Jonas is a typical 11 year old who lives in a seemingly perfect community; there is little pain and little crime. People are polite and everyone belongs to a supportive family. However this “utopia” comes at a price; there are no choices, emotions are forbidden, and life in the community is dictated by strict rules. In this society Elders matches spouses and assign children to them before they are born. Everyone looks similar in skin color and dress. Everyone in the community is also assigned a job.
When it is Jonas time to learn his job, he is chosen to be the new Receiver. This is the person who holds all the memories of the world for their society. Over time, Jonas learns about color, nature, beauty, pleasure, love, and family. As well as given painful memories of loss, loneliness, poverty, injury, war, and death. The former Giver explains that the community is founded on the principle of likeness, which requires the consistency of a world without emotion and memory to survive. Yet he adds that these memories give the Receiver the true wisdom needed to guide the committee on all their decisions.
Before the resolution of the novel Jonas learns how people in the community die and he plans an escape so that the Gabe (a toddler his family is caring for) will not be ‘released’ (die). Jonas wants to give all the memories he possesses to everyone, despite warnings from the Giver that it might cause devastating consequences. Jonas becomes upset and feels that without memories his family and friends live in ignorance. the end........................ thank you
