The Giver Chapter 1-10 summary

Chapter 1 Summary

Jonas was deciding what he felt about the upcoming December, where he would become a Twelve at the Ceremony of Twelve. He wasn't frightened about the approaching December; frightened was what he felt almost a year ago when an unidentified aircraft flew over the community twice. Frightened was too strong an adjective to describe what Jonas was feeling. Jonas knew he was excited and eager for the event, but as he thought about what might happen, a feeling of nervousness caused him to shudder. He decided that he was apprehensive about the ceremony.

At home, the evening telling of feelings ritual begins, where each family member explains their feelings for the day. Jonas went last for the ritual and explained his apprehensiveness about the upcoming big event. Jonas' mother told Lily, Jonas' little sister, to go and prepare for bed. Jonas was held aside so his parents could talk privately with him.

Chapter 2 Summary

Jonas and his parents talked about the upcoming December and the uncertainties Jonas had about it. Jonas' parents reasured him by talking about Decembers in the past, but he still felt worried.

They were talking about the year when Lily became a member of the family, and the year when Jonas' father was Assigned Nurturer, whose job is to take care of the newchildren. Father confessed that he looked at the current naming list and searched up number Thirty-six, that was the newchild he was concerned for, and found the name Gabriel. He thought calling the newchild by a name would enhance the nurturing. Jonas' parents told him that disappointments were rare, and if there were, there was always an appeal process.

After the long conversation, a little bit of Jonas' doubt disappeared, but the uncertainty was still there.

Chapter 3 Summary

In this chapter, the newchild Gabriel was brought to Jonas' family's dwelling. Lily comented that the newchild had funny, light-coloured eyes, just like Jonas. Jonas didn't like that Lily mentioned his peculiar eye colour, and he decided that she would be chastised sooner or later. He went over to where his father was carefully unstrapping Gabriel's carrying basket. Jonas noticed the newchild's rare, pale eyes, peering up curiously at him. He was reminded that pale eyes weren't only a rarity but added depth to the one who had them. Jonas felt self conscious, for he, too, had that certain depth.

In the dwelling, Lily exclaimed that the newchildren were very cute, and that she wanted to become a Birthmother. Then her mother told her that there was little honor in that Assignment, and that after three births, the Birthmothers were Laborers, and had to do hard, physical labor until they were old. Lily and Jonas' father pointed out that the Nurturers were the ones that spent time with the newchildren, not the Birthmothers, and Lily should hope to be a Nurturer instead.

Chapter 3 Summary - Continued

Lily noticed that little Gabe was sleeping, so she said she'd better be quiet, otherwise the newchild would wake up. Jonas, sitting at his desk, thought that Lily would never stop talking, because she never stopped. He thought that Lily should hope for the Speaker Assignment, so she could sit with the microphone all day, saying things like, ATTENTION. THIS IS A REMINDER TO FEMALES UNDER NINE THAT HAIR RIBBONS ARE TO BE NEATLY TIED AT ALL TIMES. He thought that there ought to be an annoucement like that soon, directed mainly at Lily, whose ribbons were untied and dangling as usual, although her name would not be mentioned. Everyone would just know.

Jonas remembered with embarrassment an announcement that was directed specifically at him. It was because Jonas took an apple home from the Recreation Area after playing catch with Asher. During the game of catch, Jonas noticed that the apple changed indescribably. It had only lasted for a few seconds. He passed it back to Asher, and the apple had undergone another change.

Chapter 3 Summary - Continued

It happened four times. He asked Asher if there was anything weird about the apple, but the response Jonas got was not what he was looking for. He had took the apple home in confusion and examined it further. As he looked at it, there was nothing unusual about it. Jonas waited for the change to happen, but it hadn't. The only thing that happened was the announcement that singled him out. Now sitting at his desk, Jonas tried to distract himself with studying. The evening proceeded like all others before it, the only thing different being the newchild.

Chapter 4 Summary

Jonas tried to find his best friend's bicycle. He usually didn't work with Asher, because Asher made games out of everything and made serious work difficult. Now, with the ceremony coming soon and volunteer hours ending, it didn't really matter. Jonas volunteered in a variety of places over the years to experience the differences, however, he hadn't the slightest idea of what his Assignment would be. Jonas spotted Asher's bike leaning, as usual, at the House of the Old. Only one other child's bike was there, belonging to a female Eleven named Fiona. She was quiet, polite and had a sense of fun as well, so it was no surprise that she was working with Asher today. Jonas parked his bike in the port beside the others and entered the building. He joined his friends in the bathing room. Jonas got to work bathing a woman named Larissa, who talked about the release that happened that day, the release of a man named Roberto. Then Larissa talked about a recent release of a lady named Edna, whom she didn't like very much. Both Jonas and Larissa agreed that the Releasing Room should be enlarged, and that it would take forever for the committee to study the idea.

Chapter 5 Summary

Jonas rarely dreamed, so he rarely participated in the morning ritual of dream-telling. But today was different in the sense that Jonas actually had a dream, a very vivid dream. Jonas tried to make sense of his dream when Lily, his sister, was telling of a lengthy dream, in which she was caught breaking the rules guarding bicycle riding. Next, Mother told of a dream fragment in which she was chastised for breaking a law she didn't understand. Even though Jonas rarely dreamt, the family always asked in case he actually had a dream. When they asked, Jonas said he did have a dream, then he told of his odd dream. Afterward, his mother told him to stay so they could talk. Mother said the feeling Jonas described as wanting was something called Stirrings. She explained that Stirrings were perfectly normal,and the treatment for Stirrings were pills. She handed Jonas a pill, and he swallowed it. Jonas set off for school.

Chapter 6 Summary

The December Ceremonies finally arrived and Jonas' family was eagerly preparing for the day's events. Then they went to the Auditorium where big events like the Ceremony were hosted. The first Ceremony, the Naming of newchildren, began right on time with Nurturers handing newchildren to their assigned family units. Jonas watched the Ceremonies of Two, Three, and Four with no interest at all. There was a break for a midday meal outdoors, then back inside for the remaining ceremonies, the last of them being the Eights. The first day of the Ceremony was exhausting and everyone slept soundly.

The day of the Ceremony of Twelve finally approached. The new Nines eagerly accepted their bicycles, the Tens' hair snipped into their distinguishing cuts, and the Elevens received their new clothing. The midday meal break came, and was followed by the long awaited Ceremony of Twelve.

Chapter 7 Summary

Jonas' group sat in the Auditorium arranged in their original numbers that were given at birth. Jonas sat beside Fiona, who was number Eighteen, and Pierre, who was number Twenty. Asher, who was Four, was assigned Assistant Director of Recreation. Later, Fiona was given the Assignment of Caretaker of the Old. Jonas knew that he was going to be the next person to receive their assignment, but the Chief Elder, the one giving the assignments, had skipped Jonas and called out Twenty instead. The order continued like that until the end. Jonas wondered in his mind what he had done wrong.

Chapter 8 Summary

After the final Assignement, the Chief Elder spoke again explaining that Jonas has not been assigned but was selected to be the next Receiver of Memory. She went on talking abut how rare the selection is and that in the past, ten years ago, a selection of the Receiver failed because of their hastiness. The Chief Elder went on explaining why the Committee of Elders chose him to be the next Receiver. Then the Chief Elder talked about the last essential attribute called the Capacity to See Beyond. Jonas was going to protest that he did not have this attribute, but as he looked down at the audience something happened. They changed. Then the audience began chanting his name, quietly at first and gradually getting louder and faster.

Chapter 9 Summary

Jonas went home after the Ceremony, but he felt separate and different from his peers. He heard people whispering about him and saw them staring at him. The evening meal that Jonas and his family had was quieter than usual. He decided to ask his parents about the selection that had failed ten years ago, but his parents would not tell him the name of the one who had failed. Jonas' parents explained that the name was never to be spoken ever again. They simply did not know what happened to the girl who failed as a receiver of memory.

Before bedtime, Jonas opened the folder he received that contained instructions and rules for his training. He was surprised to see that it contained only one page, with eight steps on it. He read the page twice and discovered that there was no time for any recreation with his friends. He also found that he was exempted from rules governing rudeness, and he was not permitted to discuss his training with the community. He read the final rule and was shocked by it - he was allowed to lie.

Chapter 10 Summary

Jonas began his training in a place called The Annex. He had never been there before. He entered a small room with walls lined with books, tons of books that reached all the way up to the ceiling. There must have been hundreds, maybe thousands, or even millions of them. The furniture in this room was the same as in Jonas' dwelling, except they were slightly more luxurious. Jonas did not have time to explore because he was aware of a man waiting for him. Jonas introduced himself, but the old man already knew of his identity. The old bearded man tried his best to explain to Jonas what they would be doing in the room, but the more the man talked, the more confused Jonas became. Then the man told Jonas to remove his tunic and lie face down on the bed. The speaker was switched off and Jonas was astonished. The old man explained that he was going to transmit the memory of snow and placed his hands on Jonas' back.