1. Theme of Perseverance
By: Lauren Green
November 2, 2012

2. Character One’s Adversity
“Becoming Twelve”
• Character One’s Adversity (Jonas) Jonas was becoming
a 12. When the kids in the community become a 12, they
get a specific job. Jonas’s job was to become, The
Receiver. Receivers share memories with the people of
their community. Jonas thought he was living in a perfect
community, but when The Giver, the last Receiver,
shares memories with Jonas, he soon realizes that this
was not how they should be living.
• Jonas vs. Himself- Jonas is struggling with the
knowledge he receives from the memories and keeping
his mandated loyalty to The Community.

3. Character One Perseveres
Through Adversity
Jonas and The Giver make a plan for Jonas
to leave the community without getting
caught. A few days later, Jonas leaves the
community with his bike and a baby,
Gabriel.

4. Character Two’s Adversity
“A Crush”
Character Two’s Adversity (Ernie) Ernie lived with
his mother for 31 years, but she died. When she
died, Ernie had to go to a group home because he
can’t live on his own. At the group home, he
brought some seeds that was accidentally sent to
his home. He loved the pictures on the cover on
the seed packets. A guy, named Jack, worked at
the group house and had a garden, but Ernie was
afraid to go into it.

5. Character Two Perseveres
Through Adversity
One day when Jack took Ernie out for breakfast,
Ernie fell in love when he saw a woman. That night
Ernie couldn’t stop thinking about the woman and
the pictures on the cover of the seed packets.
Then, Ernie was brave enough to let Jack plant his
seeds. Once the seeds were planted, Ernie put the
flowers around the place where the woman
worked. Every Wednesday, he would put flowers
there, but Ernie wouldn’t go meet her.

6. Character Three’s Adversity
“Zebra”
• Adam Martin Zebrin “Zebra”, was a really fast
runner. One day, he ran so fast down a hill and
couldn’t stop. A car was coming around the
corner and Zebra crashed into it. Zebra’s leg
and arm was injured. Now Zebra is very sad
because he can’t run anymore.

7. Character Three Perseveres
Through Adversity
When Zebra meets a man name John
Wilson, John teaches Zebra how to make
connections to the world through art. Zebra
hasn’t been down the hill he injured himself
with in a long time, so at the end, he was
brave enough to walk down that steep hill,
walk back up, past the school, and then the
four blocks back home.

8. Reflection Page
All of the characters overcame their
adversity by being brave and showing
courage. Bravery is having courage in the
face of danger.

9. Work Cited
• Lowry, Lois. The Giver. Mcdougal Littell,
1997
• Potok, Chaim. “Zebra”. Random House,
Inc., 1998
• Rylant, Cynthia. “A Crush”. Orchard
Books/Scholastic, Inc., 1990
• Pictures, google.com