The Giver- Chapters 11 & 12 KEY

Directions: As you read chapters 11 & 12, respond to the questions below. Include supporting details from the
chapters in your responses. Use a separate sheet of paper for your answers.

Comprehension

1. Describe how the memory of snow is given to Jonas.

 Jonas removes his tunic and lies on the bed. As the Receiver places his fingertips on Jonas’
back, he begins transmitting the memories.

2. What does Jonas perceive in the memory of snow?

 Jonas feels the cold and frigid air. He sees snowflakes falling and catches them with his
tongue. He goes down a hill on a sled, propelled by runners, and feels exhilarated.

3. What happens to The Receiver’s memory when he gives it to Jonas?

 The Receiver loses the memory of that specific sled ride in the snow.

4. Why was the transmittal of the memory of snow so exhausting to the old man? What does this reveal
about the community?
 The old man is exhausted because it was a very distant memory. He said he had to tug it
forward from many generations back. This reveals that the community does not have this
type of weather, and it was a very long time ago when snow fell.

5. How did the old man explain what happened to snow, sled and hills?
 The old man explained that these things went away because of Climate Control. Snow made
growing food difficult due to limited agricultural periods. Unpredictable weather made
transportation almost impossible at times. He added that hills made it hard to travel and
slowed down trucks and buses.

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Personal Response

6. The community gained and lost things by removing choices. What might be gained and lost in our
society by giving up choices?
 Answers may vary
Comprehension

7. What does Jonas dream about? What do you think it means? (foreshadowing)
 Page 88 – Jonas dreams about sliding down the snow-covered hill. In the dream, Jonas felt as
if there was a destination, something he could not reach but was there beyond the thickness
of the snow where the sled had stopped.
 Answers may vary - This could mean that there was so much more that lies ahead for Jonas.
There was so much to still learn, but that unknown future left him feeling good and welcomed
and made him realize this journey was significant.
8. How are the Old punished?
 Page 90 – The Old are punished with the discipline wand, the same as the small children are
punished.
9. What did Jonas see change in this chapter? How did The Giver explain the visual phenomena that
Jonas witnessed? What did this reveal about the community?
 Page 91 – Jonas saw Fiona’s hair change. He knew she did not change, but her hair looked
different not by shape or length just different and he could not explain how or why.
 Page 93 - The Giver retransmitted the memory of the sled and Jonas realized the sled, the
books, the apple, and Fiona’s hair all had the mysterious quality. The Giver explained that
Jonas was beginning to perceive the color red.
 This reveals that the community does not perceive color except for The Giver.
10. Why did the community relinquish the ability to perceive color?
 Page 95 - The community relinquished the ability to perceive color because they chose
Sameness as a way of life. Anything that involved choice was dangerous because it would
lead to the possibility of wrong choices.
11. Evaluate the reasons why it was important for the community to have a person who could “see
beyond.”
 Chapter 11 & Page 95 - It was important for the community to have a person who could “see
beyond” because The Receiver of Memory had to store all the memories of the community
and had to observe life objectively and not see things as they had been engineered by
scientists.