semester exam: the giver Flashcards
characterization
Jonas is precise, careful, rule-following, normal
Asher is clumsy, careless, funny, quirky
fate/control vs free will
theme: choices, freedom that the community is deprived of
control vs chaos
theme: control of society vs chaos that would ensue without it
individual vs society
theme: individual’s opinion and choice vs society’s conformity and urging
coming of age
theme: as they grow up, they get more mature, and more things change
euthanasia
theme: killing without pain, presumably, what happens when people are ‘released’
theme
ideas in the novel
motif
a recurring pattern, element, or action in the book representing a bigger idea
apology
motif: in their community, there is a standard apology “I apologize for/to…” they have to say this after doing something wrong/breaking a rule
safety
motif: idk but maybe because the community is controlling to keep them safe but took it too far
release
motif: euthanasia; killing without pain
nomenclature
motif: the naming system for newborns/babies/people
symbol
a tangible thing that is significant because it communicates a bigger idea/theme
sled
symbol: symbolizes freedom, possibilities of the world, and the discoveries Jonas makes during his training
light eyes
symbol: symbolizes depth, uniqueness, differences
bicycle
symbol: symbolizes coming of age (receiving bicycles @9), and differences in personalities even though the community wants everyone to be the same (asher is clumsy/funny so his bike is never parked properly, Jonas is precise so his bike is always parked neatly)
front-buttoned jacket
symbol: symbolizes independence (before they had back-buttoned jackets to promote interdependence) and coming of age (receiving the jackets @7)
books
symbol: symbolizes control, loss of info (people are allowed to have books that the elders approve and supply, specifically the book of rules, but the giver has a lot of books that people didn’t even know existed.)
Gabriel
symbol: 🤷♀️ but maybe cuz of his light eyes
internal conflict
Jonas struggles when he reads that he will be allowed to lie in his training folder because he is always told that lying is one of the worst transgressions while growing up. Therefore this change made him feel disturbed especially because the community’s emphasis on the precision of language is so that no one accidentally tells a lie. If he is permitted to lie, who else is? Anyone could be lying to him so anything he believes could be untrue!
external conflict
fritz (mentioned in Chapter 6) made small transgressions but each error reflected badly on his parents and infringed on the community’s sense of control, neatness, and perfection.
