The Giver Ch. 1

          Chapter One begins with a boy named Jonas, who is almost twelve years old, thinking about his feelings.  It is November, and Jonas feels... well, he can't describe how he feels.  He almost feels frightened, but not really.  He remembers a time that he really felt frightened.  A year ago, a strange airplane had flown over his community.  His community does not allow airplanes to fly near it, so this experience was very frightening for him.  Also, this airplane was very different from regular airplanes.  It was very small and skinny, like a fighter jet.  Jonas did not know about war, but the leaders told everyone to go inside immediately.  He went inside his house, and the street was completely empty.  Jonas felt very frightened, until it was over and the leaders told everyone that it was safe again.  They said that the pilot had made a mistake, and as a punishment, the pilot would be "released."  "Release" was a very serious word in Jonas' community, because people who were released was kicked out of the community.  They went away and never came back again, and no one knew what happened to them.


          Jonas remembers that time, and he knows that he does not really feel frightened right now.  That was too strong of an adjective.  He feels eager, and excited, about the special event that will happen in December.  But, he also feels very nervous, because he doesn't know what will happen to him in that event.  Finally, Jonas decides that the best word to describe his feeling is apprehensive.

          That night, at home, Jonas shares his feelings with his family.  Every evening, each family in the community has a ritual for telling feelings.  Jonas' little sister, Lily, goes first.  She describes feeling angry on the playground because another boy did not follow the rules.  Jonas' father described feeling worried because one of the babies that he takes care of in the childcare center was not growing very fast, and didn't sleep well.  If the baby doesn't start growing and sleeping better, the leaders might release him.  Jonas' mother talks about feeling frustrated, because she is a judge, and someone had been brought to court for breaking the rules a second time.  If he broke the rules a third time, he would be released.

         Finally, Jonas shares his feelings.  He tells his family that he feels apprehensive about the ceremony in December.  Lily is awed by thinking about this ceremony, called the Ceremony of Twelve, because it is very important.  Then, Jonas' mother and father decide to talk to Jonas about it privately, and they tell Lily to go to her room



Vocabulary Words about Feelings: (please define in your own words)
frightened
eager
excited
nervous
apprehensive
angry
worried
frustrated
awed

Other Vocabulary Words that are important for this story: (define what they mean in this story)
Release
Community
Event
Ceremony

Comprehension Questions:
1.  Why did Jonas feel frightened a year ago?
2.  How does Jonas feel now?
3.  Why does Jonas feel like that?
4.  What do families do in the evening ritual?
5.  Who is in Jonas' family?

* Do you notice anything about this community that is DIFFERENT from our world?