Topic > Plot Summary of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

The novel "The Giver" begins with Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy who lives in a utopia where there are no such things as pain, war, fear or hatred. In the community where he lives everything is pleasant and as fair as possible. With the upcoming National Ceremony of the Twelve, where he will be given his job occupation for the rest of his life. He is nervous about the ceremony, so he seeks comfort from his father, a nurse, who cares for the newborns. Also his mother, a Justice Department official. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayJonas is different from everyone else in the community, he has unusual powers of perception. He is the only one in the community who can perceive flashes of color; for everyone else the world is as devoid of color as it is of pain, hunger and love. The day after the ceremony, everyone is given their vocation for the rest of their lives, except Jonas. He is assigned the highly honored position of Receiver of Memory. The Recipient is the sole custodian of the community's collective memories. These are memories of pain, war and emotions. Someone is in charge of preserving these memories, so that the community can avoid making mistakes from the past. Jonas is destined to receive all these memories from a wise old man who calls himself the Giver. The Giver shares his memories by placing his hands on Jonas' back. The first memory he gets is of a sleigh ride. Later he receives memories of pleasure and pain, of beautiful bright colors and harsh weather, of excitement and fear, hunger and love. These memories begin to make Jonas's life more meaningful and he wants to share them with everyone he loves. Even if he can't, everyone in the community has lost the ability to feel something in exchange for a peaceful existence. Jonas becomes increasingly frustrated with the community, and the Giver, who has felt the same way for a long time, encourages him. Meanwhile, Jonas' father is worried about Gabe, a newborn who is behind his expected health goals, and has received permission to bring him home. The child has light eyes, like Jonas and the Giver, Jonas soon becomes attached to Gabe. Even more so, after discovering that she is able to share her memories with Gabe. Jonas learns that if Gabe's health doesn't improve, he will be released or taken elsewhere. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay The Giver eventually reveals to him what he actually released means by showing him a video of his father doing his job. In the video, his father unknowingly injects poison into a twin before placing the body in a box. After witnessing this, Jonas was filled with anger, confusion, and horror.