Name: Wyatt Wolfman Humanities
7th Grade The Giver

Outline for GIVER LITERARY ESSAY

Themes: Knowledge & Rebellion

Paragraph #1: Introductory Paragraph (GIT)

Grabber Statement (G): In The Giver By Lois Lowry, Jonas is stuck in a (not so) perfect word.

Introduce Plot Summary (I): Jonas’s story is a heartbreaking one as he barely navigates the twists and turns of life in the community. When Jonas is selected as Receiver, his entire life changes. Can Jonas help the Receiver succeed in his grand plan for change?

Thesis Statement (T): This society is a dystopia because there are no choices. Everything you do is controlled and monitored by the elders of the community. This civilization is nowhere near perfect.

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Paragraph #2: Thematic Analysis

Topic Sentence (T): In the community, knowledge is kept to an absolute minimum to retain order.

Explanatory Sentence (E): There are only two people in the entire community that know the struggle of the past. Jonas and the Giver know every part of it. They know the hardship, but they also know of true happiness and joy.

Evidence (E): “Jonas stood alone in the center of the field. Several of the children raised their heads and looked at him uneasily. The attacking armies slowed, emerged from their crouched positions, and watched to see what he was doing. In his mind, Jonas saw again the face of the boy who had lain dying on a field and had begged him for water. He had a sudden choking feeling, as if it were difficult to breathe,” pg. 115.

Analysis (A): Ever since Jonas was selected as the new receiver, he knows of the past, and he is pained whenever anybody jokes about something that used to be dreadful. Jonas knows that war is not a game, and he knows that it leads to many, many deaths. He cannot stand the thought of people tossing around ideas of war as if it was a game, as they do not know a single part of it. Jonas is so irked even when people laugh about anything. He hates that they do not know the struggle.

Concluding/ Transition (C): Knowledge is dangerous and painful. Jonas and the Giver know that they should not be the only people who know the truth.

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Paragraph #3: Thematic Analysis Continued

Topic Sentence (T): Jonas and the Giver know that the inhumane practices of the community must be stopped.

Explanatory Sentence (E): The horrid and beautiful memories of the past were deemed too harsh for the community. So was diffrence. Everyone looks similar, they all have the same hair, they all eat the same food and there are only colorless hues. Jonas and the Giver are sick and tired of not being able to relate to anybody, and the fact that nobody but them knows about “real life”.

Evidence (E): “That’s true. And having you here with me over the past year has made me realize that things must change. For years I’ve felt that they should, but it seemed so hopeless,” pg. 126.

Analysis (A): The Giver and Jonas both want change. They feel that the community needs change, as life is so bland and unfair to the people. The Giver finally had someone to help execute his plan. Any time is as good as another to attempt this grand scheme, as life in the community is always the same.

Concluding/Transition (C): The community needs to change, and Jonas and The Giver know that they can make it happen.

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Paragraph #4: Concluding Paragraph (ROC)

Restatement of Thesis (R): Control runs this world of fantasy. People are tricked into believing they are living in a perfect world, while in fact the community is nothing but a dystopia. The civilians make no choices what so ever, giving the elders control over every aspect of life.

Overview of Main Points (O): Knowledge eventually destroys the souls of two important people, leading to rebellion. Jonas and the Giver want to give people the choices and rights that people deserve. This dehumanization must be abolished.

Concluding Sentence– Comparisons and Connections (C): We learned that Jonas and the Giver cannot and will not cope with with the struggles of memory anymore. They know that it is inhumane, and they want to change this. When Jonas and the Giver try to “liberate” the community, are they creating a better world?