The Giver American Classics Edition

A Newbery Medal Winner

“A powerful and provocative novel."—New York Times

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, HarperCollins is proud to present this library of American classics drawn from our storied catalog. The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time. Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.

Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually, Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test —when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

These questions were provided by the publisher, HarperCollins.

Book club questions for The Giver American Classics Edition by Lois Lowry

Use these discussion questions to guide your next book club meeting.

Define family. Contrast families in our society to the way families are formed in Jonas’s community. Debate the pros and cons of all families being the same.

Foreshadowing is a literary device that hints at what’s to come later in the plot. What does the bridge west of town foreshadow and the airplane (p. 1) foreshadow?

Symbolism is the use of a symbol to represent an idea. What is the symbolism of the sled? What about the apple, the river, Jonas’s pale eyes, and Gabriel’s name?

A euphemism is a term used to soften the meaning of a word that may suggest something unpleasant. What euphemisms does Lowry use in the novel? Describe Jonas’s reaction when he discovers the real meaning of “Release.” How is this moment a turning point in the novel?

Discuss the rules of the community. How does discipline begin in the Nurturing Center? Explain how the Speaker is used to call out those who have broken a rule. Why don’t the people question the rules and the way they are enforced? Lily breaks a rule when she calls Gabriel by his name. What consequences might she face if anyone outside the family unit hears her? Discuss why Jonas is exempt from the rules once he becomes the Receiver. How does this cause him problems within his family and among his friends?

What is the purpose of the pills when people begin to have “stirrings”? Why doesn’t Jonas take them after he becomes the Receiver? How does this explain his feelings for Fiona?

The people in the community don’t feel strong emotions, yet they are sometimes frightened. What do they fear the most? When does Jonas first experience fear? How do his fears become more evident as the plot develops? Jonas is apprehensive about the approaching Ceremony of the Twelves. Explain the relationship between apprehension and fear. Which is the stronger emotion? Debate whether Jonas feels apprehension or fear when he receives memories.

Discuss the stages of childhood in Jonas’s community. How does each stage offer a bit more independence? Age isn’t important once children reach twelve and receive their life assignments. At what age does a person become an adult in our society? Debate how the age of adulthood varies in different cultures. Describe the friendship between Jonas and Asher. How does their friendship change after they receive their assignments?

Jonas has never made a choice about anything until he becomes the Receiver. Discuss his decision to leave the community. Why is Elsewhere safer than his fate in his own community? Why does the Giver think it dangerous for people to have choices? Discuss the choice that the Giver makes at the end of the novel.

Discuss the memory that teaches Jonas about love. Explain his love for and special relationship with Gabriel. Cite evidence that the Giver feels love. Does Jonas love the Giver? Discuss how love contributes to Jonas’s final decision. • Students study the precision of language in school. In an apology for being late to school, Asher says that he got “distraught” while watching the salmon at the hatchery. The teacher corrects him by writing “distracted” on the instructional board. What is the difference in “distraught” and “distracted”? Discuss times in the novel when Jonas is “distracted” and “distraught.” How does being “distraught” contribute to his decision to take Gabriel when he escapes?

Why does the Giver say the job has aged him? How does he blame himself for the last failure? Explain why he is so willing to help Jonas escape. Predict the changes in the community after Jonas leaves.

How does Elsewhere hold Jonas’s and Gabriel’s past and future?

Nearly 40 years after publication, The Giver is considered a classic and still provokes strong reactions with its ambiguous ending. What do you think happens to Jonas and Gabriel at the end of the book? Why?

The Giver American Classics Edition Book Club Questions PDF

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