The Giver Chapters 19-23

Chapter 19 - 20 1. “’I am empowered to lie. But I have never lied to you’” (153). 2. “Jonas shook his head empathetically. “No, Giver,” he said. ‘I want you to keep that, to have with you, when I’m gone’” (157). 3. “He would make the solemn announcement that Jonas had been lost in the river.” (161).

Chapter 19 - 20 1. Empowered – authorized; allowed; permitted 2. Empathetically – the ability to understand and share feelings with someone 3. Solemn – serious; grave; unhappy

Chapter 21 - 23 1. “It was terribly dangerous because some of the work crews were still about, but he moved stealthily and silently, staying in the shadows, making his way past the darkened dwellings.” (163). 2. “At dawn Gabriel began to stir. They were in an isolated place; fields on either side of the road were dotted with thickets of trees here and there” (167). 3. “They came less often, and flew, when they did come, less slowly, as if the search had become haphazard and no longer hopeful” (170).

Chapter 21 - 23 4. “He tried to use the flagging power of his memory to recreate meals, and managed brief, tantalizing fragments” banquets with huge roasted meats; birthday parties with thick frosted cakes” (173). 5. “But his mind was alert now. Warming himself ever so briefly had shaken away the lethargy and resignation and restored his will to survive.

Chapter 21 - 23 1. Stealthily – done in a cautious way so as not to be heard or seen 2. Isolated – remote; out of the way; secluded; 3. Haphazard – random; disorganized; irregular 4. Tantalizing – teasing; tormenting; tempting 5. a) Lethargy – sluggish; inactive; slow 5. b) Resignation – the acceptance of something undesirable, but inevitable.

Chapter 19 - 20 1. Twins are not acceptable in the community. Why? What determines their fate?   This community values sameness, but they do not want identical twins because of the confusion and attention it would cause. Jonas says “Well, they can't have two identical people around! Think how confusing it would be!” (146). The babies are weighed as soon as they are born, and the lighter one is ‘released’ or killed.

Chapter 19 - 20 2. After reading Chapter 19, explain what release means. How does Jonas react?   After reading Chapter 19, Jonas fully understands what release means. He is given the opportunity to watch the release of the twin by his father, and when he watches the baby receive the needle and go limp, he is reminded of the memories of death he had received. From this, Jonas realizes that when someone is released, they are killed. Jonas’ emotional reaction is the strongest in the entire novel. He is furious and overwhelmed with this new information. He states “[h]e killed it! My father killed it!”(150). It says that Jonas “felt a ripping sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to emerge in a cry” (151). He is so angry that he refuses to return home and must stay with the Giver.

Chapter 19 - 20 3. What was special to the Giver that he hadn’t yet revealed to Jonas?   The Giver reveals that Rosemary was his daughter. He also says that after he helps the community through the memories transferred from the escape plan, he wants to be with his daughter. 4. Jonas experienced “seeing beyond” when he started as a Receiver. What did the Giver experience when he started? The Giver experienced “hearing beyond”. He was able to hear things others could not. As a result, music was a memory he treasured deeply. He wants to share this with Jonas, but Jonas refuses and wants the Giver to keep that memory for himself.

Chapter 19 - 20 5. What is their plan for creating change in the community (chapter 20)?   The Giver and Jonas' plan was to for Jonas to escape the community during the December Ceremony. The Giver would remain in the community and say that Jonas fell into the river. After The Ceremony Of Loss, Jonas’ memories would be transferred to the community. The Giver would remain to help the community cope with the new emotions.

Chapter 19 - 20 6. Why do you think The Giver encourages Jonas to watch the video of the twin’s release? Should The Giver have done this? Why or why not?   - Perhaps the Giver realized that this would be the only opportunity for change. He needed the support and help from Jonas to enact a plan that he had been thinking about for some time. - Perhaps The Giver knew that seeing the release would finally allow Jonas to see the corruption of the community. This would forge a greater connection between them, which allows them to work together for change.

Chapter 19 - 20 7. Does Jonas feel more attached to his family unit or to The Giver? Give reasons to support your answer.   Jonas feels much more attached to The Giver as their relationship is authentic. Since being in the role of Receiver, Jonas realizes that his relationships with his family are shallow and emotionless. He cannot form a real connection with them because they do not understand what Jonas has learned from receiving memories. The connection he has with the Giver is the same love and warmth he sees in the memory of the family at Christmas. He longs to have this connection with his family members, but after many attempts he realizes it is not possible without change in the community structure.

Chapter 21 - 23 1. What rules did Jonas break in Chapter 21?   Jonas broke many rules in order to escape early. Firstly, he “had left the dwelling at night. A major transgression” (165). He also robbed the community of food which was “a very serious crime” (165-166). Finally, he stole is father’s bicycle because it had a child’s seat attached to the back where he could put Gabriel.

Chapter 21 - 23 2. How did he know they were looking for him? How did he hide?   Jonas knew they were looking for him because he saw many planes flying overhead. He knew that “search planes used heat seeking devices which could identify body warmth and would home in on two humans huddled in shrubbery” (169). To hide from this, he transmitted the memory of snow between himself and Gabriel to keep them from being detected.

Chapter 21 - 23 3. What happened to Jonas’ memories?   Jonas’ memories begin to fade away as his journey continues. As he gets further from the community, more memories are released from him to the members of his society. While this was his intention, Jonas finds this difficult as he is losing memories which he can use to keep himself and Gabriel safe. For example, he begins transferring warmth to Gabriel when the snow comes and they are both so cold. He is able to transmit the memory; however, “[t]he memory was agonizingly brief” (177). As they continue, he is able to receive brief wisps of memory and he “tried desperately to hold it there, to enlarge it and pass it into Gabriel” (177).

Chapter 21 - 23 4. How has the landscape changed in Chapter 22? What are new dangers?   The landscape changes as Jonas and Gabriel move out of the community. Everything is new to him. He sees wildflowers, birds, and wildlife. It states that “[t]hey saw deer…a small redish brown creature with a thick tail” (172). Jonas remarks “he had never felt such simple moments of exquisite happiness” (172). He also sees hills and snow and recognizes them from his memories. Some of the dangers he faces are starvation, animal attack, and freezing to death. Jonas realizes that he made a choice leaving this community, and with that choice came danger (starvation); however, he also realizes that “[i]f he had stayed, he would have starved in other ways. He would have lived a life hungry for feelings, for color, for love” (174).

Chapter 21 - 23 5. Explain how the novel ends.   5. Explain how the novel ends. The novel comes full circle and ends with the memory the Giver first transferred to him. He ends up trudging his way up a long snowy hill. When he reaches the top and “finds the sled that was waiting for them at the top” (179). They get on the sled and go down the hill towards lights “shining through the windows of rooms…in places where family created and kept memories, where they celebrated love” (179). When he gets near the bottom, he hears music for the first time, People are singing, and he feels as if the music is both in front of and behind him.

Chapter 21 - 23 6. What do you think the sled, river, and hill symbolize?   The sled is the first memory that Jonas receives from The Giver. It symbolizes the journey that Jonas takes during his role as the Receiver and the growth and awareness in the discoveries he makes on this journey. Firstly, the Giver compares the job of the Receiver as a sled moving down a snowy hill. He says that as the snow starts to pack beneath the sled, it moves more slowly. This compares to the Receiver’s job because as more difficult memories are gained, the more challenging it becomes. This is shown through a later memory transferred, which shows the sled can bring pain when Jonas feels the pain of a broken bone. The color of the sled is also important as the color red symbolizes the difference in the way Jonas perceives his world. In the end, the sled symbolizes safety and rescue for Jonas and Gabriel. The sled was the first memory he received, and it becomes his saving grace.

Chapter 21 - 23 6. Continued… The river symbolizes escape from the community. This is shown through the drowning of baby Caleb. This event is the only way that community members can escape without release as it is out of their control. For Jonas and the Giver, the river’s unpredictability inspires them to make a change their community through Jonas’ escape.  

Chapter 21 - 23 6. Continued… The hill represents Jonas’ difficult journey and final triumph with his escape from his community. Even though “[t]he top of the hill seemed so far away, and he did not know what lay beyond” (178), he continues to climb the difficult hill and does not give up. As he nears the top of the hill, he uses his own memories as motivation to continue. In the end, the hill serves as a symbol for his success as it transports him to “Elsewhere”.  

Chapter 21 - 23 7. What change do we see in Jonas as his difficult journey continues and they grow weaker?   Jonas begins his journey to ‘Elsewhere’ in a state of panic. He must change his plan and leave early to protect Gabriel from being released the following morning. As the journey becomes more difficult he questions his decision to leave remembering the comforts of his community and his current state of discomfort. He realizes, though, that if he were to go back, he would still feel that strong hunger for love, color, and shared memories. By the end of chapter 22, Jonas’ concern is solely placed on Gabriel. It states that “[Jonas] no longer cared about himself” (174). Jonas shows strength, courage, and love as the journey becomes more difficult. He finally knows the genuine sacrifices that people make to keep their loved ones safe.

Chapter 21 – 23: Character Development / Theme Jonas leaving ahead of schedule solidifies his transformation as he is making choices for himself as an individual rather than as a member of the community. He makes the decision for himself, but he also feels that the community receiving his memories is in their best interest.

Chapter 21 – 23: Character Development / Theme Jonas learns in these chapters that individual choices have advantages and disadvantages. He feels happiness for escaping the controlling society in which he lived, but he also struggles with feeling pain and hunger as a result of his decisions.

Chapter 21 – 23: Character Development / Theme Jonas’ decision to leave shows that he knows love. His love for Gabriel pushes him to break the rules and risk his own life for someone else’s benefit.

Chapter 21 – 23: Important Ideas: Novel Resolution The ending of this story is sometimes considered controversial. Optimists interpret it as arriving at “Elsewhere”, a community that does not follow the conventions of Sameness. This is a hopeful ending that concludes Jonas and Gabriel’s journey to start a new life of free will.

Chapter 21 – 23: Important Ideas: Novel Resolution Some others interpret the ending as a delusional image from Jonas’ shared memory with the Giver (sled). This ending is much more pessimistic as it means that Jonas and Gabriel have not found Elsewhere, but are in fact freezing to death and having a shared memory delusion that they have found their destination.

Chapter 21 – 23: Important Ideas: Novel Resolution Either way, Jonas’ escape has sent his memories to the community, which allows them to feel love, freedom, and choice. The reader can see that the society will move forward and feel hope for Jonas’ family and friends.