Talk:The Giver

Sequels

Sorry, but I JUST realized we had a copy of 'Messenger' in the library at work, and I didn't know about 'Gathering Blue', but I shal have to seek it out, then see what I can come up with. Weaponofmassinstruction 05:05, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)

I've created stubs for the two "sequels"; Gathering Blue also has a scan of the cover. (You may notice that the cover image on this page is slightly less fuzzy, too.) I don't have a copy of Messenger at hand—the copy I read was the one I gave my mother for Xmas. Consequently, I feel much less confident writing about it, so that job is up to someone else. My feeling is that there will be less to work with for these two books, partly because The Giver has been around longer and has been banned in more places. Anville 01:27, 5 Feb 2005 (UTC)

My Name Is Jonas

Weezer song is inspired by book. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 123.208.237.104 (talk) 05:15, 13 September 2019 (UTC)

Peer Reviewed - Spoilers?

First, let me say I think it's a fine article, and worthy of attention. Second, I'm a bit leery about giving away a bit too much of the major detail as spoilers. You didn't do it overtly, and it makes sense for somebody who has read the book several times, but alluding to 'release' the way it stands now and the links to euthanasia etc at the bottom could lead some readers to figgure out the BEST plot twists that they wouldn't be aware of had they not read the book.

I'm not suggesting that the information given be changed, but I think a fair warning of 'spoilers' fairly early in the article should be given.

Great write, to all major and minor contributors!!! Weaponofmassinstruction 05:12, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)

While I think it's only cricket to expect spoilers in a section entitled "Plot summary", it's also true that the later sections in this particular article harbor a few as well. Therefore, I've added a spoiler notice immediately before the table of contents.

Thanks for your time, your comments and your approval! Anville 21:39, 27 Jan 2005 (UTC)

Glad to be of help. Weaponofmassinstruction 04:35, 28 Jan 2005 (UTC)

A factual question

I wondered about the last bit of this first-paragraph sentence: "Jonas is selected to inherit the position of "Receiver of Memory", the man who stores all the memories of the time before Sameness, in case they are ever needed." It has been a while since I read the book, but I thought that the memories were secreted away so that the rest of the population wouldn't have to feel or deal with the pain they included, rather than because they might be needed later. Am I missing something? Totoro 05:14, 8 Jun 2005 (UTC)

The Committee of Elders calls upon the Receiver when they need the wisdom the memories provide. The Giver tells Jonas about two examples, once when the Committee considered increasing the population and once when an errant jet pilot flew over the Community by mistake. The memories are kept because the Elders know they will need the wisdom from time to time, but they are restricted to one individual, the Receiver, to protect the citizens from the pain memories cause.

I thought the phrasing was clear enough, but if it's not, I welcome modifications. Anville 20:54, 14 Jun 2005 (UTC)

ALERT - Vandalism on the Article

Please take note of a high increase in vandalism-related edits on the article. As of 12th June 2013, there has been about 18 reverts since May and many of them are due to vandalism. For instance, I found an edit by User 24.46.57.113 irrelevant as he deleted a huge chunk of the article without leaving a proper edit summary, which made the article very disorganized and weird. TO ALL USERS: Let's try to minimize vandalism on this article ! L. Zheng Wei (talk) 1:24, 12 June 2013 (UTC)

There's a missing paragraph in the plot summary that MUST be filled in.

"Jonas, who is eleven years old, is apprehensive about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, where he will be assigned his career or his "assignment in the community". In his society, little privacy is allowed; even private houses have two-way intercoms which can be used to listen in for infractions of the rules. However, the rules appear to be readily accepted by all, including Jonas.

Yet, under the guidance of the present Receiver, a surprisingly kind man who has the same rare, pale eyes as Jonas, the boy absorbs memories that induce for the first time feelings of true happiness and love. Also, for the first time, Jonas knows what it is to see a rainbow, and to experience snow and the thrill of riding a sled down a hill. But then he is given the painful memories: war, pain, death, and starvation. These are memories of the Community's deep past. Jonas learns that the Community engineered a society of "sameness" to protect its people against this past, yet he begins to understand the tremendous loss he and his people have endured by giving their memories away, embracing "sameness", and using "climate control"."

In between these paragraphs is a huge jump that leaves out a number of important plot details.

Audio reading removal/revision

There have been many, many changes to the article. Since the current audio reading in the article was recorded and posted in 2005, it should be removed or remade, because it is not that relevant anymore. PeterPrettyCool (talk) 18:15, 24 January 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 29 January 2020

Change age to 11-12 years old instead of 12 years old.Jonas is never said to be 12 years old, it is just assumed because all babies born in the same year all became ones at the same time. It says in the giver book. Henri245 (talk) 02:17, 29 January 2020 (UTC)

 Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Eggishorn (talk) (contrib) 03:28, 29 January 2020 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 10 June 2020

The story is set during a time where the Department of Justice has ordained an agency to reserve all historical records to one "giver" and one successor by way of some sort of neural communication of memories. However, not even the receiver's mother is permitted to know about the her son's learnings by order of the Department, and she works there. [tw:this may be a spoiler but is the whole Anthropological point of the book]. The scene was botched in the movie. Nickcarducci (talk) 22:26, 21 June 2020 (UTC) Nickcarducci (talk) 21:41, 10 June 2020 (UTC)

I'm not sure you are right. Jonas's "mother" is in the Department of Justice and Jonas is not allowed to discuss history with her.--Wehwalt (talk) 21:50, 10 June 2020 (UTC)