Chapter 1

The Giver

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

NEEDLESS TO SAY, HE WILL BE RELEASED, the voice had said, followed by silence. There was an ironic tone to that final message, as if the Speaker found it amusing; and Jonas had smiled a little, though he knew what a grim statement it had been.

Sometimes Jonas and his sister, Lily, argued over turns, over who would get to go first. Their parents, of course, were part of the ritual; they, too, told their feelings each evening. But like all parents—all adults—they didn't fight and wheedle for their turn. Nor did Jonas, tonight.

The grown-ups never “fight and wheedle for their turn.” Tonight, Jonas doesn't either. Is he holding back for the same reason they do?

For the educator Two passages, in story order: the Speaker's announcement after the jet, and the start of the evening telling of feelings. The first passage is two sentences. The first sentence keeps the Speaker's words in capitals, as the book prints the voice from the speakers, with no quotation marks, then adds “followed by silence” after a comma. The second sentence is long and worth slowing down for: “as if” opens a guess about the Speaker, a semicolon joins Jonas's smile to it, and “though” turns the smile against what he knew. The second passage is four sentences. The first repeats “over” in two phrases set off by a comma. The second has “of course” and “too” each set off by commas, and a semicolon joining two halves about Mother and Father. The third uses two dashes to set off “all adults,” a pair the student copies exactly from the book. The last is four words, beginning “Nor,” and turns from the grown-ups to Jonas. The vocabulary words “ironic” and “ritual” come from these passages, one from each. The talk prompt asks the student to read that short last sentence closely.

Discussion

Narration Tell back the chapter in order. Start with Jonas hunting for the right word on his ride home. Stop where Lily goes to get ready for bed.

1. From the window, Jonas sees no people, only dropped bikes. Why might the writer show us one wheel still turning slowly?Author's choice

2. Jonas knew “HE WILL BE RELEASED” was a grim thing to say. Why did he smile a little anyway?Character

3. Asher says the salmon made him “distraught,” and the Instructor writes “distracted” beside it. Who knows better what Asher felt?Inference

4. Jonas works hard to find the right word for his own feeling. So why does he say “Animals?” so fast about a boy he has never met?Character

5. Jonas says he feels “a little sorry for him,” and then Lily says it almost word for word. Whose feeling is she telling?Inference

6. When Lily asks to keep the newchild, her innocent look is fake. Is her wish fake too?Inference

Make a Connection Think of a story, or a time in your own life, when someone had to put a feeling into words for other people. What did saying it out loud do to the feeling?

Vocabulary

Crossword

1	2	3	4
					5	6
				7

			8

Across

Across 1. So upset and worried that you can hardly think, which is far too strong a feeling for watching fish.
Across 7. Important and well known, so that many people notice it.
Across 8. Doing exactly what you are told, right away and without asking why.

Down

Down 2. Said in a way that seems to mean something different from the words, as if a serious thing were a little funny.
Down 3. Something done the same way at the same time again and again, like the family's talk after dinner.
Down 4. All together at the same moment, as when a whole class says the same words at once.
Down 5. Calmed and comforted after being upset.
Down 6. Boldly showing that you will not give in or back down, like Lily's raised fist.

The words in the chapter

distraught I guess I just got distraught, watching them.
ironic There was an ironic tone to that final message, as if the Speaker found it amusing
ritual It was one of the rituals, the evening telling of feelings.
unison The class recited the standard response in unison.

defiant She held up a clenched fist and the rest of the family smiled at her small defiant gesture.
obediently Instantly, obediently, Jonas had dropped his bike on its side on the path behind his family's dwelling.
soothed Soon she smiled, thanked them, and murmured that she felt soothed.
prominent Next, Mother, who held a prominent position at the Department of Justice, talked about her feelings.

Critical thinking

1. Jonas decided “frightened” was too strong a word for himself. Why does no one call it too strong when Mother uses it at dinner?

2. Mother and Jonas both “confessed” a feeling at dinner. Why would the writer pick a word that usually means owning up to something wrong?

3. Jonas trades “frightened” for “apprehensive,” and he is glad when the new word comes. Is he getting closer to what he truly feels, or making the feeling easier to handle?