History Literature / TheGiver

* AdultFear:
** A four-year-old boy named Caleb wanders away and drowns in the river.
** Seeing your friends and family indoctrinated by the government to the point that they no longer know how to think for themselves.
** [[spoiler: Your loved ones being euthanized without your knowledge.]]
** Jonas asks his parents if they love him. They don't even understand the meaning of the word.
** The Giver's relationship with [[spoiler: his daughter Rosemary. He must give her the memories, she can't handle it, and it hurts her to the point where not only does she ask to be Released, but insists on [[DrivenToSuicide injecting]] ''[[DrivenToSuicide herself]].'']]
** Jonas [[spoiler:runs away close to the climax with Gabriel, using his father's bike. You have a teenage boy on the run with a two-year old, hiding from search planes and starving. Another book, ''Son'', revealed that Jonas's father was frantic on realizing his children were missing -- keep in mind this would have been ''right when his feelings were returning''.]]

* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Though this is never explicitly stated, it's likely that this played a role in the development of the UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans society. Even the ability to see ''color'' is eliminated. Not just skin color -- ''all'' color except black, grey and white. And couples don't actually reproduce through intercourse, but are assigned exactly two children (children are born to specifically designated Birthmothers who are never seen)- one male and one female- and every citizen begins taking medication during puberty to suppress "[[NoSexAllowed the Stirrings]]".

* WorldOfNoGrandparents: {{Enforced}}. The Community doesn't even have the ''concept'' of grandparents - Jonas is completely unfamiliar with them before the Giver's explanation. Family units are used solely as a mechanism for raising children and family roles solely consist of mother/father, son/daughter, and brother/sister. And once children grow to adulthood, even these relationships essentially dissolve.

** A Four named Caleb wanders away and drowns in the river.

Newbery Medal-winning young adult novel by Lois Lowry. Known for its expertly merciless {{Deconstruction}} of the {{Utopia}}, and incidentally provides an introduction to the {{Dystopia}} genre for grade-school readers for whom some of the bits of ''Literature/NineteenEightyFour'' and ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'' would be a tad too saucy.

** Birthmothers, the only job that allows giving birth, are only allowed to have 3 children each before they become laborers. This would require that at least 1/3 of all women become birth mothers to maintain a stable population, but this doesn't happen at the beginning of the book as the administration is handing out jobs to graduates.

** Played very well when Jonas is disturbed to discover that the Giver's intercom system has an off switch--while the fact that [[BigBrotherIsWatching every room in the community contains an intercom without one]] has never bothered him.

** "Discipline wands" are used for other early childhood "misdeeds" as well- starting when a child begins walking (a milestone that is generally reached around ''one year old'').
** According to Fiona, ''the Old'' are also punished this way if ''they'' misspeak (or, presumably, "misbehave" in various other ways). Keep in mind that a good number of them are likely to be suffering from some form of dementia (although presumably they're "released" before it can get serious) - and thus are being punished for things ''they can't even control''.

** When he later [[spoiler: STOPS taking the pills]], he has several more "pleasurable" dreams- though who/what they're about is not stated.

* ExactWords: "Precision of language" is [[SeriousBusiness a very big deal]] in the Community. The Chief Elder tells a story of when Asher was a toddler and demanded 'a smack', when he wanted a snack...so the Instructor smacked him. Later, when Jonas asks his parents if they love him, he is chastised for using a word that is [[WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove so vague and imprecise it's practically obsolete]].
* FalseReassurance: The language of the Community is ''full'' of doublespeak and euphemisms - although what that means in a community that literally has no way of knowing it is left as an exercise for the reader.

* GainaxEnding: The book ends with Jonas getting a vision of a family celebrating Christmas. The ending is written ambiguously enough that the reader can interpret it as [[spoiler: Jonas and Gabe escape, or they end up back at the Community, or the ending is a DyingDream, or what-have-you. Lois Lowry responded with a ShrugOfGod when asked about it, although ''Literature/{{Messenger}}'' heavily implies their survival and ''Literature/{{Son}}'' confirms it]]. Still doesn't explain the Christmas thing, though... unless that is the part that he hallucinates.

* IndividualityIsIllegal: See TheEvilsOfFreeWill above. The Community is run by a very precise set of rules - people have been engineered so that they all look the same, experience more or less the same things, and react with the same quiet contentment and patience, and any deviance from this (see Asher's "snack"/"smack" incident) is punished. Breaking serious rules three times results in Release.

* MoodWhiplash: There is a nice scene where Jonas watches his father give the smaller of newborn twin brothers a check-up. It's so nice and lovely, and... Wait, what's that needle? What do you mean "can't have two identical people running around?" [[OhCrap WHAT DO YOU MEAN "THE VEINS IN YOUR ARM ARE TOO TEENY-WEENY]]?!?!"

* NeverSayDie: Nobody *dies* in the Community, they are "released" - or in rare cases, "lost".
* NewSpeak: The society enforced what it called "precision of language." Children are strongly reprimanded for using any kind of exaggeration or figurative language, because they lump it under "lying". (The example given is a child who says he is starving when he is only very hungry, because implying that the state would really let anyone starve is seen as extremely problematic.) They can still play pretend, though, so it doesn't hamper their thinking. Additionally, due to the Giver system, a great deal of the very concepts of the old world (starvation, war, etc) have been or are in the process of being completely scrubbed out of the collective consciousness this way almost passively. ReleasedToElsewhere is a prime example: it is a DeadlyEuphemism that nobody save the Giver even KNOWS is a euphemism because they have ceased to have virtually any concept of death. Which means that the authorities that order it and the doctors that perform it likely [[FridgeHorror probably don't realize the full ramifications of what they are doing.]] In short: [[UpToEleven NewSpeak so powerful and entrenched that even those that mandate it and enforce don't really recognize it for what it is.]] [[ParanoiaFuel Imagine the kind of psychological tampering THAT would require.]]

** Fiona is caring and considerate, which makes her a good fit for the job of caring for old people. Although [[spoiler:her job of "releasing" old people is not so nice, but she doesn't understand the implications of such an act.]]
** Jonas's father is a gentle, caring Nurturer (a person who takes care of newchildren at a special "Nurturing Center" before they're assigned to a family unit) who appears to genuinely enjoy (at least to the extent that a Community member CAN enjoy anything!) his job and his young charges. He even [[spoiler: convinces the Elders to allow him and his family unit to effectively foster Gabriel until the next Ceremony of One in the hopes that they can help him overcome his developmental delays (and thus avoid Release).]] Of course, [[spoiler: We (and Jonas!) DO eventually learn that he also routinely ''euthanizes'' newchildren who are deemed unfit to be part of the community (in some cases simply because they were unfortunate enough to be ''the smaller of a set of identical twins''). However, like Fiona, he honestly has no idea of what he's actually doing because he literally cannot comprehend it (in the film he eventually DOES realize the sordid truth- when Jonas's memories are returned to the Community- and he is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone absolutely]] ''[[MyGodWhatHaveIDone horrified]]'').]]
* NoBloodTies: Babies are produced by women whose job title was [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Birthmother]] but raised in 'family units' composed of a man and a woman ([[ArrangedMarriage matched up by the Elders]]), and one male and one female child. Given that everybody's sex drive is chemically inhibited (pills for "Stirrings"), it's safe to assume that the Birthmothers are artificially inseminated (which is confirmed in ''Son'').
* NoEnding: Was Jonas real and he escaped, or was it AllJustADream? The sequels give the answer, but the wonderful thing about them is you can accept them as sequels or not, and either interpretation is acceptable. Lois Lowry knew what she was doing.

* ObviousRulePatch: After [[spoiler:Rosemary applied for Release, died, and unleashed her memories to the Community]], Jonas has a new rule saying that he cannot apply for Release.

* OneSteveLimit: {{Invoked}}. In the Community, only one person is allowed to carry a given first name at any given time. In the rare event that a person dies unexpectedly, their name is immediately passed on to a newborn baby to create the impression that they never really left.
** Rosemary is about as straight an example of this as you can possibly get. After [[spoiler: she Released herself, causing her memories to escape into the Community and cause chaos]] the Elders [[spoiler: retired her name, forbidding it to be given to any newchild going forward]].

* PassingTheTorch: An essential part of the Giver's relationship with the Receiver. Every Receiver accepts the job with the understanding that he/she will eventually become the next Giver, with the task of passing on the accumulated memories to the next Receiver.
* PerfectionIsImpossible: The creators of the society sought to eliminate war and prejudice, among other things, but in the process they give up many freedoms, the ability to see color, and kill anyone that doesn't fit in.
* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Though this is never explicitly stated, it's likely that this played a role in the development of the UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans society. Even ''color'' is eliminated. Not just skin color -- ''all'' color except black, grey and white. And couples don't actually reproduce through intercourse, but are assigned exactly two children (children are born to specifically designated Birthmothers who are never seen)- one male and one female- and every citizen begins taking medication during puberty to suppress "[[NoSexAllowed the Stirrings]]".
* PopulationControl: Every family unit is allowed two children. If a child dies, the parents either can apply or are simply given another baby of the same gender and same name as a replacement. However, they come from Birthmothers, who only have 3 children, then a lifetime of hard labor. Even then, only 50 newchildren are given to parent units in December.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: The Community, summed up in a single line by The Giver: "They know nothing."

* ReleasedToElsewhere: TropeNamer. No one other than the higher-ups know what it means. Anywhere outside the Community is known as "{{E|xactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin}}lsewhere". The citizens think that when one gets too old, too sick, or [[YouRebelScum too uppity]] (or in one case, [[spoiler:born an identical twin, because they don't want any confusion on which is which]] and in another as enforcement of the strict PopulationControl), one is sent to a doctor to be examined, and then sent through a door in the Releasing Room beyond which, children are told, someone welcomes them to "Elsewhere." Jonas, as he is training to be the Receiver of Memory from the title character, learns that [[DeadlyEuphemism "release"]] is actually the Community's [[spoiler:euphemism for [[DeathByNewberyMedal "mandatory euthanasia,"]] carried out by lethal injection by the doctor in question. In this case, that happened to be his father]]. What's perhaps most disturbing is that, due to the nature of this {{Dystopia}}, even ''those who carry out the "release"'' can't grasp the full connotations of what they're doing.
* RenownedSelectiveMentor: The Giver is an example of this trope. The task of the Receiver of Memory is to remember the details of their history and how the world used to be, only when a successor is chosen does the Receiver take on the title of "Giver" as he begins to transfer these memories to his replacement. Usually this is a once in a lifetime kind of thing, but the current Receiver had a protégé [[spoiler: (his own daughter)]] that failed many years ago and has had to carry on as the remember for a long time while waiting for the next suitable replacement. Jonas becomes the Giver's student, and he is considered to have a special rank in the community.

* RiteOfPassage: Getting assigned a job is an important rite that determines the rest of a person's life; being assigned the unusual job of Receiver is what marks Jonas as special in the community.
* ScienceFantasy: Everything that happens in the book is mostly within the realm of reality, except for the psychic way memories are passed from The Giver to The Receiver. No science is involved, just physical contact and concentration, implying use of some form of magic or supernatural ability. But in the sequels, especially ''Messenger'', certain people possess "gifts" that are essentially magical powers that perform a set task. There is even a [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve forest that changes itself to reflect the attitudes of the members of a community]].
* Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly: The book never gives any scientific justification whatsoever for...well, anything, really. Not the psychic transmission of memories, not the total control kept over every aspect of the Community, [[spoiler: right down to its climate and color--or, rather, lack thereof]]. The focus is more on human nature.

* SinisterSurveillance: ''No one can turn the speakers off''...except the Giver.
* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Despite the series setting in a happy and mainly peaceful Utopian setting, the book is set more on the cynical end due to how the society dehumanizes people.

** Someone must act as the Receiver of Memory and hold all of the community's memories of the past in his or her own mind. If they die before passing them on, the memories escape and infiltrate everyone's mind... and as this is an emotion-free [[{{Dystopia}} false Utopia]], their minds aren't able to cope (imagine a wide-scale human LogicBomb). For this reason, Receivers are forbidden to undergo voluntary "Release" ([[spoiler:[[ReleasedToElsewhere assisted suicide]]]]).

* TeenPregnancy: [[BabyFactory Birthmothers]] receive the jobs at the tender age of twelve. Not until ''Literature/{{Son}}'' is it confirmed that they start the job immediately, therefore they have their three children from the ages of 13 to 15 before becoming Laborers. Of course, this only helps the jarring creepiness of the setting.

* TruthInTelevision: The loudspeaker system prevalent throughout the book actually exists in many schools-the school's office can switch on a microphone to communicate with teachers through the loudspeaker if the phones are out of order for some reason.

** There's a variant that is ''almost'' kinder: A young child dies, his parents are given a new child, same gender, and the same name, in order to "[[ReplacementGoldfish replace]]" the child that died. Because everyone's emotions are so dulled, this is an effective emotional replacement, rendering the original child meaningless.
* TheUnreveal: Jonas can't apply for Release, because then his memories would affect the community and cause political chaos. [[spoiler:He also breaks three rules in the climax, enough to get him Released.]] It's not clear if the Community would actually [[spoiler: [[CantKillYouStillNeedYou kill him if they need him.]]]]

* WeWillHaveEuthanasiaInTheFuture: Everybody except the Receiver of Memory (and his protégé) has the right to commit suicide whenever they want and euthanasia (which is called being "ReleasedToElsewhere") is practiced on the elderly, the smaller of identical twins, and babies that don't develop correctly (with the "issue" sometimes being as simple as the baby being unable to ''sleep through the night''), as well as on people who cause too much trouble (airplane pilots who make too many mistakes, for instance). Consent is an issue in the latter case, though, since they don't know it's euthanasia rather than exile. Due to the way this society works, even the people who perform "Release" don't fully understand what they are doing. Only the Giver and the Receiver, the only people who possess all of the knowledge the society has given up, understand that "Release" means death. [[spoiler: One chilling scene is when the main character realizes that his gentle, caring father kills the "defective" infants]].

** At some point The Giver mentions that [[spoiler:there used to be another receiver named Rosemary. She was given sweet memories most of the time, but when she started to get the ''really'' painful memories, she asked to be released. After she died, her memories were let out, and there was chaos. Only with The Giver's help did people return to their normal lives. Later on, you also learn that The Giver has a daughter. Jonas, eager to help, asked what her name was. The reply? [[TearJerker "Her name was Rosemary."]]]]

* WhatIsThisThingYouCallLove: Jonas grows up in a false Utopian society where the word "love" has become obsolete. When he learns about it through memories received from the Giver and asks his parents if they love him, they admonish him for not using precise language and say that asking "Do you enjoy me?" or "Do you take pride in my accomplishments?" would have been better. What makes it better is that they actually laugh and treat the question as meaningless. Jonas can't help but think that what he felt earlier was anything ''but'' meaningless. He realizes that further questions would also be met with either ignorance or programmed responses. It's also explained that there is no choosing of one's own spouses -- everyone is paired up according to how "compatible" they are. Couples also don't have their own children and aren't even allowed to chose the ones they adopt. And they [[spoiler: take pills to quash hormonal urges and sex drive, so natural children couldn't be a thing even if they were wanted]], which is good since even spouses are barred from seeing each other naked.

** Jonas and the Giver make a plan to [[spoiler:have Jonas leave the Community, when everyone is distracted during the Ceremony day, and fake Jonas's death so that no one will come follow him. Jonas then tosses all those plans out the window and runs away with Gabriel on hearing that the baby's going to be released as soon as possible. This means he has to evade search planes that would catch them both.]]
** The Giver refuses [[spoiler:to leave the Community with Jonas. He explains that someone has to care about them, while Jonas can make better change by leaving. Jonas tries to persuade him, but the Giver is firm and says he wants to join his daughter Rosemary eventually.]]
*** To join Rosemary would, in fact, mean being released himself -- something which he mentions that he often thinks of when containing the memories is too much for him. This may be less than noble, since it implies that he wants to die... which, if he does before the people in the community have dealt with the memories, would probably destroy the community and their way of life, and give him revenge for [[spoiler: the death of his daughter.]]

* WorldOfNoGrandparents: {{Enforced}}. Since there are NoBloodTies, nobody knows who their biological grandparents are (heck, nobody even knows who their biological ''parents'' are), and old people just go to the House of the Old.
* WorldOfSilence: The community is a milder version. People still laugh and take pleasure in their activities, but as Jonas discovers, it is all very superficial. When someone in the community says they are sad or angry, they are not talking about true grief or rage, but much shallower emotions. The word "love" is not unknown in the community, but it has lost relevancy. Jonas' parents enjoy his company very much, but they consider the word as very generalized, meaningless to the point of being obsolete. If the community continues as it is, the word itself may be forgotten.

* YouAreNumberSix: People have serial numbers besides their names. When children behave badly, their parents sometimes call him on their numbers, suggesting that a bad child is not worthy of a name. This is related is the fact that, in the community, children's ages are used as nouns rather than descriptions; for example, "a Four" or "all the Elevens". They also use the term "one of the Old" for an elderly person.

The book has also inspired [[http://newmusicaltheatre.com/greenroom/2014/10/beyond-broadway-meet-the-giver/ a musical]] with book and lyrics by Nathan Christensen and music and lyrics by Scott Murphy, and an [[http://www.loislowry.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=662%3Athe-giver-opera&catid=55%3Anews&Itemid=218 opera]] by by Susan Kander.

A [[http://ew.com/books/2018/07/27/the-giver-graphic-novel-preview/ graphic novel]] version of the book was released in October, 2018.

* BabyFactory: Some girls are selected at the age of twelve to begin training as Birthmothers, producing offspring for the Community that are immediately taken away. Once they meet their quota, Birthmothers spend the rest of their lives as factory labourers.

* ColorBlindConfusion: Inverted, as it's Jonas realizing he can see red while the rest of The Community can't that makes him stand out. All of the members of The Community are color blind since birth, and have apparently been deliberately made so through genetic engineering. When protagonist Jonas realizes this and specifically that he can see the color red while they can't it contributes to him finding out [[CrapsaccharineWorld the truth about their way of life]].

* CorporalPunishment: How the children learn to speak properly. A story was told about how Asher, as a three, asked for a "smack" instead of a "snack" when he was hungry and was hit so often with the stick that ''his legs had marks'' and he went silent for a time. The Chief Elder remembered this fondly.

** According to Fiona, ''the Old'' are also punished this way if THEY misspeak (or, presumably, "misbehave" in various other ways). Keep in mind that a good number of them are likely to be suffering from some form of dementia (although presumably they're "released" before it can get serious) - and thus are being punished for things ''they can't even control''.

* FalseReassurance: The language of the Community is ''full'' of doublespeak and euphemisms-although what that means in a community that literally has no way of knowing it is left as an exercise for the reader.

* ForbiddenHoliday: The community has banned any form of emotion and individuality, and that included holidays. Nobody even knew that the holidays used to exist, save for the Receiver and Giver of Memory. While there actually is at least one 'holiday' seen in the book, it's simply a day off from work and school, with no actual celebration or deeper meaning behind it.

* GrammarNazi: PlayedForDrama. Proper and precise word use are important in The Community. Jonas was punished for hyperbole when he claimed he was starving. He was also asked to use less vague language when he asked his parents if they loved him. Young children are not given an exemption: Jonas's friend Asher was beaten for asking for a "smack" instead of "snack", and for a time refused to speak at all.

* IndividualityIsIllegal: See TheEvilsOfFreeWill above. The Community is run by a very precise set of rules-people have been engineered so that they all look the same, experience more or less the same things, and react with the same quiet contentment and patience, and any deviance from this (see Asher's "snack"/"smack" incident) is punished. Breaking the rules thrice results in Release.

** "Asher" means "happy." Not so much in [[Film/TheGiver the film]], where he's a serious, unsmiling busybody.

** [[spoiler:Rosemary]] (which stands for remembrance, according to Ophelia in ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''). Her name will never be used again after her death forced the community to remember the vivid emotions they have left behind.
* MentorsNewHope: This is part of the back story: The Receiver of Memory who mentors Jonas is revealed [[spoiler:to have had another protege in the past, hinted to have been his own biological daughter (in their society, children are assigned to parents other than their birthmothers), who committed suicide out of despair brought on by the knowledge she received from her mentor, and was unpersoned by the Community]].
* MoodWhiplash: There is a nice scene where Jonas watched his father give the smaller of infant twin brothers a check-up. It's so nice and lovely, and... Wait, that's that needle? What do you mean "can't have two identical people running around?" [[OhCrap WHAT DO YOU MEAN "THE VEINS IN YOUR ARM ARE TOO TEENY-WEENY]]?!?!"

* NeverSayDie: Nobody *dies* in the Community, they are "released"-or in rare cases, "lost".

** Like most people in his community, Jonas takes things that would be downright horrifying to many people as normal — although once he receives memories of better times, he realizes how horrible the Community is to make its residents live this way.

* Mohs/ScienceInGenreOnly: The book never gives any scientific justification whatsoever for...well, anything, really. Not the psychic transmission of memories, not the total control kept over every aspect of the Community, [[spoiler: right down to its climate and color—or, rather, lack thereof]]. The focus is more on human nature.

* UnbuiltTrope:Despite being middle grade and published before [[YoungAdultLiterature YA Lit]] was even a thing, the book reads like a Deconstruction of modern YA Dystopians: Jonas is much younger than most YA Dystopia protagonists, the love story is more familial than romantic, and the Community was not set up in response to a rebellion that we know of. Most striking of all, however, is the fact that those within the Community are perfectly happy with their way of life and even believe it to be ideal. [[spoiler:Things get chilling when we see the Community's casual support of euthanizing a pilot who made a single, non-lethal error, and veer into full-on horror when Jonas' dad "releases" an infant]].

** According to Fiona, ''the Old'' are also punished this way if THEY misspeak (or, presumably, "misbehave" in various other ways). Keep in mind that a good number of them are likely to be suffering from some form of dementia- and thus are being punished for things ''they can't even control''.

** Jonas [[spoiler:runs away close to the climax with Gabriel, using his father's bike. You have a teenage boy on the run with a two-year old, hiding from search planes and starving. Another book, ''Son'', revealed that Jonas's father was frantic on realizing his children were missing.]]

* BabyFactory: Girls are selected at the age of twelve to begin training as Birthmothers, producing offspring for the Community that are immediately taken away. Once they meet their quota, Birthmothers spend the rest of their lives as factory labourers.

* UsefulNotes/TheAmericanCivilWar: One of the memories Jonas receives seems is implied to be set in this period considering that soldiers are wearing grey uniforms and horses are running amok. Having grown up in the peaceful Community, he suffers a HeroicBSOD after witnessing the horrors of war.

** Subverted between Jonas and Lily. While he loves her, and tries to share the memories with her, he can't make her understand. And he [[spoiler:never]] takes the chance to teach her to ride a bike.

%% * {{Cult}}: Close enough.

* AfterTheEnd: While ''The Giver'' implies that the world "evolved" for lack of a better term, into Sameness, its sequel ''Literature/GatheringBlue'' shows that the world takes place after a major upheaval known as The Ruin.

** Also Jonas when he learns that [[spoiler:Release is actually euthanasia, and his father murders infants.]]

* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Though this is never explicitly stated, it's likely that this played a role in the development of the UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans society. Even ''color'' is eliminated. Not just skin color -- ''all'' color except black, grey and white. And couples don't actually reproduce through intercourse, but are assigned exactly two children (children are born to specifically designated Birth Mothers who are never seen)- one male and one female- and every citizen begins taking medication during puberty to suppress "[[NoSexAllowed the Stirrings]]".

** According to Fiona, ''the old'' are also punished this way if THEY misspeak (or, presumably, "misbehave" in various other ways). Keep in mind that a good number of them are likely to be suffering from some form of dementia- and thus are being punished for things ''they can't even control''.

* EroticDream: Jonas' dream of his "favorite female friend," Fiona (in which [[spoiler: he is shirtless and trying to convince her to remove her clothes so he can give her a bath]]), which prompts his mother to start giving him the pills.

** According to Fiona, ''elders'' are also punished this way if THEY misspeak (or, presumably, "misbehave" in various other ways). Keep in mind that a good number of them are likely to be suffering from some form of dementia- and thus are being punished for things ''they can't even control''.

* CorporalPunishment: How the children learn to speak properly. A story was told about how Asher, as a three, asked for a "smack" instead of a "snack" when he was hungry and was hit so often with the stick that ''his legs had marks'' and he went silent for a time. The Chief Elder remembered this fondly. "Discipline wands" are used for other early childhood "misdeeds" as well- starting when a child begins walking (a milestone that is generally reached around ''one year old'').
** According to Fiona, ''elders'' are also punished this way if THEY misspeak (or, presumably, "misbehave" in various other ways). Keep in mind that a good number of them are likely to be suffering from some form of dementia- and thus are being punished for things they ''can't even control''.

* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: One of Jonas's rules is that he cannot apply for Release, because [[spoiler:when Rosemary did, the community barely handled the six weeks worth of memories that she had. Even so, it never occurs to Jonas that he could use this as leverage to save Gabriel, who has tons of soothing memories, because he panics on hearing his baby brother is going to be Released.]]

* CorporalPunishment: How the children learn to speak properly. A story was told about how Asher, as a three, asked for a "smack" instead of a "snack" when he was hungry and was hit so often with the stick that his legs had marks and he went silent for a time. The Chief Elder remembered this fondly.

* DaddysGirl: Lily appears to be this (at least to the extent that that sort of thing is possible in the Community).

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Rosemary applies for Release after a few days of unhappy memories, and she injected herself when they asked her to roll up her sleeve. The Giver implies that he will follow her once the Community no longer needs him.]]

* PoliticalCorrectnessGoneMad: Though this is never explicitly stated, it's likely that this played a role in the development of the UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans society. Even ''color'' is eliminated. Not just skin color -- ''all'' color except black, grey and white. And couples don't actually reproduce through intercourse, but are assigned exactly two children (children are born to specifically designated Birth Mothers who are never seen) and every citizen begins taking medication during puberty to suppress "[[NoSexAllowed the Stirrings]]".
* PopulationControl: Every family unit is allowed two children. If a child dies, the parents either can apply or are simply given another baby of the same gender and same name as a replacement. However, they come from Birthmothers, which only have 3 children, then a lifetime of hard labor. Even then, only 50 newbabes are given to parent units in December.

** Jonas's father is a gentle, caring Nurturer (a person who takes care of newchildren at a special "Nurturing Center" before they're assigned to a family unit) who appears to genuinely enjoy (at least to the extent that a Community member CAN enjoy anything!) his job and his young charges. He even [[spoiler: convinces the Elders to allow him and his family unit to effectively foster Gabriel until the next Ceremony of One in the hopes that they can help him overcome his developmental delays (and thus avoid Release).]] Of course, [[spoiler: We (and Jonas!) DO eventually learn that he also routinely ''euthanizes'' newchildren who are deemed unfit to be part of the community (in some cases simply because they were unfortunate enough to be ''the smaller of a set of identical twins''). However, like Fiona, he honestly has no idea of what he's actually doing because he literally cannot comprehend it (in the film he eventually DOES realize the sordid truth- when Jonas's memories are returned to the Community- and he is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone absolutely]]''[[MyGodWhatHaveIDone HORRIFIED]]'').]]

** Jonas's father is a gentle, caring Nurturer (a person who takes care of newchildren at a special "Nurturing Center" before they're assigned to a family unit) who appears to genuinely enjoy (at least to the extent that a Community member CAN enjoy anything!) his job and his young charges. He even [[spoiler: convinces the Elders to allow him and his family unit to effectively foster Gabriel until the next Ceremony of One in the hopes that they can help him overcome his developmental delays (and thus avoid Release).]] Of course, [[spoiler: We (and Jonas!) DO eventually learn that he also routinely ''euthanizes'' newchildren who are deemed unfit to be part of the community (in some cases simply because they were unfortunate enough to be ''the smaller of a set of identical twins''). However, like Fiona, he honestly has no idea of what he's actually doing because he literally cannot comprehend it (in the film he eventually DOES realize the sordid truth- when Jonas's memories are returned to the Community- and he is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone absolutely HORRIFIED)]].]]

** Rosemary is about as straight an example of this as you can possibly get. After [[spoiler: she Released herself, causing her memories to escape into the Community and cause chaos]] the Elders [[spoiler: retired her name, forbidding it to be given to any new child going forward]].

* MindScrew: The ending is ambiguous that readers can easily become hopelessly confused, especially without reading the sequels.