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The Giver - Chapters 2-3 Questions
Connotative Meaning:
Words have both a denotative meaning and a connotative meaning. The denotative meaning of a word is the meaning that can be found in the dictionary. The connotative meaning of a word is the implied or suggested meaning of a word. It describes the way a word makes you feel or the feelings you associate with the word. Read the two sentences below paying close attention to the meaning implied by the underlined words:
The Petersens had a visitor over for dinner.
The Petersens had a guest over for dinner.
Both visitor and guest mean that the Petersens had an extra person at the table for dinner. However, the word visitor suggests nothing about the person. The word guest implies someone who was specifically invited and welcomed into their home. Guest has a more positive connotation. Visitor is more neutral, simply describing an extra person.
In The Giver the author carefully chooses the words she uses for describing things in the community. Look at the underlined wording in the pairs of sentences below. Place a check mark next to the sentence that you feel has a more positive connotation because of the word used.
1. ____ Jonas’s family sat down to dinner.
____ Jonas’s family unit sat down to dinner.
2. ____ Jonas returned to his dwelling after school hours.
____ Jonas returned to his home after school hours.
3. ____ None of the Twelves knew what his or her Assignment would be.
____ None of the Twelves knew what his or her career would be.
4. ____ George spent a quiet evening with his wife.
____ George spent a quiet evening with his spouse.
5. ____ The family unit welcomed their newchild.
____ The family unit welcomed their baby.
Why do you think Lowry decided to use these words and phrases? What do they reveal about the community?
Chapter 2
1. Why do you think assignments (e.g.: Nurturer, Pilot, Instructor, etc.) are capitalized in the novel?
2. Jonas’s father did not feel as nervous as Jonas about turning twelve because he knew he would likely get the assignment of Nurturer. Why is Jonas so nervous?
3. Write one quote from pg. 23 which shows the reader more about the community’s knowledge of animals.
What does quote tell you about their understanding and use of animals?
Chapter 3
4. In Chapter 3, Jonas realizes that his eyes gave him a look “as if one were looking into the clear water of the river, down to the bottom, where things might lurk which hadn’t been discovered yet” (21). What foreshadowing does this provide the reader?
5. Jonas, along with the newchild Gabriel, has pale (or light) eyes, while the rest of the community has dark eyes. What tone or feelings do we normally associate with light and dark? What might this tell us about the differences between Jonas and the rest of the community?
6. Why are Lily’s parents upset that she wants to become a Birth Mother?
7. What strange event involving an apple happened to Jonas? Why do you think he just tries to forget the incident?