2004 Discussion Group Questions

Here are some questions you can use in discussing Lois Lowry's The Giver.

1. Why are memories important? What can we learn from our own memories? From those of others? In our society, who decides whose memories are valid and worth saving, telling, or teaching?
2. Why is the Receiver of Memory the most honored position? Who are the “Receivers of Memory” in Centre County? How do we keep their memories, and what can we learn from them?
3. How do you think you would feel if you received Jonas’ assignment? If you lived in Jonas’ society, what do you think your assignment would be?
4. How do you interpret the conclusion? Why does Jonas leave? Why doesn’t The Giver leave? What do you think will happen to The Giver? (Note: Lowry continues the story she begins in The Giver in two other books, Gathering Blue and Messenger.)
5. How are families defined and presented in this novel? In our own society, the makeup of family is under discussion. In what ways are our ideas of the traditional family changing?
6. Philosopher and statesman Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is pain.” Do you agree? Would Jonas? Why or why not?
7. The Chief Elder says,” Today we honor your differences. They have determined your futures.” (Page 52) How in Centre County do we view difference and sameness? What advantages might “sameness” have? Would the loss of diversity be worthwhile? Where do you see diversity in Centre County and where do you see sameness?
8. The Giver presents a world which places great importance “precision of language.” On page one Lowry writes: “It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word.” How is language used and misused by the characters in The Giver? Are there specific words that become altered as a result of the way they are used (for example: giver, release)?
9. Russian writer and dissident Alexander Soltzhenitsyn said, “literature becomes the living memory of a nation.” Why is The Giver allowed to have many books while other citizens are only allowed three? How are books and memory related?
10. Often itself a challenged book, The Giver raises the issue of book banning. Why does the community in The Giver ban books? Why do some of our own communities ban books?
11. In The Giver, most people seem to accept that the rule about learning to ride a bicycle is often broken. Why do you think this is so? Are there similar rules in our society or here in Centre County that are routinely “broken”?
12. What would happen if colors did not exist in our society? How would we benefit? What would we miss?