Name ________________________ The Giver Reader Response Journal Essential Questions for this novel study: 1. Why do some governments oppress individuals and individuality? 2. In what ways do governments oppress individuals and individuality? 3. What are different ways that individuals react to government oppression? Literary terms and concepts in this novel that you will explore through your reader-response journal: Utopia: a perfect society. Although many groups of people have tried to create utopias, they hardly ever work well for long. (The Puritans tried to create a utopia here in America, but look what happened to them!) Dystopia: a society that tried to become a utopia but whose government became too restrictive, taking away individual rights and civil liberties. (Example: the society in The Uglies is a dystopia because it takes away individuality and rights and forces everyone to be pretty and perfect.) Euphemism: a word that covers up the true meaning or harsh reality of the concept. (Examples: “passed on” is a euphemism for died. “Repeating a grade” is a euphemism for flunked.) There are many euphemisms used in the Community in this book. Ask yourself why they are used and what realities are being covered up and why. Flashback: when the setting “flashes” back to an earlier setting to reveal something important about the past in order to help you understand the present. The main character, Jonas, flashes back in his memory several times, helping the readers to understand new ideas about his Community. Foreshadowing: little hints in the text that help the reader predict something important that will occur later in the story. Symbolism: physical objects or things that represent big ideas about life. Example: the stars of the American flag symbolize
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Name ________________________ The Giver Reader Response Journal
Essential Questions for this novel study: 1. Why do some governments oppress individuals and individuality?2. In what ways do governments oppress individuals and individuality? 3. What are different ways that individuals react to government oppression?
Literary terms and concepts in this novel that you will explore through your reader-response journal:
Utopia: a perfect society. Although many groups of people have tried to create utopias, they hardly ever work well for long. (The Puritans tried to create a utopia here in America, but look what happened to them!)
Dystopia: a society that tried to become a utopia but whose government became too restrictive, taking away individual rights and civil liberties. (Example: the society in The Uglies is a dystopia because it takes away individuality and rights and forces everyone to be pretty and perfect.)
Euphemism: a word that covers up the true meaning or harsh reality of the concept. (Examples: “passed on” is a euphemism for died. “Repeating a grade” is a euphemism for flunked.) There are many euphemisms used in the Community in this book. Ask yourself why they are used and what realities are being covered up and why.
Flashback: when the setting “flashes” back to an earlier setting to reveal something important about the past in order to help you understand the present. The main character, Jonas, flashes back in his memory several times, helping the readers to understand new ideas about his Community.
Foreshadowing: little hints in the text that help the reader predict something important that will occur later in the story.
Symbolism: physical objects or things that represent big ideas about life. Example: the stars of the American flag symbolize the 50 equal but individual states. Colors can be symbolic too. The color red symbolizes passion which is why it can be the color of passionate love (red rose) or passionate hatred (bloodshed and war). Green often symbolizes nature, growth, and renewal, as seen by grass and spring leaves. Other objects in nature have ancient symbolic values, going back thousands of years, including mountains and trees. We will study some of these symbols in class to enrich your reading experience.
*the biblical name Jonas (Jonah) __________________________________________________________
*the biblical name Gabriel (the angel Gabriel) ________________________________________________
situational irony: a contradiction; when something is the opposite from the way it appears to be. (Example: a Weight watchers sign above an ice cream store.)
dramatic irony: when the readers know something that the characters don’t. Example: (When Anne Frank writes in her diary that she can’t wait to ride a bike once she’s free, the readers/audience knows that she will never do this because she dies.)
Important Themes Related to The Giver
• The Individual Vs. Society• Freedom and Choice• Feelings and Emotions• Coming of Age (Bildungsroman)• Memory
Scoring :
Category 4 3 2 1RL.8.4 VocabularyI can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text.
Proficient + sophisticated understanding of how the vocab affects the understanding of the story.
Correct definition in the correct context.
May not show a complete understanding of the word & its meaning in context.
Lacks understanding of the word and its meaning in context.
RL.8.2 I can make an inference while reading
Proficient + sophisticated understanding
Shows an understanding of an UNSTATED idea
Inference may not be developed enough
Inference is unclear or undeveloped
RL.8.2 I can analyze how dialogue or incidents in a story propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Proficient + sophisticated understanding of the characters and story
Clearly shows how ideas are related.
Analysis is not clear or developed enough.
Analysis is unclear or undeveloped.
RL.8.2 I can analyze theme and literary devices
Proficient + unexpected and mature ideas not discussed in class
Analysis is clear and focused.
Analysis needs more clarity or focus
Analysis is inaccurate or unfocused
Total ______________/16
Chapter 1, p. 1-10
Plot Events : Based on these bolded phrases, write the details of that scene and why it’s important. You are proving that you know the plot but you are also showing your ability to analyze the importance of the scene.
1. Riding bike: Jonas is riding his bike along the river, feeling frightened (apprehensive) of something that will be happening in Dec. In our society, most kids would be feeling excited about Christmas coming, but Jonas feels frightened instead.
2. Feeling frightened: Jonas remembers that he felt really frightened a year ago when a jet flew over the community twice, but “frightened” is not really how he’s feeling now, with the ceremony of 12 coming soon. It’s weird that a plane would make anyone feel frightened!
3. Sharing feelings: Jonas goes home, has dinner with family; they share their feelings. Mother, (Dept. Of Justice) worries about a citizen who broke the rules 3 times; Father (Nurturer) worries about newchild who is not developing properly; Lily was angry at a visiting kid who butted in line. Weird how they HAVE to share feelings! I would have hated this as a kid!
Vocabulary (Include the sentence with the word and the correct definition for the context.
1. “distraught” p. 4 “I guess I got distraught, watching them.” Distraught means upset. Jonas is remembering his friend Asher using the word ‘distraught’ incorrectly at school. (Asher should have used the word ‘distracted’ instead.)
2. “apprehensive” p. 4 “Apprehensive. That’s what I am.” Apprehensive means cautious and nervous about something about to occur. Jonas feels cautious about something that will be happening in December.
3. “ritual,” p. 4 “It was one of the rituals, the evening telling of feelings.” A ritual is something that is done regularly, the same way, either daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. Jonas’s family had to regularly tell their feelings to each other each day after dinner as an after-dinner ceremony or habit.
Literary technique: Flashback. Definition: when the setting “flashes back” to the past, to reveal something important that will connect to the present.
On page 2, the author flashes back to a scene from the previous year, when Jonas’s entire community had felt fearful when they saw an airplane flying overhead. Explain the importance of this flashback and what is revealed about the Community through it.
(Notice how my response uses complete sentences and analyzes the importance of the scene):
This flashback shows that an airplane flying overhead is a phenomenon that causes great fear in the community. Jonas realizes that the feeling he is currently having is not as strong as the feeling of fear. This flashback also shows me that this community is different from our own; they don’t have airplanes in the sky like we do. Also, the flashback reveals that everyone obeys all commands since everyone is commanded to go inside AND THEY DO! You can tell that this is not our own society because of this!
My Questions/ ideas (These can be things you wonder about, connections you can make, predictions, etc). Please don’t just repeat the questions I asked you in the journal! They should reflect your own, fresh thinking!
1. I would HATE having to share my feelings every day! I wonder what the purpose is?2. What is the setting of this story? What is the name of the “Community”? It’s not clear.
Chapter 2, p. 11-19
Plot Events: Based on these phrases, write what happened in the chapter and analyze why it’s important.
1. Ceremony of Ones: ____________________________________________________________________
“After Twelve, age isn’t important. Most of us even lose track of how old we are as time passes, though the information is in the Hall of Open Records, and we could go and look it up if we wanted to,” (page 17).
Based on this quotation, make an inference about the Community’s VALUES and contrast this with our own community’s VALUES. 3 sentences minimum. One of these sentences must be a complex sentence! Highlight it.
Making Inferences:“Three years…Three births, and that’s all. After that they are Laborers for the rest of
their adult lives, until the day they enter the House of the Old,” (page 22).
Explain what is revealed about the Community from this quotation. What inferences can you make from it? Three (3) sentences minimum. One of the sentences must be a compound sentence that uses a semicolon. Highlight it.
Literary technique: Flashback. Definition: when the setting “flashes back” to the past, to reveal something important that will connect to the present. On page 23-24, the author flashes back to the previous month when Jonas experiences something strange. Explain the strange event in the flashback.
Literary technique: Euphemism. Definition: A euphemism is a word that covers up the real meaning. A euphemism is a politically correct term used to make something seem less harsh or less embarrassing.
On page 37, Jonas’s mother talks about his first ‘Stirrings’. Explain what ‘stirrings’ is a euphemism for.
_________________________________________________. What do you think this euphemism reveals
about Jonas’s community? ________________________________________________________________
Evaluate: Because of the “stirrings” scene, The Giver has been banned (censured) in many public schools in America. Why do you think so many communities do not want their children reading this scene?
Literary technique: Flashback. On page 55, the author flashes back to a setting years before when Asher was a Three. What new information do we learn about the Community’s values through this flashback? (Your values are what you view as important in life)
Based on this chapter, questions, ideas, connections I have so far about this story are:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 8, p. 59-64
Plot Events
1. “I accept your apology.”: _______________________________________________________________
Based on this chapter, questions, ideas, connections I have so far about this story are:________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 11, p. 80-87
Plot Events
1. “And he could see, although his eyes were closed.” __________________________________________
Literary technique: ForeshadowingDefinition: little hints that help a careful reader predict what will happen in the future.
“Honor. ..I have great honor. So will you. But you will find that is not the same as power,” p. 84
Explain what this quotation might foreshadow later in the story and why you think this. (3 sentences minimum) One of your sentences must be a complex sentence. Highlight it.
Literary technique: symbolismSymbolism: when something physical represents an idea or conceptExplain the importance of the rainbow (at the end of the chapter) as a symbol in this book.
Author’s Purpose:The author chose to create this very short chapter instead of adding this scene to others. Explain the effects of setting this scene off by itself. What important ideas about the story does this emphasize?
The Giver shares with Jonas the memories of birthday parties, art museums, and walking through the woods. Explain the importance of these three experiences and why each would be forbidden in Jonas’s Community. (Four sentences minimum). Use a complex sentence and highlight it.
“The next morning, for the first time, Jonas did not take his pill. Something within him, something that had grown there through the memories, told him to throw the pill away.” Explain why you think Jonas’s
action is significant. (Three sentences minimum.) Use a compound sentence using a semicolon and highlight it.______________________________________________________________________________________
“…Now he saw the familiar, wide river beside the path differently. He saw all of the color and light and history it contained and carried in its slow-moving water; and he knew that there was an Elsewhere from which it came, and an Elsewhere to which it was going, (page 131).
Based on this quotation, how does Jonas view the river differently from the way he used to view it before he gained the memories? Also, explain why you think this quotation may be foreshadowing or symbolic in the story. (4 sentence minimum) Use a compound sentence with a semicolon and highlight the sentence.
Based on this chapter, questions, ideas, connections I have so far about this story are:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 21, p. 163-170
Plot Events
1. “But that evening everything changed. All of it…fell apart.”______________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Term: Symbolism“The road was narrower, and bumpy, apparently no longer tended by road crews. It was harder, suddenly, to balance on the bike, as the front wheel wobbled over stones and ruts, (page 171).”
How can a road symbolize life? ___________________________________________________________
Explain how the author is using the physical setting of the road to describe Jonas’s conflict.
Using what we have learned in class about the ancient symbolism of the Forest, explain how the author is using the setting of the Forest in The Giver to describe Jonas’s conflict.
3. “He forced his eyes open as they went downward, downward, sliding, and all at once he could see lights…”______________________________________________________________________________________
Literary Term: Symbolism“As Jonas watched, a snowflake drifted down and was caught briefly for a moment’s sparkle in the tiny fluttering eyelashes,” page 176).
What does a single snowflake symbolize? __________________________________________________
Explain how the author uses this symbolism to show the importance of Jonas’s and Gabriel’s relationship in this scene.
What do you think is important about the ending? What do you think happens at the end? (Note: you weren’t asked if you liked the ending or not, although you may certainly express your opinion too!)