The setting of The Giver by Lois Lowry is both familiar
and strange. The time is the future. There are family groups, each with a boy
and a girl. The adults work. The children go to school. But, people have made
changes in how society operates since our time. As we first encounter the characters
in the story, we think that they live in a utopia. There is a sense that their
way of living is better than that of communities that are far from them historically
or geographically.
Jonas
Jonas, the protagonist, is an eleven year-old boy at the beginning
of the book. He has blue eyes. He is awaiting an important milestone in
December when he and all the other Elevens will find out what their future
jobs will be and will begin preparing for their new assignments. He receives
a very special job assignment. He is to become the Receiver, the only
one besides the Giver who has Memories.
After he begins receiving the memories, Jonas changes. He seems to become
more intelligent. He does not accept the ways of the community as easily
as he did in the past before he was the Receiver.
The Giver
The Giver, known in the community as the Receiver of Memory,
already knows what Jonas will discover. He is troubled by what he knows.
He believes that the community would be better able to live wisely if
everyone had the Memories, even though some of the memories would be painful
for them as they are for him. Like Jonas, the Giver does not approve of
much that he knows about the community. However, he seems resigned to
living with his inability to change it.
Jonas’s father
Jonas’s father is a Nurturer, a job that fits his personality.
He cares for infants in their first year of life. He, like the rest of
the community, has no memories. He lives the way that the community rules
dictate. He does not believe in love, but does seem to exhibit it at times
nonetheless.
Jonas’s mother
Jonas’s mother does what is required of her in her assigned job
and in her role as mother to Jonas and Lily. As with the other women in
the other family groups, she is not the natural mother to the children
in her home.
Lily
Lily, Jonas’s sister, is a Seven when Jonas is an Eleven. She
becomes an Eight in the December ceremony when Jonas becomes a Twelve.
Gabriel
Gabriel is one of the babies that Jonas’s father nurtures. The
other babies that Jonas’s father nurtures do not have names yet. But,
hoping to help him to thrive by calling him by name, Jonas’s father finds
out what name is planned for him at the Naming Ceremony and begins to
use it. Gabriel becomes especially close to Jonas.
Asher
Asher is Jonas’s best friend. He has difficulty always using
the correct words when he speaks. Using precisely the right word is an
important ability for community members.
Fiona
Fiona is Jonas’s friend. She has red hair. The job that she is
assigned is as a Caretaker in the House of the Old. She is in a dream
that Jonas has as he matures.
Larissa
Larissa is an old woman in the House of the Old. She looks forward
to her Release.
The Chief Elder
The Chief Elder is the person whose job it is to announce the
assignments of the Twelves.
|
Cite this page:
Johnson, Jane. "TheBestNotes on The Giver".
TheBestNotes.com.
. <%
varLocale = SetLocale(2057)
file = Request.ServerVariables("PATH_TRANSLATED")
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set f = fs.GetFile(file)
LastModified = f.datelastmodified
response.write FormatDateTime(LastModified, 1)
Set f = Nothing
Set fs = Nothing
%> |