ready for the challenge, and he was eager to learn more about the world and its memories.

Q: What happened the last time a new Receiver had been chosen?

A: The last time a new Receiver had been chosen, the girl was not successful. No one really knew what had happened to her, but it was rumored that she had been "released" early. Jonas was determined not to let the same thing happen to him.

Q: From what rules was Jonas exempted?

A: Jonas was exempted from the rules governing rudeness. This meant that he could ask anyone any question he wanted, and he would receive an answer. He was also allowed to lie, which was something that was strictly forbidden to everyone else in the Community.

Q: What was Jonas prohibited from doing?

A: Jonas was prohibited from telling his dreams. This was because dreams were considered to be a dangerous form of communication, and the Community did not want Jonas to share any of his memories or thoughts with the other members of the Community.

Q: What was he allowed to do that he had not been allowed to do before?

A: Jonas was now allowed to read books. This was a privilege that was only granted to the Receiver of Memory, as the Community believed that books were too dangerous for ordinary people to read.

Q: What was the biggest difference in the Receiver of Memory's dwelling?

A: The biggest difference in the Receiver of Memory's dwelling was the books. Jonas had never seen books before, and he was amazed by them. He realized that books were a way to learn about the world and its history, and they were a way to connect with people from the past.

Q: What memories did the Receiver of Memory say he had to transmit to Jonas?

A: The Receiver of Memory said that he had to transmit all of the memories of the whole world to Jonas. This included memories of good and bad, of joy and sorrow, of love and hate. The Receiver explained that Jonas needed to know all of these memories in order to understand the world and to help the Community to grow and change.

Q: What was the first memory the Receiver said he would give to Jonas?

A: The Receiver said that the first memory he would give to Jonas was the memory of snow. Snow was something that the people in the Community had never experienced, and the Receiver wanted Jonas to know what it was like.

Chapters 11-13

Q: Describe Jonas's consciousness while he received the memory.

A: Jonas's consciousness was split into two parts. One part knew that he was lying on a bed in the Annex room, while the other part could experience the sensation of snow and the sled. He could also see, even though his eyes were closed.

Q: What words or concepts did Jonas experience?

A: Jonas experienced the words and concepts of snow, sled, hill, runners, and frigid air.

Q: What happened to the old man's memory of the ride on the sled after he transmitted it to Jonas?

A: The old man no longer remembered the ride on the sled after he transmitted the memory to Jonas. He had given the memory completely to Jonas.

Q: What kind of questions did Jonas ask about snow, sleds, and hills? What was the old man's answer? What was Jonas's response?

A: Jonas asked why they did not have snow, sleds, and hills in his community. The old man said that they had disappeared when the communities got Climate Control. Jonas said that he wished they still had snow and the other things.

Q: Jonas thought the Receiver of Memory had power. What did the old man tell him?

A: The old man told Jonas that he had honor, but not power. He said that honor and power were not the same thing.

Q: What did the old man tell Jonas to call him? Why?

A: The old man told Jonas to call him "The Giver" because Jonas was now the new Receiver of Memory.

Q: Describe Jonas's experiences of "seeing beyond."

A: Jonas's experiences of "seeing beyond" were brief and indescribable changes. The first time it happened was with the apple, then with the audience at the Auditorium, and then with Fiona's hair. Each time, the object or person he was looking at would change in a way that he could not explain.

Q: What was happening when Jonas "saw beyond?" Why was it important?

A: Jonas was seeing the color red when he "saw beyond." This was the beginning of his ability to see colors. It was an important development because it meant that Jonas was beginning to see the world in a more complete and accurate way.

Q: Could the other people in the Community see colors? If not, why not?

A: No, the other people in the Community could not see colors. They gave up that ability when they chose Sameness. Sameness was a system of government and social organization that aimed to eliminate all differences between people. By giving up their ability to see colors, the people in the Community were able to achieve a greater degree of Sameness.

Q: Summarize the conversation between Jonas and The Giver about choices.

A: Jonas wanted to be able to see colors all the time and to make his own decisions. He thought that being able to see colors might help Gabriel develop. The Giver said that if people were able to make their own choices, they might choose wrongly. Jonas agreed that it was not safe for people to make choices.

Q: The Giver explained why the people needed a Receiver of Memory. What were the reasons?

A: The Giver explained that the people needed a Receiver of Memory for two reasons. First, they sometimes needed the Receiver to use his memories to help them make decisions. Second, they needed the Receiver to keep all of the old memories so that they would not have to have them. The Giver said that the old memories were too painful and difficult for most people to bear.

Chapters 14-16

Q: Jonas asked what made The Giver suffer. What memory did The Giver transmit to explain it?

A: The Giver transmitted a memory of a sledding accident. Jonas fell off the sled and broke his leg.

Q: What did Jonas realize about his family after his session with The Giver?

A: Jonas realized that his family members had never known pain.

Q: Jonas asked why he and The Giver had to hold the memories. What was The Giver's answer? What was his example?

A: The Giver said that the memories gave them wisdom. He explained that when the Committee of Elders wanted to increase the birth rate, he transmitted the memories of hunger, famine, warfare, and death. This convinced the Committee of Elders not to increase the birth rate.

Q: What did Jonas want to do about the memories and the traditional way of doing things?

A: Jonas wanted to change the traditional way of doing things and give everyone the memories.

Q: How did Jonas help Gabriel get to sleep?

A: Jonas gave Gabriel a memory of sailing on a lake.

Q: What pain did The Giver ask Jonas to take in Chapter 15?

A: The Giver transmitted the pain of being injured in a battle during a war.

Q: How did Jonas feel about being the Receiver at the beginning of Chapter 16?

A: Jonas didn't want to be the Receiver. He wanted his childhood and his friends.

Q: Describe The Giver's favorite memory that he gave to Jonas. How did Jonas feel about it?

A: The Giver's favorite memory was of a Christmas tree inside a house. Children were unwrapping presents. Jonas perceived family. The Giver explained what grandparents were and gave Jonas the word "love." Jonas liked the memory, but he thought it might be a little bit dangerous.

Q: What question did Jonas ask his parents after his session with The Giver? What was their answer? What was his reaction?

A: Jonas asked his parents if they loved him. They told him to use more precise language because the word "love" was old and meaningless. They asked him if he understood why it was inappropriate. He lied for the first time and said he did.

Q: Jonas did something different the next morning. What was it?

A: Jonas did not take his pill.

Chapters 17-19

Q: Describe Jonas's new level of feelings, and what caused them.

A: Jonas was experiencing a new level of feelings because he had stopped taking the pills for the Stirrings and because he had received the memories from the Giver. The memories gave him a much deeper understanding of the world, including the pain and suffering that existed both inside and outside of the Community.

Q: What was Father's responsibility when twins were born?

A: Father's responsibility was to weigh the twins, give the larger one to a Nurturer, and clean up the smaller one. Then he would perform a Ceremony of Release on the smaller twin.

Q: How did Jonas feel about becoming the new Receiver?

A: Jonas was not looking forward to becoming the new Receiver. He was beginning to understand that he would probably have a difficult and lonely life.

Q: What was the name of the Receiver-to-be who was selected before Jonas?

A: The name of the Receiver-to-be who was selected before Jonas was Rosemary.

Q: What happened to the Receiver-to-be who was selected before Jonas?

A: After five weeks of receiving memories from the Giver, Rosemary asked to be released. She had received memories of loneliness and loss, and she was unable to bear the pain. The Giver granted her request, and her memories were released back into the Community.

Q: What happened to the Community after the incident with the Receiver-to-be?

A: The release of Rosemary's memories caused a great deal of pain and confusion in the Community. The people of the Community had never experienced such intense emotions before, and they were struggling to cope.

Q: Jonas and the Giver discussed the effects to the Community if Jonas would be lost. What did they think would happen?

A: Jonas and the Giver agreed that if Jonas were to be lost, the Community would be overwhelmed by the memories that he had received. The Giver said that he might be able to help the people of the Community cope with the memories, but he would need to think about it more.

Q: Describe the release of the newchild.

A: Father weighed the two newchildren, then gave the heavier one to a Nurturer. He filled a syringe with a clear liquid and injected the smaller newchild with it. The newchild moved around for a few minutes, then stopped. Father then put the body in a carton and put the carton in a chute in the wall.

Q: What did Jonas realize as he watched the tape of the release?

A: Jonas realized that Father had killed the smaller newchild. He recognized the clear liquid as a poison from the memories of the war.

Chapters 20-23

Q: How did Jonas react after he watched the release?

A: Jonas cried and became sarcastic. He was disgusted by the fact that his father had killed the newchild.

Q: What did The Giver tell Jonas he had realized about the memories?

A: The Giver realized that memories needed to be shared. He said that his job was lonely because he had to keep all of the memories to himself. He was thinking of a plan to change things by releasing the memories back into the Community.

Q: Describe The Giver's ideas on changing things.

A: The Giver's idea was to help Jonas escape to Elsewhere, and then release the memories back into the Community. He knew it would be difficult, but he thought it was possible. He would stay with the Community to help them cope with the memories, but Jonas could never return.

Q: The Giver offered a very special memory to Jonas. What was it, and what was Jonas's response to the offer?

A: The Giver offered Jonas the memory of music. Jonas said he wanted The Giver to keep it for himself, to have when Jonas was gone.

Q: Jonas asked The Giver to escape with him. What was The Giver's reply?

A: The Giver said that his job was to help the Community become whole. He also wanted to be with his daughter, Rosemary.

Q: What did Jonas do instead of the original escape plan, and why?

A: Jonas learned that Gabe was to be released. He decided to escape that night with Gabe, instead of waiting to escape with The Giver.

Q: Describe the escape.

A: Jonas and Gabe took Jonas's bicycle and rode all night. They rested during the day, and Jonas transmitted calming memories to put Gabe to sleep. They traveled this way for several days. Jonas hid them when the search planes flew overhead. He transmitted memories of cold and snow so the heat-seeking devices could not find them. Finally, the planes stopped searching.

Q: Describe the changes in the landscape.

A: As Jonas and Gabe traveled, the landscape changed. There were more trees and streams, and the forests were thicker and darker. They also saw their first birds.

Q: What was the strongest fear that Jonas had during this part of the journey?

A: Jonas's strongest fear was that they would starve.

Q: How did the story end?

A: It began snowing and the ground became hilly. Jonas was forced to leave the bicycle and walk up the hill. When he reached the top, he was flooded with memories of joy. He found a sled at the top of the hill and used it to sled down the hill. On the way down he heard music and people singing.

The ending of the story is ambiguous. It is unclear whether Jonas and Gabe actually reach Elsewhere, or if Jonas is simply hallucinating due to exhaustion and starvation. However, the fact that Jonas hears music and people singing suggests that he has found a place of hope and happiness.

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The Giver by Lois Lowry

• Publication Date: October 2, 2018
• Genres: Dystopian , Fiction , Science Fiction , Young Adult 12+
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• ISBN-10: 1328471225
• ISBN-13: 9781328471222
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by Lois Lowry

The giver essay questions.

What does the ending of The Giver mean for our interpretation of the text?

Answer: Lowry has left the ending ambiguous. The more likely approach is to decide that Jonas did die and was merely hallucinating at the end of the novel, which could imply a pessimistic ending that completes our image of a dystopia that cannot provide its citizens with both safety and independence. Under this interpretation, we also see the difficulty of separating oneself from the collective; successful resistance requires more than just one or two people. One might decide instead that Jonas coincidentally finds the sled and Elsewhere at the conclusion of the novel. This development might suggest the ability of the human spirit to survive centuries of suppression and hint that Jonas's society will recover from the adverse effects of Sameness. It is important to note that in a later novel, Messenger , Lowry resolves the ambiguity by suggesting that Jonas survived, but this does not invalidate the possible interpretation that Jonas died.

What is the significance of snow in The Giver ?

Answer: Jonas's experiences with his memories are intimately connected with the idea of snow, from his first received transmission of sledding through snow on a hillside to his experience of a broken leg and finally to his real encounter with it at the novel's conclusion. As with many other things that have been eradicated through Sameness, snow involves the dangers that the community chose to end in its quest for safety. At the same time, however, it brings Jonas great joy, through his exhilaration in his first memory and in his apparent recognition of the existence of Elsewhere in the last chapter. Snow is neither good nor bad, but the novel implies that its absence takes some essential aspect away from the world. Removing a risk involves removing the benefits that could have resulted from taking the risk.

What meanings does the phrase "back and back and back" hold within the novel?

Answer: The phrase represents the traditional role of The Receiver within Jonas's community, and it gives a sense of history and continuity to the position of Receiver. Yet, as Jonas notes later in the novel, it also represents the burden and constraints that the society has given to The Receiver in the search for safety and Sameness. Whereas The Receiver is forced to remember "back and back and back" and understand all the pains of humanity, the rest of the community has no sense of history and thus loses both the positive and negative aspects of retaining a common history. For the community, the earlier times were times of hurt and danger, "backward" times that the people do not want to remember or relive.

How does The Giver's acquaintance with Jonas change The Giver's outlook on life?

Answer: Although most people read The Giver 's relationship to Jonas in terms of The Giver's teachings to Jonas--The Giver is in control, helping Jonas develop wisdom to augment his intelligence and courage--The Giver also gains some wisdom himself over the course of their relationship. Prior to meeting Jonas, The Giver had resigned himself to the stagnant nature of both the community and his role within the society, judging that the society was supreme and that he was powerless. However, by seeing the changes that his memories and teachings effect in Jonas, he learns that he also has the ability to teach others and perhaps reverse the oppression of individuals. By talking to Jonas about the problems of their society, he gains the resolve to make a difference and affect the society's future course.

Discuss how the idea of release is used in The Giver.

Answer: Because the nature of release is not revealed until very late in the novel--at a point that could be considered the climax of the plot--the continued references to the mysterious process of release unsettle us and lead us to suspect that it is intentionally hidden because of moral cracks in the society. The narrative introduces us to the idea of release in the first chapter as an apparently excessive punishment for a pilot's innocent mistake while indicating the presence of fear, which sets the tone for the rest of the novel. The novel then proceeds to both soothe and unnerve as it alternates examples of people who are happy to be released with those who are banished from the community for wrongdoing or for simply being weak. Considering that the Old are eventually released, it is not hard to figure out that being released means being euthanized. When the process of release is finally revealed, we are not surprised to see that it is lethal injection. The long period before the novel's revelation adds to its significance in revealing the problems in the community's structure. If the society has really done away with the troubles of this world, why do they still call euthanasia a release? Figuratively, people are being released from the bondage of the oppression in this tightly controlled society, but of course they do not see it in this way.

Discuss the role of family in The Giver .

Answer: Over the course of the novel, Jonas forms in a sense a second family. The first one consists of his family unit, and the second is a new family including Gabriel and perhaps also The Giver, who are joined to him by the transference of memories. The first unit serves as a foil for the second, as its apparent functionality is shown to be somewhat lacking in real love or permanent attachment. Most families are tightly controlled for the sake of the society (compare Plato's treatment of families in the Republic ). In contrast, Jonas's relations with The Giver and with Gabriel are more suggestive of the love that he feels in the memory of family and grandparents, and the novel suggests that their ability to feel true emotions such as love represents what is lacking in the rest of the community.

How do Asher and Fiona illuminate our understanding of Jonas's character?

Answer: Asher and Fiona serve as foils throughout the novel for Jonas. Initially, Asher's character description in particular highlights Jonas's characteristics of intelligence and thoughtfulness. Later in the novel, however, as Jonas's training begins to alienate him from the community, Asher's and Fiona's behavior during the war game shows the lack of understanding that results from their lack of historical awareness. The revelation that Fiona is training in release serves as a final indication of how Jonas has grown apart from the conventions and cruelties of his society.

Discuss the role of solitude or isolation in Jonas's experiences.

Answer: At one point in the novel, Lowry references the positive aspects of solitude as learned by Jonas through transmitted memories. However, for the most part, the effect of Jonas's role as Receiver-in-Training is to isolate him and make him experience the more negative aspects of his society. Because he has been trained to act always as a member of a group, he now learns that to honor The Receiver increases his burdens by adding the pain of loneliness to the weight of his memories. In his role as sage, he will always stand apart. He will develop his own sense of right and wrong, of good and evil, based on unique experiences that the regular society never has. His distanced vantage point allows him to critique the society more fully than he would have been able to do had he remained a normal member of the collective.

Write a second ending for The Giver that tells the fate of the community after Jonas's departure.

Answer: This question asks you to engage in a creative exercise. One might address the community's reaction to the loss of Jonas and what the people and The Giver are thinking as the people search for him. More importantly, one might consider the community's reaction to the return of their memories and about The Giver's attempt to help them. Such an ending could be written from the perspective of The Giver or the perspective of one of the members of the community, such as Jonas's sister Lily or his friend Asher. The narrative could then describe whether the community chose to reject or keep Sameness or what small risks the community began to take in order to appreciate individuality and the chance of developing a stronger, more free society.

How does Jonas's training as The Receiver of Memory serve as a coming-of-age story?

Answer: Jonas and his society proceed from the assumption that after the Ceremony of Twelve, all of the new Twelves are no longer mere children, although they stay with their family units and continue their schooling. However, Jonas's training reveals that after just twelve years of life, he has not acquired the wisdom necessary to approach his life as an adult. In his interactions with The Giver, he acquires this wisdom and mentally ages rapidly through his experiences of war, death, and starvation. This approach to development contrasts with that of Fiona and Asher, both of whom remain in a sense like children because their experiences do not grant them self-awareness and maturity.

The Giver Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Giver is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

Should Jonas have asked them to stop playing the game of bad guys and good guys? CHAPTER 17

No, I don't think Jonas should ask them to stop playing. These kids cannot handle the emotional trauma  of forgetting their lunch let alone understanding emotions behind war and death. They simply would not comprehend what Jonas is talking...

Chapter 13-16

Jonas advocates choices, as well as real family units rather than created family units.

why didnt the game of good guys and bad guys that jonas's friends play seem harmless to jonas anymore? chapter 17

When he looks for Asher at the play area, he sees Tanya, an Eleven, being play-ambushed in a game by Asher. For the first time, Jonas recognizes this not only as a game of good guys and bad guys but also as a game of war. He watches the children...

Study Guide for The Giver

The Giver study guide contains a biography of Lois Lowry, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of The Giver.

• About The Giver
• The Giver Summary
• The Giver Video
• Character List

Essays for The Giver

The Giver essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Giver by Lois Lowry.

• The Cost of Security
• A Lonely Mind With a Heavy Burden: Hope in The Giver
• Is the Society of The Giver a Utopia?
• Reproductive Regulation and the Construction of Relationships for Populace Control in The Giver and “Pop Squad”

Lesson Plan for The Giver

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to The Giver
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• The Giver Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for The Giver

• Introduction
• Analysis of themes
• Literary significance and reception