The Giver

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of emotional abuse and mental illness.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. What were your initial expectations when you learned that The Giver takes place in a seemingly perfect community? How did those expectations shift as the darker aspects of the society were revealed? Have you read other dystopian works that employ this technique, such as Lois Lowry’s Gathering Blue?

2. How did you react to the gradual way information about “release” was revealed throughout the novel? What effect did this narrative choice have on your reading experience?

3. Which memory transmitted from the Giver to Jonas affected you the most deeply, and why?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Jonas’s community sacrificed emotional depth and individual choice in exchange for security and comfort. What aspects of your own life would you be willing or unwilling to give up for guaranteed safety and stability?

2. The concept of “precise language” is emphasized throughout the novel. How do you think the way we use language shapes our understanding of reality and our emotional experiences?