The Giver

The novel The Giver is set in the future. In this extract you will meet Jonas, who lives in a community where there is no war, no jealousy, no hunger and no pain, but also no colours and no choices. Everything is decided by the elders. They decide who should get married, whether a couple can receive a baby from a professional birthmother and which profession a teenager is going to train for. The idea is that this sameness will create a society without conflicts and where no-one makes wrong choices. When he is 12, Jonas is told that his role is to become the next Receiver, the person in this community who keeps all the memories from the past and learns about the world outside. The Giver, one of the elders, is transferring his memories from his own mind to Jonas’ mind, and in this process, Jonas can see colours. The Giver told him that it would be a very long time before he had the colours to keep. “But I want them!” Jonas said angrily. “It isn’t fair that nothing has colour!” “Not fair?” The Giver looked at Jonas curiously. “Explain what you mean.” “Well ...” Jonas had to stop and think it through. “If everything’s the same, then there aren’t any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?” He looked down at himself, at the colourless fabric of his clothing. “But it’s all the same, always.” Then he laughed a little. “I know it’s not important, what you wear. It doesn’t matter. But –” “It’s the choosing that’s important, isn’t it?” The Giver asked him. Jonas nodded. “My little brother –” he began, and then corrected himself. “No, that’s inaccurate. He’s not my brother, not really. But this newchild that my family takes care of – his name’s Gabriel?”

Watch the official trailer for the movie The Giver. Does this look like a film you would like to watch? Why or why not? Lois Lowry VurderingseksemplarRemember! You don’t have to understand all the words in a story to enjoy it. (1937–) is an American writer. extract utdrag community samfunn the Elders de eldre receive motta birthmothers her: kvinner som har som jobb å føde barn profession yrke sameness likhet the receiver mottakeren keep beholde memories minner past fortiden transferring overfører mind sinn, sjel curiously nysgjerrig colourless fargeløs fabric stoff clothing klær inaccurate upresist newchild = child born by birthmother

“Yes, I know about Gabriel.” “Well, he’s right at the age where he’s learning so much. He grabs toys when we hold them in front of him – my father says he’s learning small-muscle control. And he’s really cute.” The Giver nodded. “But now that I can see colours, at least sometimes, I was just thinking: what if we could hold up things that were bright red, or bright yellow, and he could choose? Instead of the Sameness.” “He might make wrong choices.” “Oh.” Jonas was silent for a minute. “Oh, I see what you mean. It wouldn’t matter for a newchild’s toy. But later it does matter, doesn’t it? We don’t dare to let people make choices of their own.” “Not safe?” The Giver suggested. “Definitely not safe,” Jonas said with certainty. “What if they were allowed to choose their own mate? And chose wrong?” “Or what if,” he went on, almost laughing at the absurdity, “they chose their own jobs?” “Frightening, isn’t it?” The Giver said. Jonas chuckled. “Very frightening. I can’t even imagine it. We really have to protect people from wrong choices.” “It’s safer.” “Yes,” Jonas agreed. “Much safer.” The movie The Giver was released in 2014. The film begins in black and white, but as Jonas is able to see colours, it shifts into colour. Brenton Thwaites plays grabs griper definitely helt klart with certainty med sikkerhet mate ektefelle absurdity absurditet, urimelighet frightening skremmende chuckled smålo imagine forestille protect beskytte Vurderingseksemplar Jonas and Jeffrey Bridges plays The Giver.

UNDERSTANDING

1 Answer the questions. a What does Jonas want? colour color b What does Jonas feel is unfair? c Who is Gabriel? d Why can’t they let people choose little things like colours? e What kinds of choices are made for the people in this community? f Why aren’t people given the opportunity to choose for themselves?

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TEXT ANALYSIS

2 Answer the questions for analysis. Narrator: Who tells the story? Setting: Where and when does the story take place? Characters: Who is the story about? Plot: What happens in the story? Conflict: What is the problem? Theme: What is the story really about? VIEWPOINTS 3 Discuss the questions. a The Giver points out that making choices might not be safe. What is he thinking of? b Look at the list of human rights on pages 78–79 in Chapter 2. Do you think the people in this community have basic human rights? Explain. c Can you think of situations or places in this world where people do not have the right to choose for themselves?Vurderingseksemplar

LANGUAGE LAB

4 Future tense. Translate the sentences. a Jonas skal bli den neste mottakeren. b Han kommer til å se farger. c De eldre mener at likhet vil gjøre at det ikke blir konflikter.

EXPLORE MORE

5 Watch the movie version of The Giver or read the whole novel.