The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Name ______________________
Chapter One and Chapter Two
Vocabulary - Use each of the following vocabulary words correctly in the sentences below:
adherence, aptitude, enhance, wheedle, transgression, apprehensive, palpable
1. By smiling and offering to help, the little girl hoped to wheedle another cookie from the baker.
2. A quick blood transfusion will enhance the injured soldier’s chance of survival.
3. In most communities, the police are responsible for enforcing adherence to the law.
4. It’s important to choose a career based upon your own natural aptitude.
5. People who commit a serious transgression may be punished with imprisonment.
6. Jill felt apprehensive about driving in the snow, so she stayed home.
7. Watching the fighter planes streak across the horizon, the civilians felt a moment of palpable terror.
Comprehension - Answer the following questions in the spaces provided. Remember to use complete sentences
and specific supporting details from the text. Refer to your post its as a reference. Use a separate sheet of
paper if needed.
Chapter One
8. Why is Jonas frightened by the plane flying overhead?
It is against the rules for pilots to fly over the community. Additionally, community members
have never seen an aircraft up close, and they have only seen cargo planes delivering food and
other goods.
9. List the different jobs that are mentioned in the chapter.
 Pilot
 Street cleaner
 Landscape worker
 Food delivery
 Speaker
 Nurturer,
 Department of Justice
10. Discuss how the citizens and the Pilot are treated during the accidental fly-over.
The citizens are instructed to leave their bicycles where they are and to go inside. All citizens
obeyed. The speaker then announces that the pilot in training made an error and the pilot will
be released.
11. Why are children scolded for telling friends during play that they’ve been released?
It is a grave insult, as being released is a terrible punishment and an overwhelming statement of failure.
12. Examine how Asher apologizes to his classmates when he is late to class. Do you think he
should have to apologize in this way? Why or why not?
Asher must publicly apologize to his class with a standard apology phrase of “I apologize to my
classmates.” Then, everyone must accept that apology. Answers will vary on 2nd part of the
question.
13. What are Elevens and Sevens?
Children who are eleven and seven years old, respectively; in this society, children are
identified as a group.
14. Describe Jonas’s family evening ritual.
Nightly sharing of feelings- Each family member take describes a feeling, explains why he/she
has that feeling. Other family members discuss those feelings and comfort that person if
needed. It is also against the rules to keep your feelings hidden.
15. Distinguish Lily’s definition of animals from our definition of them. Why do you think Lily’s
definition might be different from ours?
Lily uses “animals” to describe people who don’t fit in because she has not seen animals like we
have.
16. Identify three reasons why someone may be released.



Newchildren are released for not developing properly
Elderly people are released in a celebration of their lives
Repeat offenders are released as punishment after the third transgression
17. What are the rules about family units?
A rule in the community is each family unit may have two children, one male and one female.
Spouses are also assigned.
Chapter Two
18. Contrast why December is eventful in Jonas’s society with why December is eventful in our
society.
In Jonas’s society, everyone becomes a year older and experiences the yearly Ceremony in
December. Our society celebrates several religious holidays in December.
19. Describe the Ceremony for the Ones. Do you agree or disagree with the community’s way of
handling “birthdays?” How?
At the Ceremony of Ones, the fifty children who were born that year become a One are given
names and a family unit. It was a noisy and fun ceremony in which the nurturers bring the
children to the stage to be named and presented to a family. It is odd that for everyone born
within 12 months with varied development stages to all turn one at the same time (some were
walking and others were wrapped in blankets in nurturers’ arms). Answers will vary to 2nd part
of question.
20. Explain how babies are placed with families.
A family unit applies for a child when they are ready. Each family receives only one boy and
one girl child. All families are created through adoption, not biology.
21. Analyze where and how newchildren live until they are one. How could this affect their
development?
Infants live in the nurturing center and are cared for by nurturers until the Ceremony of Ones.
This does not allow infants to form a close bond with their parents and could inhibit them
developmentally.
22. Show how Father attempts to enhance Gabriel’s nurturing. What rule does he break?
Father finds out Gabriel’s name so he can secretly call him by his name when they are alone
together. He also brings him home at night for supplemental nurturing. He breaks the rule of
peeking at the naming list prior to the Ceremony of Ones.
23. Which rule is frequently broken?
The rule about not riding bicycles until age nine is frequently broken.
24. How are rules changed in the community? How frequently does this occur?
Rules can only be changed by a committee, and this rarely occurs. Usually it takes so long to
get a rule change that the citizens forget all about the rule they wanted to change in the first
place. If it’s a really important rule, it goes to the Receiver.
25. Who is the most important Elder?
The Receiver is the most important Elder who lives and works alone.
26. Explain how and when Assignments are made.
The Committee of Elders observes each Eleven at school, during recreation time, and during
their volunteer hours. They also receive input from each Eleven’s instructors. Usually, it is
based upon the child’s aptitude and interests. At the Ceremony of Twelve, each person’s
lifetime Assignment is announced.
Literary Devices
27. Hook — How does the hook in The Giver draw you into the novel?
This hook makes you want to find out why Jonas is afraid and why an airplane flying over the
community can be a terrifying experience.
28. Cliffhanger — What is the cliffhanger in chapter two?
Jonas wondering what his Assignment (his chosen career) will be. The ceremony at which they
are announced is coming up, and he doesn't have a clear understanding or idea of what it might
be like some others.