full title The Giver
author Lois Lowry
type of work Novel
genre Young adult; science fiction; fantasy; dystopia
language English
time and place written 1993; United States
date of first publication 1993
publisher Houghton Mifflin
narrator The story is told by a third-person narrator whose
point of view is limited to what Jonas observes and thinks.
point of view The story is told completely from Jonas’s point of
view. We see all the actions and events through Jonas’s eyes and
do not have access to any information to which Jonas does not have
access.
tone Lowry uses direct, simple language with very few figures
of speech or ironic comments (though Jonas and the Giver make ironic
statements.) The simplicity of the language is appropriate for Lowry’s
audience, children between eleven and fifteen, but it also echoes
the “precision of language” demanded by Jonas’s community. Despite
the simplicity, the tone is somewhat elevated, suited to the nature
of Jonas’s discoveries about the richness of life.
tense Past
setting (time) An unspecified time in the future
setting (place) A utopian community that is part of a larger utopian
society, presumably on Earth
protagonist Jonas, an eleven-year-old boy who is chosen to be the
new Receiver when he is twelve
major conflict Jonas’s new emotional and sensory awareness cause him
to rebel against the restrictions his society places on freedom
of choice, individuality, emotion, and human experience.
rising action When Jonas becomes the new Receiver, he receives memories that
change the way he thinks about himself and his community forever.
climax When Jonas realizes that when his father “releases”
newchildren he actually kills them, Jonas reaches a point of no
return. His frustration with his community and his desire to change
it have been growing steadily, and finally Jonas cannot accept the society’s
insensitivity to the value of human life. He determines to change
things.
falling action In order to put his plan into action, Jonas flees the
community on bicycle with the newchild Gabe, evading search planes
and enduring hunger and pain to try to bring feelings and color
to his community and bring himself to the world he has dreamed of knowing.
themes The importance of memory; the relationship between
pain and pleasure; the importance of the individual
motifs Vision; nakedness; release
symbols The newchild Gabriel; the sled; the river
foreshadowing Important examples of foreshadowing in The
Giver include Jonas’s apprehension about the Ceremony of
Twelve, which foreshadows his future disillusionment with the community;
and his feeling of closeness and freedom with the old woman while
he bathes her, which foreshadows his longing for grandparents and other
close, personal connections.
