Progeny Press Study Guide
For the novel by Lois Lowry
Jonas's community is a perfect society. There is no pain or hunger, everyone is provided for, and there are no problems. A set of Rules governs everything from the formation of families, to standards for behavior, to the age at which a child receives his bicycle.
Jonas is an Eleven, and like all other members of his age group, he will soon take part in the Ceremony of Twelve, in which he is assigned to a particular job for the rest of his life in the community. But Jonas is nervous about the coming ceremony. He has no idea what his Assignment, chosen for him by the Committee of Elders, will be.
But Jonas is unique in the community, and in recognition of his uniqueness Jonas is chosen to be the next Receiver of Memory, the most important member of the Committee of Elders. The current Receiver of Memory is an elderly man who takes Jonas under his tutelage and begins to teach him about his new Assignment.
The Receiver of Memory is the only member of the community who can recall the past, before the community adopted ""sameness"" as a solution to its problems. During their times together, the elderly man becomes the Giver, passing on the memories and the knowledge Jonas will need in order to gain the wisdom necessary to lead the community.
Jonas discovers that the community has not only removed sadness and pain but has also removed joy and love. And soon Jonas discovers more secrets, including the terrible policies his community has adopted to keep everything running smoothly. Together, he and the Giver devise a plan by which the community will be forced to face the past it has forgotten--the joys and the sorrows--in order to achieve perfection.
Progeny Press Study Guide: 72 pages
# of Lessons: 7 Chapter Lessons + Overview
Subjects: Utopian communities, the value of life, individuality, freedom vs. safety, love, the purpose of trials and pain
Grade Level: 7-9