The Giver is a fiction novel about a boy named Jonas and his life in a perfect world of Sameness. In this world there were no colors, feelings, or choices. In this world everything was decided by the Commitee of Elders and took place in a ceremonious way. There was the Matching of Spouses and the Naming and Placement of new children. There was also a ceremony of Nines where all the Nines received their bikes and the Ceremony of Twelves where they received their life long occupations.
In the beginning of the story, Jonas was a normal boy who was nervous about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelves. He was anxious to ind out what job he would be performing for the rest of his life ( or at least until he was released when he turned 70 years old). Even though he felt apprehensive about the ceremony, it helped for him to talk about it at the nightly talks about feelings. Everyone had to tell how the felt during the day after supper was eaten. They spoke of feelings as if they were real even though they have never actually had a feeling.
Nobody in the community was permitted to have confidential feelings for another person either. When they began going through puberty or what they called stirrings they had to begin taking a ill daily for the rest of their lives. Both males and females had stirrings which usually began with a dream and had to be reported immediately. It was finally the big day of the Ceremony of Twelves. Jonas heard stories about previous ceremonies that didnt help the nervous feeling in his stomach. Jonas was number 19 and stood on stage between Asher and Fiona.
It was almost Jonass turn, Asher had received the job of Assistant Director of Recreation and Jonas was next. The assignments continued and Jonas became more and more apprehensive about his Assignment. All of a sudden Fionas Assignment was given. Jonas was shocked, they had skipped him. He wasnt sure what it meant and he felt dizzy. The Chief Elder would never make a mistake especially at the Ceremony of Twelves. When the last Assignment was given the crowd cheered, but whispers of confusion filled the room. What had Jonas done wrong?
After the applause quieted, the Chief Elder began speaking. He Announced that Jones would be the new Receiver-in-Training. He went on that Jonas was chosen because he had all the qualities, such as, intelligence, integrity, and courage. For the first time Jonas felt different, but he also was upset that he ould have to isolate himself from his friends and family. The Chief Elder promised that his Assignment would give him great wisdom though. Jonas no longer had to take his medicine to control his stirrings.
He began his training immediately and was surprised to find that the annex was the only building in the community that had locked and the Giver was the only person who had books. He found out that his job was to receive all the memories of life that the Giver alone held for the community. He learned that nobody in the community had feelings, saw color, or made choices. The first memory he received was of led-ridding and snow. He received many memories of good and bad things and began seeing colors. He realized that Fionas hair was red.
It angered him when he heard his family tell of their feelings because he knew they didnt have any. The most horrible thing Jonas experienced during his training was the release of a baby boy. The boy was a twin and only weighed 5 lb. 10 oz. The regulation weight for a baby was 6 lb. The baby was considered an inadequate shrimp and Jonass father was ordered to release him. Jonas watched as his father as he cleaned the baby and made him comfy. He then opened a cupboard nd removed a syringe and a small bottle. He began to fill the syringe with the clear liquid.
His father carefully insert the needle into the top of the babys head to release the liquid in his vein. The baby squirmed and went limp. Jonas was horrified. He hated his father for killing the baby even though he didnt understand what he was doing. Jonas found out that Gabriel was going to be released and Jonas decided to run away to another world named Elsewhere. Jonas planned to run away in the middle of the night before the Ceremony because the night time attendant wouldnt be working. Jonas grabbed Gabriel and was on his way to Elsewhere.
When he left Sameness all the memories he had received would be given to the community and panic would break loose. Jonas finally made it to Elsewhere, but faced problems on the way such as, hunger, coldness, and bad weather. As Jonas and Gabriel were entering Elsewhere on the sled they heard people singing and knew that they were waiting for them. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo, and Jonas and Gabriel entered Elsewhere. What happened in the world of Sameness will never be known.
