The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Table of Contents
Chapters 3 and 4
Summary: Chapters 3 and 4
Jonas’ father brings Gabriel home for observation. Lily notices that both Gabriel and Jonas have blue eyes, which contrasts with most members of the community. However, Lily’s remarks are considered very rude in the society. Those in the community are never supposed to point out the differences that people have; instead, homogeneity is honored. Lily expresses that she wants to be a Birthmother, especially because being around Gabriel has made her realize that she loves newchildren. Lily and Jonas’ mother explains to Lily that she should not wish to be a Birthmother; though they have nice lives for the three years that they produce children, they then have to endure tough physical labor and do not get the opportunity to see their biological offspring.
Jonas ruminates about the Speakers. The Speakers make announcements all day long, and Jonas remembers when he was once reprimanded through a community message. His name was not used because doing so would damage the society’s homogeneity. Jonas was called out in the message because he stole an apple from his school. He noticed that the apple would suddenly change in ways that he could not fully describe. Although his friend Asher accompanied him, Asher never noticed the change in the apple. While at home, Jonas discovers nothing strange about the apple. However, he can’t seem to forget the incident.
Jonas meets up with Asher so that they can perform their volunteer hours; the volunteer hours aren’t actually volunteering, as they are required by the society to complete them. The Eights through Elevens all do volunteer hours so that the elders can get a sense of their interests and skills. Despite the requirement, Jonas likes his volunteer hours. They are less structured and are enjoyable for him. On this particular day, Jonas’ Assignment takes him to a place called The House of Old. His...
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