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The griver
by lois lowry Full summary

General summary
message of the novel
Chapters
Characters list

Lowry narrates The Giver in third person ("He said," as opposed to "I said," which
is called first person), using a limited omniscient viewpoint (only Jonas' thoughts
and feelings are revealed)
...
No evidence of disease, hunger, poverty, war, or
lasting pain exists in the community
...
Jonas' mother has an important job with the
Department of Justice, and his father has a job as a Nurturer, taking care of
newborns
...
His family seems ideal
...


As Lois Lowry stated in her acceptance speech when she won the Newbery
Medal for The Giver, she began writing a book that takes place in a utopia, where
everything is perfect
...
Lowry's
memories are the basis for The Giver, and her writing conveys lessons about life
to her readers
...
" The word
"December" symbolizes cold, dark days and impending endings, foreshadowing events
in the novel
...

Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal community where everyone adheres to strict rules from
the Book of Rules
...
Birthdays are not personal; everyone ages collectively each December
...
A release, a mysterious punishment, is revealed to
be a severe consequence for rule-breaking
...
People live regimented
lives, following age-specific rules, conforming to established norms
...
The Committee of Elders controls rule changes, making alterations
an arduous process
...
The narrative hints at profound changes
awaiting Jonas, underscoring the darker reality beneath the community's outward
perfection
...


In these three chapters, Lois Lowry explores two major themes: the tension
between freedom and security, and the conflict between individuality and
conformity
...

The story begins with Jonas' father bringing home an infant named Gabriel,
prompting discussions about societal roles
...
Despite its appearance of perfection, the society is not
devoid of prejudice
...
Even personal moments
are not private, exemplified when Jonas is publicly chastised for a minor
infraction
...

As children begin volunteer work, the seemingly free choice of volunteering is
undermined by its mandatory nature
...
The illusion
of freedom in this controlled society becomes evident
...
The irony surfaces as the supposedly secure environment
contradicts the loss of individual freedoms that residents experienced when
embracing Sameness
...
Physical affection
is restricted, reinforcing the theme of stifling individual desires for the sake of
societal uniformity
...


As Chapter 6 begins, Jonas' family unit is preparing to go to the December
Ceremony, which lasts for two days
...
We
learn that Fours, Fives, and Sixes are required to wear jackets that button up the
back
...
Sevens receive
front-button jackets, symbols of independence
...
The pockets symbolize the responsibility and
maturity of all Eights
...

Chapter 8 ends with Jonas confused about his future as the new Receiver of
Memory
...
He has only
been selected
...
At the conclusion of the
December Ceremony, Jonas immediately feels "separate, different
...

Even his best friend, Asher, appears uncomfortable in Jonas' presence
...
For the first
time in his life, Jonas does not feel the same as everyone else
...

Lowry concludes Chapter 10 with a mood of suspense as the current Receiver
turns off the loudspeaker, which, as another means of controlling people, cannot
be turned off in family dwellings
...
Jonas is about to receive his first memory
...
Up to this point, her style has been straightforward —
clear and uncomplicated
...
For example, to describe Jonas' ride on the sled, Lowry gives us
sensory impressions by using lyrical phrases such as "the sharp intake of frigid
air" and "cold swirling around his entire body"; snowflakes are "tiny, cold,
featherlike feelings," Jonas holds a "rough, damp rope," and the snowstorm looks
like a "bright, whirling torrent of crystals
...

A quality that the Chief Elder believed Jonas possesses is the Capacity to See
Beyond
...

One day, Jonas sees Fiona's hair change
...

Because the community wanted to do away with all differences as a way to
control the people and their environment, genetic scientists are still trying, as they
have for generations, to eliminate any and all colors that exist in people and the
environment to attain absolute Sameness
...
But we had to let go of others
...
The Giver is surprised at the intensity of Jonas' feelings and the
insight that Jonas already has about the philosophy of Sameness
...
Another elephant walks up to the
dead elephant's mutilated body and seemingly comforts the elephant by stroking the
dead animal with its trunk and then by covering the elephant with branches
...

Jonas begins to make changes in his own small way
...
The first
night that Gabe sleeps in Jonas' room, Gabe wakes up as usual, fussing
...
Gabe immediately falls back to sleep
...

Lowry uses this incident to create suspense
...
Having knowledge and wisdom, Jonas cannot sit idle
...


After receiving the painful warfare memory in Chapter 15, Jonas is reluctant to
see The Giver again
...
He does return to The
Giver, though, because he knows that "the choice was not his
...
An unscheduled holiday is announced over the loudspeaker
...

Ironically, Lowry writes, "the community was free
...
The people follow strict rules and can be observed or
listened to at any moment by the Committee of Elders
...
Lowry returns, once again, to a
significant theme in the novel
...
Lowry leaves us in suspense at the end of Chapter 17 after Jonas
finds out that the identical twins will be born the next day and that one of the
twins will be released and will go Elsewhere
...
Up to this point, Lowry has been vague
about the concept of release and has not explicitly stated what release means
...

Lowry concludes Chapter 20 by showing the love and affection that Jonas and
The Giver have for one another
...
The Giver is telling Jonas that he is planning to commit suicide
...
The plan that Jonas and The Giver have
made for Jonas' escape will never be put into action, for on the night after The
Giver and Jonas decide on a plan for Jonas to leave the community, Jonas
knows that he has to escape immediately
...
" The Nurturers, Jonas'

father included, have decided to release (kill) Gabe, but Jonas is not about to let
that happen
...

But what happens to Jonas and Gabe? Do they die? Is Jonas really dreaming?
Do Jonas and Gabe actually reach a house with colored lights? Are Jonas and
Gabe back in their community? Have the people in the community changed
because they now have Jonas' memories? Lowry leaves all of these questions
unanswered
...


Jonas The protagonist, or main character, in the novel
...
At the December Ceremony, he is
selected to become the new Receiver of Memory, the most honored position in
the community
...
During his training, Jonas acquires very deep emotional feelings
and learns about love
...

Mother Jonas' mother is an intelligent, sympathetic, and understanding person
...
One of her job responsibilities is
to punish people for breaking the strictly enforced rules of the community
...
He is a Nurturer,
responsible for the physical and emotional needs of every newborn child during the first
few months of life
...


Lily Jonas' younger sister
...
She is a typically
impatient child with straightforward, fairly simple feelings
...

Gabriel (Gabe) A newchild (infant) who begins spending nights with Jonas'
family unit because he needs extra attention and care
...
He ends up sleeping in Jonas' room and is able to receive
memories from Jonas
...
Because he carries the burden of the memories of the
world, he suffers from the pain contained within the memories
...
He loves Jonas and the people in the community
...
Asher is a cheerful, friendly boy who makes a game
out of everything
...

Fiona One of Jonas' good friends
...
She is assigned to be a Caretaker of the Old
...
Jonas bathes her
when he volunteers at the House of the Old
...

Chief Elder The leader of the community
...
He is an awkward child who is
always getting into trouble
...

Caleb The first Caleb died when he was four years old by falling into the river
that runs near the community
...

Rosemary Rosemary was The Giver's daughter
...




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