The Giver: Chapters 14–18

Mackenzie S. (United States of America)
Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a regimented community that is free from pain and suffering—but also free from joy, independence, and even color. When he is appointed the community's Receiver of Memory, Jonas begins to question everything he has been taught.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–4, Chapters 5–8, Chapters 9–13, Chapters 14–18, Chapters 19–23

Explore other lists of The Giver Quartet here.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. invigorating
    imparting strength and vitality
    The sled moved forward, and Jonas grinned with delight, looking forward to the breathtaking slide down through the invigorating air.
  2. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    Then, suddenly, he was in the Annex room again, writhing on the bed.
  3. deliverance
    recovery or preservation from loss or danger
    There was always a daub of anesthetic ointment, or a pill; or in severe instances, an injection that brought complete and instantaneous deliverance.
  4. accommodate
    provide with something desired or needed
    “The idea was that certain family units could accommodate an additional child.”
  5. ominous
    threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
    Now it was ominous. It meant, he knew, that nothing could be changed.
  6. placidly
    in a quiet and tranquil manner
    “After all this extra time I’ve put in with him,” Father said one evening after Gabriel had been bathed and was lying, for the moment, hugging his hippo placidly in the small crib that had replaced the basket, “I hope they’re not going to decide to release him.”
  7. contorted
    twisted, especially as in pain or struggle
    The Giver looked up at him, his face contorted with suffering.
  8. brace
    prepare for something unpleasant or difficult
    Jonas braced himself and entered the memory which was torturing The Giver.
  9. carnage
    the savage and excessive killing of many people
    The colors of the carnage were grotesquely bright: the crimson wetness on the rough and dusty fabric, the ripped shreds of grass, startlingly green, in the boy’s yellow hair.
    "Grotesque" means "distorted and unnatural in shape or size" (often to a monstrous degree)—this is a fitting adjective for the colors of carnage, especially to a boy who is unused to seeing color and images of war.
  10. implore
    beg or request earnestly and urgently
    Finally, when the container was open, he extended his arm slowly across the blood-soaked earth, inch by inch, and held it to the lips of the boy. Water trickled into the imploring mouth and down the grimy chin.
  11. ecstatic
    feeling great rapture or delight
    In one ecstatic memory he had ridden a gleaming brown horse across a field that smelled of damp grass, and had dismounted beside a small stream from which both he and the horse drank cold, clear water.
  12. solitude
    the state or situation of being alone
    Although he had through the memories learned about the pain of loss and loneliness, now he gained, too, an understanding of solitude and its joy.
  13. bearing
    (usually plural) a person's awareness of self
    Sometimes it took a while for him to get his bearings, to find his place.
  14. permeate
    spread or diffuse through
    And his new, heightened feelings permeated a greater realm than simply his sleep.
  15. dejected
    affected or marked by low spirits
    “Me,” Jonas said in a dejected voice. He was not looking forward to the end of the training, when he would become the new Receiver. It was clear to him what a terribly difficult and lonely life it was, despite the honor.
Created on Wed Sep 11 13:42:28 EDT 2024 (updated Fri Mar 27 14:58:01 EDT 2026)

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