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Jonas's father's occupation in The Giver

Summary:

In The Giver, Jonas's father is a Nurturer. His job involves taking care of newborns, ensuring their health and development, and deciding which infants are fit to be assigned to family units.

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In The Giver, what job does Jonas's father have?

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Jonas 's father is a Nurturer. His job is to provide care for newly-born infants until they are named and assigned to a family unit. He was probably assigned this job...

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because the Committee of Elders recognized qualities of patience and deep caring in him. The fact that he chose to spend much of his volunteer time in the childcare center prior to his Ceremony of Twelve was also undoubtedly noticed.

One of the infants still living under the care of the Nurturers at the time The Giver opens is not growing and developing at the normally-expected rate. This boy baby is not gaining weight or sleeping through the night. Jonas's father recognizes that part of his job is to make decisions regarding the infants in the community, including determining which of a pair of twins will live and which will be "released". However, he finds himself unable to remain objective toward this struggling child and devotes extra attention to him, learning the name planned for the baby ahead of the naming and bringing Gabriel to his living quarters at nights in a highly unusual attempt to give the child more time to thrive.

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What is Jonas's father's occupation in the first chapter of The Giver?

Jonas’s father is a Nurturer.  He takes care of newborns until they are given to their assigned families at the Ceremony of One.

Jonas’s family consists of his mother, father, and sister.  None of them are actually related.  When an adult reaches a certain age and wants to have a family, he or she is paired with a spouse of the opposite sex.  Then the couple can apply for a child, and will be given either a boy or a girl about a year old.  After some time, they can apply for a second child of the other gender.  No couple has their own children, and no family is allowed to have more than two.

Since the babies come from Birthmothers and are raised in the Nurturing Center from birth, they need someone to take care of them.  That task falls on the Nurturers.  Jonas’s father is one of these.

He and the other Nurturers were responsible for all the physical and emotional needs of every newchild during its earliest life. It was a very important job, Jonas knew, but it wasn't one that interested him much. (Ch. 1, p. 7)

This is actually a very important part.  Jonas’s father’s occupation foreshadows his killing the newborn twin in chapter 19, and Jonas’s reaction to taking care of newchildren foreshadows his caring for Gabe.  Jonas soon changes his mind when the family is allowed to take home an extra newchild for nurturing, and Jonas takes care of the baby when he realizes that they have seeing beyond in common.  He flees with Gabe after he sees his father release the twin and hears his father say Gabe will be released.

Lowry, Lois (1993-04-26). The Giver (Newbery Medal Book) (p. 7). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition.

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What were Jona's father's job duties at the daycare center in The Giver?

Jonas's father is a caregiver at the daycare center.  His official title is Nurturer.  So his job is, essentially, to take care of the kids.  According to the book, his job is to take care of the kids' physical and emotional needs during this earlies stage of their lives.

We know that the kids are given to the families when they are one year old.  So Jonas's father and the other workers at the center are only caring for the very youngest kids.

We also know that, at least sometimes, it is his job to release the smaller of two twins.

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