The Giver

In darkness, a plane roars overhead. A voice announces that there is no cause for alarm—a pilot simply made a wrong turn and tried to find his way back before anyone noticed. Because of this, he will be released. The lights come up on Father and Mother eating dinner with their children, seven-year-old Lily and 11-year-old Jonas. They wear comfortable gray clothes in a harsh white light, representing a colorless world. As is routine, they share their feelings. Jonas describes being apprehensive about his upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, at which he and all other children turning 12 will receive their life work assignments from the Council of Elders. Mother and Father reassure Jonas that the Council doesn’t make mistakes and describe their experiences being assigned their work. Mother was assigned to work in Law and Justice, and Father was assigned to be a Nurturer for newborns.

Later, Jonas throws an apple back and forth with his best friend, Asher, who is also about to turn 12. Suddenly,