The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Characters:
Jonas:
Lily:
Father:
Mother:
Asher:
Gabriel:
Fiona:
The Giver:
Key Terms:
Interdependence:
Utopia:
Dytsopia:
Sameness:
The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Themes:
Importance of Memory
Relationship Between Pain and Pleasure
Importance of the Individual
Symbols:
Apple
Newchild Gabriel
Sled
River
Color Red
The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Chapters 1-3
1. Why do you think it is against the rules for pilots to fly over the community? How does
Jonas react when he sees the plane? (I think it is against the rules for pilots to fly over the community
because…/When Jonas sees the plane, he reacts by…)
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2. What is the purpose of the voice that comes over the speaker? What effect does the
voice have on the community? (The purpose of the voice is…/The effect the voice has on the community
is…)
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3. Why was it important for Jonas to be so careful with language? What term was he
scolded for using too lightly?
Why?
(It is important for Jonas to be careful with language
because…/Jonas is scolded when he uses…because…)
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4. What purpose does it serve for Jonas and his family to go through the ritual of Telling of
Feelings at the dinner table each night? (The family uses the ritual of Telling of Feelings to…)
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5. What happens at each age Ceremony in Jonas’s community? What is significant about
the Ceremony of Twelve? How does Jonas feel about this upcoming Ceremony? (At each
age, the Ceremony…/The Ceremony of Twelve is significant because…/Jonas feels…about the upcoming
Ceremony.)
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6. Jonas mentions that it is “considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling
or different about individuals” (20). How does our society promote sameness and frown
upon individuality? (Our society promotes sameness and frowns upon individuality by…)
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The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Chapters 4-6
1. Why is interdependence fostered in Jonas’ community? What benefits come from
this interdependence? (Interdependence is fostered in the community by…/The benefits of this
interdependence are…)
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2. Please describe the Release Ceremony as Larissa describes it. What is her
perspective on the ceremony? (Larissa describes the Release Ceremony as…/Larissa's perspective
on the ceremony is…)
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3. What evidence do you see of “sameness” in these chapters? Find and explain at
least 3 examples. (The first example of sameness is…/The second example of sameness is…/The
third example of sameness is…)
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4. Why do you think Jonas and his family tell each other their dreams every day? How
does this fit in to what you already know about the community? (Jonas and his family tell
their dreams because…/This fits in to my knowledge of the community…)
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5. Why does Jonas have to take pills? How would you feel if your desires/feelings were
diffused in a similar way? (Jonas takes pills to…/I would feel…)
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6. The matching of spouses is an important aspect of Jonas’s community. What
benefits might this provide? (Why might this be a good thing?) What problems
might it create? (The benefits of matching spouses are…/The problems of matching spouses would
create…)
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The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Chapters 7-9
1. Considering the topic of identity, what is the importance of a name? A number? (The
importance of a name…/The importance of a number and someone’s identity…)
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2. What five qualities are necessary for someone who will be the Receiver? Which one do
you think is important, why?
(Five qualities that are necessary for someone to be the Receiver
are…/Each quality is important because…)
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3. Would living with “sameness” be worth it if we could escape all forms of (physical)
pain? (Living with sameness would/wouldn’t be worth it to escape all forms of pain because…)
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4.
(Page 63) What do you think changed about the apple and the crowd? How do you
know? (I think the thing that changed about the apple and the crowd was…because…)
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5. What problems, situations, and decisions do you think Jonas will face as a Receiver of
Memories? (As the Receiver of Memories, Jonas will face…)
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6. Which of Jonas’s new instructions (pg. 68) do you find most surprising? Why? (The
instruction I find most surprising is…because…)
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The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Chapters 10-12
1. Whose memories are being transferred to Jonas? Why does this surprise him? (The
memories transferred to Jonas belong to…/It surprises Jonas because…)
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2. What memory does the Giver choose to give Jonas first? What is Jonas’s reaction?
(The first memory given to Jonas is…/Jonas’s reaction is…)
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3. How does the Giver transfer memories to Jonas?
Why do you think he
chooses snow as his first memory? (The Giver transfers the memories to Jonas by…/I
think the Giver chooses snow as his first memory because…)
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4. What happens to memories after the Giver transfers them to Jonas? (After the
Giver transfers the memories to Jonas, they…)
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5. Is it difficult for Jonas to not tell his friends about the memories he has
received? Why or why not? (It is/isn’t difficult for Jonas to not tell his friends because…)
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6. Why would Jonas’s community do away with color? What is the significance
of color in our society? What is Jonas’ community missing out on by not
having color? (The community would do away with color…/Color is significant in our society
because…/By not having color, Jonas’ community is missing out on…)
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The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Chapters 13-15
1. Why does Jonas want choices and the power to decide? Why does the community
prohibit that? (Jonas wants choices and the power to decide because…/The community prohibits this
because…)
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2. What happened to the memories when the last new Receiver failed? (When the last new
Receiver failed, the memories…)
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3. How does watching others suffer make us feel pain too? (Watching others suffer can make
us feel pain…)
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4. Why do Jonas and the Giver have to carry the weight of the memories instead of
sharing with the whole community? (Jonas and the Giver have to carry the weight of the memories
because…)
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5. What does Jonas give Gabe at the end of chapter 14? How does Gabe react? (Jonas
gives Gabe…/Gabe reacts by…)
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6. What painful situation did Jonas take for the Giver? What images were the strongest
for you? Explain. (The painful situation that Jonas took for the Giver was…/The images that were the
strongest for me were…because…)
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The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Chapters 16-18
1. What is the importance of love in our society? Why do Jonas’ parents say love is
meaningless or that it is a generalized word?
(Love is important in our society
because…/Jonas’ parents generalize the word love because…)
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2. Why did Jonas stop taking his pill?
What had “grown there through the
memories” (pg 129) that made him want to throw the pill away? (Jonas stopped taking his
pill…/Jonas threw the pill away because…)
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3. Why is Jonas so upset by the good guys vs. bad guys game? What might be a
modern example of a similar game? (Jonas is so upset by the game because…/A modern
example of a similar game could be…)
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4. Why couldn’t Asher and Fiona feel Jonas’ love? How would you feel if your loved
ones couldn’t respond to your love? (Asher and Fiona couldn’t feel Jonas’ love because…/If
my loved ones couldn’t respond to my love I would…)
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5. Why do you think Jonas is concerned about one of the twins being taken
“Elsewhere?” Where is “Elsewhere,” in your opinion? (Jonas is concerned about the
twins because…/Elsewhere is…)
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6. Who was the last Receiver-in-training, what happened to her, and why? (The last
receiver-in-training was…and she…because…)
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The Giver—Reading Questions
Name________________________________________ Period ____________ Class ________
Instructions: Answer each question in 3-4 sentences on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
Chapters 19-23
1. How does Jonas react to “Release?” Explain what release means. (Jonas reacts to
release…/Release is…)
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2. What is the worst part of holding the memories? Why? (The worst part of holding memories
is…because…)
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3. What is “the Plan?” (Describe in detail!) (The plan is…)
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4. How did Jonas try to avoid the search planes? What 2-3 other things did Jonas fear
on his new journey? (Jonas tried to avoid the search planes by…/Other things Jonas feared on his
journey were…)
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5. What new things were Jonas and Gabe experiencing the farther they traveled from
the Community? (As Jonas and Gabe traveled further from the community, they experienced…)
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6. What is the significance of Jonas finding the sled? (The significance of Jonas finding the sled
is…)
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