The Giver is a Utopian society that follows a young 11 year old. The community as a whole got rid of pain and converted everyone to sameness. At the age of 12 Jonas receives his lifetime job, Receiver of Memory. His trainer, is the Giver. The giver was the previous receiver of memory. The receiver of memory holds all memories that are no longer allowed to be practiced anymore. Jonas’s father, a nurturer who works with infants is a big influence to Jonas before he received his job. Gabriel, a new child who Jonas and his family take care of at night. Jonas and Gabriel have a close relationship.
There are tons of themes and symbols that can be taken from The Giver. One theme that I took away from The Giver was Hope. At first hope seemed to be the last thing needed in the book until later on. His father, a nurturer to new children from the community comes home with a new child that they must take care of until the child's life is decided. The debate grew on while Jonas began to have a growing relationship with the child when receiving memories. One day the giver shows what "releasing" really is. It appears to Jonas as murder. Jonas has multiple conversations with the giver and they begin to plot Jonas's escape. They then set the date to the following years ceremony. Towards the climax of the book Jonas escapes the community with Gabriel hoping for a better, and free life.
Perspective is also a theme that can also be taken from The Giver. Before Jonas was picked as The Receiver, he didn't really notice there was anything bad in the community and he saw it as if it were perfect. Yet after he was selected by the community as the Receiver of Memory his perspective quickly changed. He saw it as cruel and quite ridiculous that the community wouldn't let everyone make choices. His perspective on life had also change when he began seeing colors. Before being selected, everything was black and white. The word "beautiful" wasn't used simply because everything was same. The first color Jonas saw was the color of an Apple, and of his friends hair, red. Then when the Giver transmits a memory of a sled going down a hill in the snow, Jonas gets another glimpse of red. The Sled can be used as a symbol. The sled also gives Jonas his first bad memory, pain.
Perspective is also a theme that can also be taken from The Giver. Before Jonas was picked as The Receiver, he didn't really notice there was anything bad in the community and he saw it as if it were perfect. Yet after he was selected by the community as the Receiver of Memory his perspective quickly changed. He saw it as cruel and quite ridiculous that the community wouldn't let everyone make choices. His perspective on life had also change when he began seeing colors. Before being selected, everything was black and white. The word "beautiful" wasn't used simply because everything was same. The first color Jonas saw was the color of an Apple, and of his friends hair, red. Then when the Giver transmits a memory of a sled going down a hill in the snow, Jonas gets another glimpse of red. The Sled can be used as a symbol. The sled also gives Jonas his first bad memory, pain.