Literary Concepts in The Giver

Deep Analysis ofThe Giver

Literary Concepts in The Giver

Foreshadowing = Hints & clues about the future

• Jonas receives a memory of the sled as his first memory

• Lily points out that both Jonas and Gabe have pale eyes (“knowing eyes”)

• Rule #8: You may lie• “Changes” – the apple,

the audience and Fiona’s hair

• Jonas is chastised for claiming he’s “starving”

• Jonas is on the sled at the end• Both boys have the

ability to “see beyond”

• Jonas starts to lie frequently

• Jonas can see pigmentation (permanently)

• Jonas is starving to death at the end

Foreshadowing Continued…• The myth of the

man using the river to escape

Foreshadowing in Mr. Ryan’s Life

• Mr. Ryan’s old fiancée always wanted new things

• Mr. Ryan was tall and quick

• Mr. Ryan’s mother and uncle are teachers

• She eventually wanted a new significant other

• Mr. Ryan became good at basketball

• Mr. Ryan became a teacher

Symbolism = Something is something else (figuratively)

The SledThe RiverThe AnnexElephant/PoachersGabrielLilyAsherRosemaryJonas

• Glee• Killing of memories• Dove (symbol of peace)• The journey• Bitterness • Hope, “Open Eyes”

(figuratively), Strength of God?

• Protection from community

• Escape (Flee) or Path• Float on the surface

(showy)

Symbolism in Mr. Ryan’s Life• Wedding Ring• Small Car• Beard

• Love and devotion in marriage

• Laid back/Doesn’t care about image

• Free spirit

Mood = the feeling the author intends to give you as the reader

• The plane flies over the community

• Jonas sees the apple alter

• Jonas becomes the Receiver of Memory in training

• Jonas watches the release of the twin

• Jonas and Gabriel on the sled

Uncertainty/Bewilderment

Inquisitive/Intriguing/Mystified

Apprehensive

Mortified/Rage

Gleeful???

Mood in Mr. Ryan’s Life

Themes/Main or Central Idea (inferred) = universal ideas throughout a text

• You need both pleasure and anguish in life

• The importance of the individual

• Learning from mistakes

• Protecting people from themselves

• Good and bad memories• Everyone is the same

except for “the pale eyes”

• Only Jonas and the Giver can learn from previous generations mistakes; the community can only learn from themselves

• Nobody gets to make their own choices

Themes or Main/Central Idea (stated/inferred) = universal ideas throughout a text

• “Memories are forever”• “[Caring] is the meaning

of everything”• “Memories need to be

shared”

• Ignorance is bliss• Love is…• Integrity is…• Intelligence is…• Courage or bravery is…

Themes in Mr. Ryan’s Life• Always try your

best• You can always

change but you can’t change the past

• Mr. Ryan worst grades have been a C+, C+ and C

• Mr. Ryan still lives with his mistakes from high school

Cause and Effect (when something makes something else happen)

• Gabriel does not sleep soundly at the nurturing center…

• Rosemary can’t bear the anguish…

• Jonas wants to start “feeling” more…

• Rosemary is released• Jonas accidently

transmits a memory to Gabe

• Add two more

• He gets voted to be released

• She asks for her release

• He stops taking stirring pills

Cause & Effect

Internal Conflict = problems with yourself (decisions/choices) Person vs. Self

• Jonas can lie but doesn’t want to

• Jonas can’t decide what assignment to focus on

• Jonas wants his stirrings but has to take the pills

• (Students add two more)

• Avoids questions, answers other questions, and lies

• Does many different assignments during volunteer hours

• Jonas stops taking the dosage

Internal Conflict in Mr. Ryan’s Life

External Conflict = problems with someone or something else (Person vs. Person, Nature, God or Society)

• Jonas discovers his father kills babies

• Jonas is literally starving with the snow and hill being obstacles

• Jonas has to follow the rules of the community or risk “release”

• Jonas going to heaven???

• Add two more

• Person vs. Person• Person vs. Nature• Person vs. Society• Person vs God

External Conflict in Mr. Ryan’s Life

Simile = comparison using like or as (compare uncommon things)

• Jonas is like an elephant

• The Giver is like a light switch to Jonas

• Asher is as dumb as a doorknob

• The community is as blind as a bat

• (Students add three)

• He never forgets• He turns the light on

for Jonas (figuratively)

• Doorknobs can’t think – Asher is easily controlled

• Bats use sonar and the community is blind to what is happening

Similes in Mr. Ryan’s Life

Metaphors = comparisons using am, is, are, etc.(compare uncommon things)

• The Giver is a switch

• The community is a trap

• The sled is a life jacket

• The river is a treasure map

• (Student adds two more)

• He shows Jonas the “light” (the truth)

• The community tricks the members into many things

• Helps Jonas escape the community

• The river leads to escape (Elsewhere is the “X”)

Metaphors in Mr. Ryan’s Life

Alliteration = using the same consonant at the beginning of a word (at least three times)

• “He’d been sleeping so soundly”

• The Giver gives good and gleeful memories

• father said in his sweet, sing-song voice”

• Gabriel gets a great gift from Jonas and gives his gratitude

• (students add three more)

Alliteration in Mr. Ryan’s Life

Hyperbole = an exaggerated statement

• The Giver’s beard is ten feet long

• The Christmas tree is the greenest-green ever

• The sled is lightning fast

• Asher is always late• “Jonas had a thousand

questions. A million.”• (students three more)

• His beard may be long, but it’s not ten feet long

• It may appear to be the greenest but Jonas hasn’t seen all the greens

• The sled is fast but can’t be as fast as lightning

• Asher is often late, not always

Hyperbole in Mr. Ryan’s life• Mr. Ryan is 20 feet

tall• Mr. Ryan is 6’5

Oxymoron or Paradox (opposites that seem not to make sense but

somehow do) www.oxymoronlist.com

• A little big problem• (add four more)

• Gabe is a little child (literally) and starving is a big problem

Idioms www.idiomsite.com

• A slap on the wrist• (students add 4)

• The children get chastised for every little infraction (literally & figuratively)

• Explain how it fits the story

Personification (giving inanimate objects human traits or qualities)

• The river swallowed Caleb

• The annex confides in no one

• Students add 3 more• (think of our senses)• The sled feels• The syringe• The books (pick an

action)• The bikes (pick a

thought or action)

• He drowned• Secrets are kept in

the annex by Jonas & The Giver

Onomatopoeia (words make the sound) www.examples-of-onomatopoeia.com/

• The fish sizzled on the stove

• The children giggled at Asher’s poor use of vocab

• Students add three more

• Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

• Gggggggggggggggggg

Irony (Opposites)(Situational, Verbal or Dramatic)

• Nobody knows what release is

• There is homicide in the Utopian community

• Rosemary made a great receiver

• The Elders make fantastic decisions

• People celebrate release

• Jonas and the Giver planning the escape

• This is irony because

.

Similarities (3) Differences (3)

• Jonas/Fiona• Jonas/Asher• Jonas/The Giver• Father/The Giver• Jonas/Rosemary• The Giver/Rosemary• Rosemary/Fiona.

• Jonas/Fiona• Jonas/Asher• Jonas/The Giver• Father/The Giver• Jonas/Rosemary• The Giver/Rosemary• Rosemary/Fiona

Compare and Contrast(Similarities & Differences)

Round/Dynamic Flat/Static

• Jonas, The Giver and three other characters

• I infer is a

round/dynamic character because

.

• I infer is a flat

or static character because

.

Round/Dynamic versus Flat/Static Characters (Jonas, The Giver, Rosemary, Asher, Gabe)

Protagonist (main character) versus Antagonist (bad guy or thing)

• The Community• The Burden of the

Memories• The Giver’s

responsibility as the Receiver to give anguished-filled memories

• Jonas needs love• Jonas

• Ranking Antagonist and explain your ranking

Facts Opinions

• Jonas is the best receiver

• Gabe has golden hair• The Giver is too rigid• The father is a good

liar• Fiona releases the old• Gabe has pale eyes• There is a bridge over

the river

• Rosemary shouldn’t have committed suicide

• Jonas is starving• Jonas & Gabe died• The community needs

love• The annex is a great

place for training

Fact versus Opinion

Chronological Order (Sequencing)

• Jonas gets his first memory (snow/sled)

• Jonas finds out Rosemary was released

• A plane flies over the community

• Jonas is bypassed at the ceremony of twelve

• The twin is released• Jonas is given his rules

as the new Receiver• Jonas abducts Gabe

• Jonas & Gabe are sliding down the hill

• Jonas sees the apple change

• The Giver gives Jonas the memory of war and the soldier

• The Giver transmits a rainbow

• Jonas perceives love• The memory of the

poachers killing the elephant

Story Map of The Giver• Exposition:

introduction to story and conflict(s)

• Rising Action: main events that lead to climax

• Community is very rigid and can get “released” for transgressions

• List at least five to seven vital events before the climax

Story Map Continued• Climax: most

interesting or crucial part; the story “changes”

• Falling Action: main events after the climax

• Resolution (denouement): how the major conflict is solved

• When we find out “release” means murder (climax)

• List at least three to five events that were imperative after the climax

• Jonas and Gabriel reach “Elsewhere” (resolution)

Setting = time and place• The “perfect” place• Where his family lives

and where sharing takes place

• Learning and training take place

• Can be outside/can’t be outside

• Where the training is• Caleb’s “escape”• Where people go after

their release

Author’s Purpose To inform, To Entertain, To Persuade, To Express an Opinion• Jonas and Gabriel

escape the community• Mr. Ryan and the

Giver have grotesque beards

• You need to read The Giver, it will make you think differently

• In the movie the Giver should have a purple beard and a orange robe

Author’s Purpose in Mr. Ryan’s Life

• I have two dogs – one male and one female

• You need to come over and mow my grass in order to get a “B” in my class

• Chivas is the best soccer team

• After I shave my beard I will glue it back on my face

• To inform• To persuade• To express an

opinion• To entertain

Analogies• Glee is to happy as

somber is to • Utopia is to Dystopia as

pigmentation is to • Starving is to Anguish as

Scars are to • Jonas is to Lily as Fiona

is to Bruno• Memories are to Anguish

as Lies are to • Vague is to unclear as

hue is to

• synonyms

Vocabulary: The Giver (Summarize The Giver in at least two paragraphs)

• Anguish• Grotesque• Recreation• Tempted• Perceive• Transmit• Glee• Reprieve• Inadequate

• Optimistic or Pessimistic

• Hue or Hueless• Appeal or Bypass• Dwelling or Annex• Nuisance or Burden• Transgression or

Infraction• Vague or Vividly• Apprehensive or

Chastise

Last Slide: Author’s Purpose To Express an Opinion (at least two paragraphs)