The Giver: Ch. 19–23

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. mimic
    imitate, especially for satirical effect
    "I will take care of that, sir. I will take care of that, sir,” Jonas mimicked in a cruel, sarcastic voice.
  2. emphatically
    in a forceful manner; with emphasis
    Jonas shook his head emphatically. “No, Giver,” he said. “I want you to keep that, to have with you, when I’m gone.”
  3. undertaking
    any piece of work that is attempted
    He visited the other communities frequently, meeting with their Elders; his responsibilities extended over all the surrounding areas. So this would not be an unusual undertaking.
  4. solace
    comfort offered to one who is disappointed or miserable
    Confronted by a situation which they had never faced before, and having no memories from which to find either solace or wisdom, they would not know what to do and would seek his advice.
  5. stealthy
    marked by quiet and caution and secrecy
    It was terribly dangerous because some of the work crews were still about, but he moved stealthily and silently, staying in the shadows, making his way past the darkened dwellings and the empty Central Plaza, toward the river.
  6. augmented
    added to or made greater in amount or number or strength
    The journey had become automatic: the sleep by day, hidden in underbrush and trees; the finding of water; the careful division of scraps of food, augmented by what he could find in the fields.
  7. vigilant
    carefully observant or attentive
    As he pedaled through the nights, through isolated landscape now, with the communities far behind and no sign of human habitation around him or ahead, he was constantly vigilant, looking for the next nearest hiding place should the sound of engines come.
  8. haphazard
    marked by great carelessness
    They came less often, and flew, when they did come, less slowly, as if the search had become haphazard and no longer hopeful.
  9. subtle
    difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
    Now the landscape was changing. It was a subtle change, hard to identify at first.
  10. relentless
    never-ceasing
    The most relentless of his new fears was that they would starve.
  11. cultivate
    prepare for crops
    Now that they had left the cultivated fields behind them, it was almost impossible to find food.
  12. makeshift
    done or made using whatever is available
    Finally, in desperation, he fashioned a makeshift net, looping the strands of Gabriel’s blanket around a curved stick.
  13. obscure
    make unclear or less visible
    But now the rapidly deepening snow obscured the narrow road and made the ride impossible.
  14. imperceptibly
    in a manner that is difficult to discern
    His front wheel moved forward imperceptibly as he pushed on the pedals with his numb, exhausted legs.
  15. lethargy
    weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy
    Warming himself ever so briefly had shaken away the lethargy and resignation and restored his will to survive.
    "Resignation" means "the act of giving up" or "acceptance of despair"—it is an emotional obstacle that is harder to overcome than physical lethargy, but Jonas, with the help of his warm memories and the reminder that Gabe is depending on him, finds the courage and strength to shake off both.
Created on Fri Sep 20 11:49:54 EDT 2024 (updated Thu Apr 09 13:44:52 EDT 2026)

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