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The Giver

 

            Jonas lives in a community where pain, rudeness, and war are non-existent. Every child undergoes a ceremony in December every year until they reach twelve years of age, at which point they receive their Assignments, the jobs they will perform as adults. A committee of Elders carefully watches each child in order to determine which adult occupation best suits his or her talents and interests. The committee also takes the greatest care in matching spouses in order to ensure stable marriages. No couple is allowed to raise children until the committee determines they are capable of being good parents. Every day, families undergo rituals of sharing, in which they analyze their feelings and dreams with one another.
             As his Ceremony of Twelve approaches, Jonas is apprehensive because he has no idea what Assignment he will receive. His parents try to allay his fears by explaining that the committee takes Assignments very seriously, so they rarely make the wrong choices. Meanwhile, Jonas' family begins temporarily caring for a newchild, or infant, named Gabriel. Gabriel is lagging behind the other newchildren in development, so Jonas's father, a Nurturer, decides to care for Gabriel in his home at night in the hopes that it will help Gabriel catch up with the other newchildren.
             If Gabriel fails to meet the standards of normal development, he will have to be "released." Release of a newchild is a sad event because Jonas' father and the other Nurturers feel that they have failed to do their jobs. The release of the elderly is a celebrated event because it signals an acknowledgment of productive life-long contribution to the community. Release is also used as a punishment for those who break the community's rules. Jonas does not know exactly what release means, but he thinks that it means sending people to live "Elsewhere"--away from the community.
             When the day of the Ceremonies arrives, Jonas discovers that he has been selected to be the next Receiver of Memory, the position with the highest honor in the community.


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