Themes: The Individual versus Society

In the beginning of the novel, Jonas accepts the rules of his community and wants to fit in. There are rules against bragging or pointing out differences or any other indicators of individual distinction. The community rules ensure that people will not do or say anything that breaks or threatens the homogeneity of the community.

However, when Jonas is selected to be the Receiver, he is immediately set apart from the rest of the community, and this...

Themes: Freedom versus Limitation

The community members are bounded by limitations in all aspects of life. They do not choose their careers, their spouses, or even their appearances. Nor do they choose when they will have children or how many. While community members can exercise limited choice in some instances—such as preferences around volunteer work and recreation—such choices are only allowed in a carefully controlled context. After learning about colors and sensations,...

Themes: Coming of Age

The community ritualizes the coming-of-age process in the Ceremony of Twelve. When the Elevens turn Twelve, they receive their assignment, which will be their adult career. After each child is called to the stage during the ceremony, the Chief Elder thanks them for their childhood and announces their permanent assignment. After year twelve, people stop keeping track of their ages and simply transition into full adulthood and then again to being...

Themes: The Value of Emotions

The quality of Jonas’s emotions changes dramatically over the course of the novel, and this transformation binds the other three themes together. After experiencing the intensity of emotion present in memories of great suffering and joy, Jonas comes to understand that the emotions of his family and friends are shallow and limited. This lack of emotion is promoted through behavioral conditioning that discourages community members from displaying...

Themes: Control

The theme of control is central to The Giver, where society is meticulously regulated to maintain order and predictability. In this dystopian world, the Committee of Elders exercises absolute authority over every aspect of life, from personal relationships to professional roles. This control is intended to eliminate pain and ensure conformity, but it also strips individuals of freedom and emotional depth.

Control in the community is evident through...

Themes: Sameness

In The Giver, the theme of Sameness is central to the society's structure. The community in which Jonas lives has eliminated differences to ensure stability, safety, and predictability. This concept of Sameness involves significant sacrifices, including the loss of personal freedoms, individuality, and emotional depth. While Sameness provides certain advantages, it also imposes severe limitations on the human experience.

Sameness offers a stable...

Themes: Memory

In The Giver, memory plays a crucial role in shaping the society and its individuals. The novel explores the importance of memory in understanding emotions, making informed decisions, and maintaining cultural identity. The community in the story has sacrificed memories to achieve Sameness, resulting in a loss of individuality and emotional depth. The Receiver of Memory holds the burden of the past, preserving both painful and joyful memories to...

Themes: Love

In The Giver, the theme of love is explored through the stark contrast between the emotionally barren society and the rich, complex emotions experienced by Jonas. The community in the novel has eradicated love to maintain order and predictability, resulting in a society devoid of genuine human connections. Jonas's journey reveals the profound emptiness of a life without love and the lengths to which he will go to experience and preserve it.

Jonas's...

Themes: Family

In The Giver, the concept of family is a controlled and utilitarian construct, designed to maintain order and stability in the community. Family units are not formed through love or biological connections but through a systematic application process overseen by the Committee of Elders. Each family consists of one man, one woman, and two children—a boy and a girl—assigned to them. These units serve the sole purpose of raising children within the...