THE GIVER

SUMMARY:
In the community, there are no colors, smells, or music. There, the elders make
decisions for everyone, avoiding wrong decisions. This is discovered by Jonah in his
training sessions with the giver. The recipient had the case of a girl who was also chosen
to be a recipient but, she couldn´t carry the weight of memories of misfortunes and
asked to be released from the community. People could make their own decisions and
choose things for themselves. Jonah received the terrible news that Gabriel, his new
little brother, also was going to be released giving an unexpected turn to the situation so
Jonah decides to take him to the outside world during the bike ride they feel very afraid
since the planes are constantly looking for them Jonah stops on a snowy mountain. At
that time the euphoria invaded him, the mountain where he had ridden in a sleigh in the
memory of the giver. There, at his feet was that sleigh. As they went down the slope he
heard music and saw the houses of the families.
MAIN CHARACTERS:
The giver: is the most important of the community's elders. The receiver of memories
position, responsible for storing the collective memories and a history of the world going
back generations and for advising the Council of Elders when important decisions have
to be made that are beyond their experience. This burden of keeping memories has
made the giver somewhat bitter and resentful of his role feelings that grow nearly
unbearable after his daughter rosemary chosen at one point to be the next receiver of
memories killed herself through Jonas, the old man finally sees a way to force the
community to take back its memories and regained both its freedom and its
individuality. At the beginning of the story, the father is portrayed as a kind man and a
source of affection and wise advice for Jonas and his sister.
. Jonas: Is the main character and the new receiver, he tries to escape when he knows
the truth about the world and his best friend is Asher.
Jonas’s father: He has the job of nurturer. When he was a youngster himself, but
toward the end of the novel. Jonas realizes that their father has no real capacity for
love. His complete lack of emotion and his ability to kill the innocent show how the strict
control by the government can turn even a gentleman into someone who can behave as
if lacking in humanity.
Asher: Is the best friend of Jonas his job is vinculated to planes and let Jonas escape.
Lily: Is Jonas's sister and she gave him some ideas she didn´t influence so much in
history so we don´t know much about her.
THEMES:
 Memory: This is the most important thing because anyone knows about that
only the giver and now Jonas but is a thing that is not in the rest of the people
only in the elders and Jonas and the giver
 Individuality: The people might don´t talk about their Jonas and they must do
their things with no help (I don´t understand this theme).
 Pain: It´s a feeling that only Jonas and the giver have because are the only ones
that have a memory that causes bad memories that causes this feeling.
SYMBOLS:
 The river: The river forms a border of the community before continuing to
Elsewhere. As a border, the river comes to symbolize escape crossing the river
means leaving the community. Because it takes the life of the four-year-
old Caleb, the river also symbolizes the danger inherent in that escape.
 The sled: The main symbolism of the sled is Jonas’s means of traveling through
his training to become a Giver. Receiving the lessons is compared to sliding
downhill in the snow: at first, it’s all excitement and exhilaration, but like life,
the ride can become bogged down as snow builds up.
 The new child Gabriel: Is a child that his family keeps before he is adding to a
family, Jonas starts to ¨loves¨ him, and when he discovers he is going to be
released he diced to escape with him.
QUOTES:
I don’t have a specific quote, but I think the best part is when the giver takes Jonas and
saw him all the reality from the past the love, pain, and all emotions that were in the
past and Jonas starts to get crazy and wants to escape from the community.
PERSONAL OPINION:
I don´t like to read but this book entertains me a lot to the point of having to stop
because it was 2 am. I think it is a book that makes you reflex on life and the things you
do because of your emotions and you can´t control yourself I am also fond of some of
the characters like for example the giver. I would recommend this book to people who
like to reflect on something and to people who like a little bit sad and enthusiastic book.
Also, you could read for relaxing in your free time.