Study Guide for Decoding The Giver: With Typical Questions and Answers

By Steven Smith

"Decoding The Giver" explores the complexities of Lois Lowry's dystopian classic, "The Giver." Designed to enhance your understanding and enjoyment of the novel, this guide is perfect for students and literature enthusiasts alike.

This guide includes:

Detailed Summary

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sherwood Press
• Release date: Jun 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9781964189161

Book preview

Study Guide for Decoding The Giver

With Typical Questions and Answers

Steven Smith

Sherwood Press

Copyright © 2023 by Steven Smith

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

1.How to use this guide

2.Describe the historical background to The Giver and why it was written

3.Novel Summary

4.Chapter-by-Chapter Summary

5.Why do students read The Giver

6.Examples of exploration of dystopian society in the novel

7.Describe the novel's thematic depth

8.Examples of moral and ethical questions

9.Examples of literary devices

10.Examples of engaging storytelling

11.Examples of cross-disciplinary connections

12.Who are the main characters

13.Descibe Jonas

14.How does Jonas react to become the Receiver of Memory

15.What is important to realize about Jonas

16.Examples of Jonas' capacity for seeing beyond

17.Describe Jonas' role as Receiver of Memory

18.Describe Jonas' critical thinking and moral courage

19.Describe Jonas' empathy and compassion

20.Describe Jonas' transformation and growth

21.Describe The Giver

22.Describe Gabriel

23.Describe Jonas' father

24.Describe Jonas' mother

25.Describe Fiona

26.Who are the minor characters

27.Who are the tragic characters in the novel

28.Is there a hero in the novel

29.Is there a villian in the novel

30.All the important relationships

31.What are the conflicts of the novel

32.Describe Internal Conflict

33.Describe the External Conflicts

34.What is the climax and resolution of the novel

35.What is the moral of the novel

36.What do readers learn from reading this novel

About the Author

How to use this guide

This analysis of The Giver intends to offer a study guide to readers who need a more in-depth view of the story.

This book is divided into questions, so the answers appear in a short essay style and may include repeated information. The questions are typical of what a middle-school or early-high-school student may experience.

I think all important questions have been directly or indirectly answered. However, if you, the reader, feel something is missing, please reach out to me, and I will add it!

Happy studying!

Steven Smith

[e-mail]

www.classicbooksexplained.com

Describe the historical background to The Giver and why it was written

Lois Lowry published The Giver in 1993. The 1980s and early 1990s were a period of significant social and political change globally, which influenced the themes of the novel.

The Cold War, which had instilled a fear of nuclear devastation and resulted in the suppression of individual freedoms in many societies, had recently ended. There was a new focus on the power of the individual and the right to personal freedoms. However, there was also an awareness of the potentially devastating consequences of unrestricted freedom.

Lowry has mentioned in interviews that she was partly inspired to write The Giver by her father's memory loss in old age. As he lost his memories, he seemed to also lose the pain associated with those memories, which made Lowry consider the role of pain and memory in our lives.

In The Giver, Lowry explores these themes in depth. The society Jonas lives in is one where individual freedoms are suppressed in the pursuit of safety and uniformity. It is only when Jonas begins to receive memories of the real world that he understands the importance of individuality, freedom, and the ability to feel both pain and joy.

Another key influence for Lowry was her background as a child of a military family and her experiences growing up in different cultures and societies around the world. These experiences shaped her understanding of societal norms, conformity, and the value of diversity and individual freedoms - all themes explored in The Giver.

The Giver can also be read as a response to other utopian and dystopian literature that had been published up to that point. The novel questions the idea of a perfect society and explores the consequences of removing elements considered essential to human life, such as freedom, diversity, and the capacity to feel deep emotions.

In summary,