The major conflict of Lois Lowry's The Giver has to do with Jonas figuring out who or what is his antagonist. At first, it seems as though the ones who run the government are to blame for limiting the freedom of its citizens by controlling what they see, hear, and do with their lives. However, as Jonas trains with the Giver, he becomes aware of what really controls their lives--Sameness. Sameness is the antagonist; therefore, the conflict lies within it.

Sameness is the controlling factor in his life and his community. During the first memory that he receives in chapter 11, Jonas experiences sledding down a snowy hill. Afterward, he asks the Giver why they don't have snow in their lives. The Giver explains the following:

"Climate Control. Snow made growing food difficult, limited the agricultural periods. And unpredictable weather made transportation almost impossible at times. It wasn't a practical thing, so it became obsolete when we went to Sameness" (83-84).

Jonas soon learns that over past generations, the people of the community had made similar choices depending on what they were willing to sacrifice to achieve specific goals. For example, the ability for citizens to see colors was sacrificed long ago in order to take away personal preferences. If people don't prefer one person or object over another, then life without prejudices can be achieved. The consequence of a life without colors, though, is that people's abilities to choose are sacrificed. For instance, when Jonas sees and understands colors for the first time, he complains as follows:

"It isn't fair that nothing has color! . . . If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?" (97).

If limited freedom to choose isn't enough to cause Jonas to revolt against Sameness, the fact that "release" means to kill someone does. Jonas learns that Sameness also requires that the rate of births is controlled in order to avoid hunger and starvation. As a result, Nurturers like Jonas's father have an obligation to kill the smaller of a pair of twins to keep population numbers down. In chapter 19, the Giver shows Jonas a recording of his father injecting a lethal drug into a twin's head. Jonas is devastated. It is after this that he and the Giver decide to overthrow Sameness.

Because Sameness is maintained by a Receiver who stores all of the memories of the world inside of him, they decide to release these memories into the community. Once that happens, everyone in the community will be aware of the sacrifices that have been made to limit their freedoms and Sameness will end. Therefore, the conflict between Sameness and Jonas is resolved when he leaves the community, releases the memories into the community, and ends the controlling grip that Sameness has over the people.

In Lois Lowry's The Giver, how does the writer use character to express conflict?

You might want to examine this question by looking at the way in which Jonas's job as Assistant Memory Keeper produces conflict between him and his former friends. A key moment that demonstrates this is in Chapter Seventeen, when the children enjoy an unscheduled holiday. Jonas is looking forward to playing with his friends, but as they play a game whose meaning has been lost, Jonas recognises it for what it is: a child's version of a war. Jonas is overwhelmed by memories that have been "shared" with him of pain and conflict, and the game halts awkwardly. Asher and Fiona are unable to comprehend or understand the viewpoint of Jonas, and we are left with an image of Jonas by himself, overwhelmed by loneliness and loss:

Jonas trudged to the bench beside the Storehouse and sat down, overwhelmed with feelings of loss. His childhood, his friendships, his carefree sense of security--all of these things seemed to be slipping away. With his new, heightened feelings, he was overwhelmed by sadness at the way the others had laughed and shouted, playing at war. But he knew that they could not understand why, without the memories. He felt such love for Asher and for Fiona. But they could not feel it back, without the memories. And he could not give them those.

Note here how Jonas, in a sudden moment of realisation, realises how conflict has been produced from his assignment. His knowledge of the past and the memories that have been shared with him has produced conflict and division between him and his former friends, such as Asher and Fiona. With sadness, Jonas realises that now his relationships have been irrevocably affected for the worse.

In Lois Lowry's book, The Giver, explain how the author uses the character to explore the conflict.

The title character of The Giver, first known as the "Receiver" shows conflict with his knowledge.  He is the only one in the community who can seen the frivolity and violation that the community creates.  It is his job to defend the community, but with his iknowledge he knows that it is wrong.  Until Jonas, he is the only conflicted character currently living in the community.  He has dual knowledge.

This is evidenced when he angrily declares to Jonas:"They know Nothing!" when referring to the Elders.  Of course, earlier Rosemary had a similar conflict, but her knowledge caused her to ask for release and her suicide.  It is this conflict that causes him to agree to help Jonah plan his escape.