Discussion Topic
Symbols in "The Giver."
Summary:
Symbols in "The Giver" include the color red, which signifies emotion and individuality in a colorless world, and the river, symbolizing the boundary between the controlled community and the unknown. The sled represents Jonas's journey towards self-awareness and freedom, while the apple symbolizes the awakening of Jonas's perceptions and the beginning of his questioning of the society's norms.
What are three symbols used in The Giver?
There are many symbols in The Giver, because the story itself is largely symbolic. Three examples are the apple, memories, and the sled.
The Apple
[Following] the path of the apple through the air with his eyes, that the piece of fruit had—well, this was the part that he couldn't adequately understand—the apple had changed. Just for an instant. It had changed in mid-air, he remembered. (p. 24)
The apple is a symbol of life. It is linked to real emotion, because it is a real color. When Jonas sees the color red for the first time, this is the first time he realizes he is different. As Receiver of Memory, he will begin to learn about emotions. The apple is his window into the world of human experience. This makes him unique, because no one else in the community feels things—except The Giver.
The Memories
"All I gave...
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you was one ride, on one sled, in one snow, on one hill. I have a whole world of them in my memory. I could give them to you one by one, a thousand times, and there would still be more." (p. 83)
The memories are a symbol of hope. Memory functions in the community much as it does in our world, but differently at the same time. Memories of history are gathered collectively and passed down through those special individuals who are the Giver and Receiver of Memory. The Giver, who does not have a name, is able to transmit memories to Jonas of the way the community was before Sameness. Through the memories, Jonas learns real human emotions. This gives him hope for a better life, for himself and for his people. They give him the courage to leave.
The Sled
Sled, he knew abruptly. He was sitting on a thing called sled. And the sled itself seemed to be poised at the top of a long, extended mound that rose from the very land where he was. Even as he thought the word "mound," his new consciousness told him hill. (p. 81)
The sled is the first memory that Jonas receives, and it is red, connecting it to the apple. The first memory is a pleasant one. Jonas enjoys the sled ride, and asks why there is no longer snow. The sled is a symbol of freedom. In the world where the first memory comes from, sledding is fun and snow is enjoyable. Eventually, Jonas escapes to elsewhere on a sled.
Through the use of symbols such as these, Lowry reinforces the major themes of the book: identity, individualism, and the importance of human emotions.
Lowry, Lois (1993-04-26). The Giver (Newbery Medal Book). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Kindle Edition.
What symbol best represents the entire book, "The Giver"?
There are probably many symbols that could be used to answer this question, but if I had to choose one it would be the bookshelves full of books in the Giver's room.
The books in his room represent the world's knowledge, but because they are locked up in his room and he is the only one who has access to them, they are practically worthless and at the same time they are invaluable. They represent ALL of the knowledge that the community does not have. They represent all of the knowledge that only the Giver has access to. They represent forbidden knowledge, and in Jonas's society, anything that the Elders did not give to the citizens IS forbidden knowledge.
"Jonas stared at them. He couldn't imagine what the thousands of pages contained. Could there be rules beyond the rules that governed the community?" (Ch. 10).
Jonas was literally completely dumbfounded that these existed, let alone that there could be knowledge out there that he did not have access to. I think the books represent everything the community is missing—access to knowledge.