The Giver: Short Summary
The book The Giver takes place in a Utopian society where everything is the same and perfect. Every decision is made for the people in this society, their job, what they eat, and their clothing to name a few. The book beings when Jonas the main character is an eleven, about to go into the ceremony of twelve, when he becomes a twelve he would gain his assignment which is his job for the rest of his life. He is apprehensive about this because he knows what jobs he does not want but he has no choice on the job he will gain, the chief elder of the community assigns the new twelve’s their assignment. Jonas lives in a dwelling in this town with his father, mother and younger sister lily. Jonas’ father is a nurture and his mother is a lawyer, his sister is only an eight. In this society there are no birthday’s or scheduled holidays, they have random holidays through the year in which they don’t know when they will come, also they have a ceremony once a year and they all turn the same age at the same time, where anyone born in that year would become a one and all the other children would become the next year age.
The ceremony of twelve is the most important though because that’s the coming of age in the community after your receive your assignment and go through your training you become an adult in the community. In the community there are no weddings, or having children, if you would like a spouse you have to apply for one and the elders assign you one as well as children if you want them you apply for them and then if granted you will receive your child the next year at the ceremony of age. Family consist of only a mother and father and two children one of each sex no more than that. Jonas’ father being a nurturer brings home a small child to help him grow his name is Gabriel, the family is granted permission to take care of him at night since he is not a sleeper and he has to go back to the center during the day.
At the ceremony of twelve, the children wait patiently to find out their assignment, everyone before Jonas has gone and then its Jonas’ turn the chief elder skips over him and moves on to the next child and keeps going. At the end of the ceremony the chief elder makes her apology to the community as well as Jonas for causing him to wonder about why he was skipped, as everyone has to if they cause another community member to feel uncomfortable. Jonas’ she explains is going to be the new receiver of memory, a very well looked upon position in the community, he will receive memories from the old receiver of the past present and possibly future to come as well as memories from the outside world. Jonas then goes to his first day of training, the old receiver explains to Jonas that the memories will cause pain as well as joy and happiness, although Jonas is puzzled by these words he understands.
The ceremony of twelve is the most important though because that’s the coming of age in the community after your receive your assignment and go through your training you become an adult in the community. In the community there are no weddings, or having children, if you would like a spouse you have to apply for one and the elders assign you one as well as children if you want them you apply for them and then if granted you will receive your child the next year at the ceremony of age. Family consist of only a mother and father and two children one of each sex no more than that. Jonas’ father being a nurturer brings home a small child to help him grow his name is Gabriel, the family is granted permission to take care of him at night since he is not a sleeper and he has to go back to the center during the day.
At the ceremony of twelve, the children wait patiently to find out their assignment, everyone before Jonas has gone and then its Jonas’ turn the chief elder skips over him and moves on to the next child and keeps going. At the end of the ceremony the chief elder makes her apology to the community as well as Jonas for causing him to wonder about why he was skipped, as everyone has to if they cause another community member to feel uncomfortable. Jonas’ she explains is going to be the new receiver of memory, a very well looked upon position in the community, he will receive memories from the old receiver of the past present and possibly future to come as well as memories from the outside world. Jonas then goes to his first day of training, the old receiver explains to Jonas that the memories will cause pain as well as joy and happiness, although Jonas is puzzled by these words he understands.
At the ceremony of twelve, the children wait patiently to find out their assignment, everyone before Jonas has gone and then its Jonas’ turn the chief elder skips over him and moves on to the next child and keeps going. At the end of the ceremony the chief elder makes her apology to the community as well as Jonas for causing him to wonder about why he was skipped, as everyone has to if they cause another community member to feel uncomfortable. Jonas’ she explains is going to be the new receiver of memory, a very well looked upon position in the community, he will receive memories from the old receiver of the past present and possibly future to come as well as memories from the outside world. Jonas then goes to his first day of training, the old receiver explains to Jonas that the memories will cause pain as well as joy and happiness, although Jonas is puzzled by these words he understands.
This community knows nothing about pain or feeling so Jonas is going to be the one taking all the pain and suffering of the memories for his community. Another thing Jonas learns from getting these memories is what colors are and what seasons are and how weather feels, he learns the joy of snow as well as the pain of sunburn and war, all these things are new to him. While the family is taking care of little Gabriel he sleeps in Jonas’ room, while trying to get him to sleep he accidentally passes a memory on to him about the snowy day he had received, scared he did not tell anyone about the passing of the memory. Jonas as the new receiver in training holds every memory for the community, so they never feel pain or anguish, or hunger, things like poverty and death. Just like not having a wedding they do not have funerals either, when people become elderly they go live in the house of the old and when they are ready they are released into elsewhere and no one knows where Elsewhere is.
Through his training Jonas and The Giver try to come up with a plan to end all of the sameness. Although if Jonas decides to go elsewhere all of the memories he has will be burdened within the community and the people will feel what he has felt. They think their plan will work but the only thing is that Jonas’ father tells him that Gabriel is going to be released and in a dangerous effort to save Gabriel, Jonas takes Gabriel along with some supplies and his father’s bike and heads off to Elsewhere.
Does Jonas make it to Elsewhere with Gabriel to save his Utopian community from the sameness they have been living with for so long?
This community knows nothing about pain or feeling so Jonas is going to be the one taking all the pain and suffering of the memories for his community. Another thing Jonas learns from getting these memories is what colors are and what seasons are and how weather feels, he learns the joy of snow as well as the pain of sunburn and war, all these things are new to him. While the family is taking care of little Gabriel he sleeps in Jonas’ room, while trying to get him to sleep he accidentally passes a memory on to him about the snowy day he had received, scared he did not tell anyone about the passing of the memory. Jonas as the new receiver in training holds every memory for the community, so they never feel pain or anguish, or hunger, things like poverty and death. Just like not having a wedding they do not have funerals either, when people become elderly they go live in the house of the old and when they are ready they are released into elsewhere and no one knows where Elsewhere is.
Through his training Jonas and The Giver try to come up with a plan to end all of the sameness. Although if Jonas decides to go elsewhere all of the memories he has will be burdened within the community and the people will feel what he has felt. They think their plan will work but the only thing is that Jonas’ father tells him that Gabriel is going to be released and in a dangerous effort to save Gabriel, Jonas takes Gabriel along with some supplies and his father’s bike and heads off to Elsewhere.
Does Jonas make it to Elsewhere with Gabriel to save his Utopian community from the sameness they have been living with for so long?
