THE GIVER: STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY (Total unit points: 300)
Chapter 1
Directions for vocabulary words: For all vocabulary words, find the word in the novel. Copy the
sentence that contains each word. Then, identify the part of speech of each word. Finally, provide a
synonym or short definition for each word as it’s used in the context of the sentence in the book.
Note #1: Some of these words can be used as several different parts of speech. Be sure to identify the
part of speech as it is used in the context of the book.
Note #2: Make sure your definition matches the part of speech of the word. For example, if the word is
an adjective, then an adjective definition must be provided.
1. palpable (p. 3)
2. distraught (p. 4)
4. wheedle (p. 5)
5. disposition (p. 7)
7. transgression (p. 9)
(21 points)
3. apprehensive (p. 4)
6. supplementary (p. 7)
Directions for questions about the text: Answer all questions in complete sentences. Be sure to include
details (specific events, descriptions, characterizations, and explanations) in your answer. Remember
that the best details of all are direct quotes from the book. If you do take a quote from the text, be sure
to use quotation marks and to quote the passage precisely.
8. (a) What kind of community do Jonas and his family live in? Provide a general description of it, as you see
it in this chapter. (b) Then, describe three ways in which their society differs from ours. (4 points)
Chapter 2
9. (a) How are children in this society labeled and grouped? (b) When does this labeling and grouping
end? (Hint: Which is “the last of the ceremonies,” as stated on p. 14?) (1 point)
10. (a) What happens to individuals once they receive an “assignment”? (b) Would you like the idea of
receiving an “assignment” in your life? Why or why not? (2 points)
Chapter 3
Vocabulary:
11. petulantly, p. 22
12. hoarded, p. 23 13. mystified, p. 24 (9 points)
14. (a) Describe a technique used by the community to modify (change) its citizens’ behavior that is
described in this chapter. (b) Do you feel the technique used is fair, effective, and justifiable? Why or
why not? (2 points)
Chapter 4
Vocabulary:
15. invariably, p. 26
16. serene, p. 28 (6 points)
17. How are old people treated, in general, in this society? Provide two pieces of textual evidence to
support your answer. (3 points)
Chapter 5
Vocabulary:
18. chastised, p. 34 (3 points)
19. (a) What are “the stirrings”? (b) How does the future society depicted in this book deal with “the
stirrings”? (c) Why do you feel they choose to deal with them in this way? (3 points)
Chapter 6
Vocabulary:
20. meticulously, p. 48 (3 points)
21. Explain why Gabriel does not receive a permanent “family unit” in this chapter. (1 point)
22. What is a “replacement child”? Why are such children “rare”? (2 points)
Chapter 7
Vocabulary:
23. prestige, p. 53
24. ruefully, p. 54 (6 points)
25. (a) What method of punishment is used for small children in this society? (b) Why do you think this
particular form of punishment is chosen? (c) Do you think this form of punishment is appropriate for
small children? (d) Why or why not? (4 points)
Chapter 8
Vocabulary:
26. benign, p. 59
27. jaunty, p. 60
28. indolence, p. 61 (6 points)
29. (a) What assignment does Jonas receive? (b) Why is this job “the most honored in our
community”? (Provide two reasons for your answer.) (2 points)
30. (a) How does Jonas seem to feel about his selection? (b) Provide two details from the novel that
support your answer. (2 points)
Chapter 9
Vocabulary:
31. logistic, p. 69.
32. compel, p. 69. (6 points)
33. What happened to the previous Twelve who was given the assignment of Giver? How does this fact
add suspense to the novel? (2 points)
34. Jonas receives his new rules and instructions in this chapter. What are three rules that he has
doubts or reservations about? Why? (Explain why for all three rules.) (3 points)
Chapter 10
35. (a) When the Receiver tells Jonas that he must transmit memories to Jonas, what does Jonas think this
means? (b) What does it actually mean? (c) Why does Jonas have no sense of the past or history? (3 points)
Chapter 11
36. (a) What three memories does the old man transmit to Jonas in this chapter? (b) How is it possible
that Jonas has never experienced these climactic events before? (2 points)
Chapter 12
Vocabulary:
37. admonition, p. 89.
38. wryly, p. 95. (6 points)
39. The author mentions “Sameness” quite a few times in the previous three chapters. Give three examples
of parts of the world that were changed or eliminated to achieve “Sameness” in their community. (1 point)
Chapter 13
Vocabulary:
40. sinuous, p. 100.
43. indifferently, p. 101. (12 points)
41. skeptically, p. 101.
42. meticulous, p. 101
44. (a) Why have choices been eliminated from this society? (b) How does Jonas feel about this loss?
(Provide evidence for your answer.) (c) How would you feel if choices were eliminated from our society?
Explain your answer. (3 points)
Chapter 14
Vocabulary:
45. assuage, p. 110
46. ominous, p. 113
(6 points)
47. (a) On what two occasions had the Elders come to the Receiver for advice? (b) Why did they feel they needed
to consult the Receiver in these two instances? (c) What advice did the Receiver give them? Why? (3 points)
48. (a) What power does Jonas realize he has at the end of this chapter? (b) Why do you think this
power “frightened him”? (1 point)
Chapter 15
Vocabulary:
49. carnage, p. 119
(3 points)
50. (a) What painful memory does Jonas receive in this chapter? (b) Give two details that show how
painful the memory must have felt for Jonas. (3 points)
Chapter 16
51. Through the Giver, Jonas experiences “countless bits of happiness” (p. 121). Describe four of these
experiences that he remembers that give him joy. (1 point)
52. (a) What emotion does Jonas experience for the first time in this chapter? (b) What memory
introduces this feeling to him? (c) How do his parents respond when he asks them if they have this
feeling for him? (3 points)
53. Why does Gabriel sleep so soundly while in Jonas’s room? What does Jonas do that helps Gabriel
sleep? Make sure your answer is specific. (2 points)
Chapter 17
54. On p. 131, the author states that “Jonas realized that it was a new depth of feelings that he was
experiencing.” (a) Describe a deep positive feeling and a deep negative feeling that Jonas experiences in
this chapter. (b) What experiences elicit these feelings in Jonas? (2 points)
55. On p. 135, the author states that “Jonas knew with certainty that he could change nothing.” (a)
What is it that Jonas would like to change? (b) Why does he know “with certainty” that he has no power
to enact change in this way? (2 points)
Chapter 18
56. Explain what happened to the first person who had been selected to be the new Receiver in two or
more sentences. (1 point)
57. Why would it be a “disaster” if the community lost Jonas at this point of his training? Provide an
explanation in at least two sentences. (2 points)
Chapter 19
58. The reader finally learns what it means to be “released” in this chapter. (a) Describe the process of
being “released” as shown in this chapter. (b) What is ironic about Jonas’s father’s behavior during the
process? (c) What type of irony (situational, verbal, or dramatic) is this? (3 points)
Chapter 20
59. Describe the plan that the Giver and Jonas devise in a short paragraph. Explain what they plan to do
and why they plan on doing it. (3 points)
60. What startling fact about the Giver’s family unit do we learn at the end of this Chapter? Explain why
this discovery is “startling.” (1 point)
Chapter 21
61. Why does Jonas decide to forget his and the Giver’s plan and flee the community early? (1 point)
62. (a) Who searches for Jonas and Gabriel during the next few days? (b) Describe two techniques Jonas
employs to avoid getting caught. (c) Why does Jonas employ these particular techniques? (4 points)
Chapter 22
63. How does the landscape and natural environment of the world depicted in this chapter differ from
the world Jonas had known his entire life? Provide three details. (3 points)
64. What is the number one problem in Jonas’s life at this point of the book? Explain your answer. (1 point)
Chapter 23
65. Interpret what happens in this last chapter: Where do Jonas and Gabriel end up going? Provide
evidence for your answer. (2 points)
66. Interpret what the last paragraph of the novel means in 2-3 sentences. (2 points)
67. Certainly Jonas is the protagonist in this novel. Why, then, do you think the author chose to entitle
the book The Giver? Reveal your thoughts on that basic question by answering the following three
questions: (a) In what ways has Jonas’s role changed from that of Receiver to that of Giver by the end of
the book? (b) Who has Jonas given to? (Note: Consider providing more than one answer to this
question.) (c) What has he given? (3 points)
68. Write a three-paragraph review of the novel. Refer to literary elements (character, theme, plot) in
your paragraph and provide specific evidence from the novel.
Note: You’re evaluating the book in your review. What makes it a terrific or average book? Provide
details and explanations in your answer. (10 points)
Final task: You defined 30 vocabulary words from the book while answering the questions in this packet.
Please study these terms in preparation for an end-of-reading vocabulary quiz. (This will be a 60-point quiz.)
Writing Assignment, The Giver (This essay is worth 60 points.)
The society in which Jonas resides in The Giver has eliminated diversity in order to eradicate
conflict. They have also eliminated or modified courtship, marriage, family life, literature, and
art—to name a few—and have managed to keep tight controls on individual behavior and
choices. As a result, they have also managed to eliminate or control crime, drug abuse, and other
negative behaviors.
Choose from the following topics and write a well-structured, detailed essay:
1. If you could change the society that we all live in today, how would you do it? How could
you help create the perfect world that Jonas’s society was trying to create? What would you
have to change? What would you choose to keep the same? In order to keep your essay
manageable, stick to three changes you would make and explain how and why you would make
them. In each paragraph in the body of your paper, stick to one change. Explain how society
would benefit from the changes you propose.
2. Are human beings evolving or devolving? In other words, is the human race improving as a
species or getting worse? Your essay needs to have three major topics in addition to an
introduction and conclusion. (You may need to do a little research on this one; your supporting
details need to be specific.)
3. Describe the world in fifty years. How will it differ from ours? Back up your ideas with facts
and details. You’ll need to pick from among the following topics: technology, employment,
government, family life, courtship/marriage, climate/environment, crime, law enforcement,
human rights, and quality of life. Stick with three topics: one for each paragraph in the body of
your paper.
Due dates:
Outline of essay:
Rough draft of essay:
Final draft of essay: