what is asher's assignment in the book the giver

• Newsletters

Site search

• Israel-Hamas war
• Home Planet
• 2024 election
• Supreme Court
• TikTok’s fate
• All explainers
• Future Perfect

Filed under:

7 ways The Giver movie is different than the book

Share this story.

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share this on Reddit
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: 7 ways The Giver movie is different than the book

Screen adaptations of books never stick to the source material completely, and the big screen version of The Giver is no exception. W hile the story is very similar to the one Lois Lowry wrote in her award-winning novel, the differences between the two versions are noticeable. Here are 7 of them.

1) The film over-delivers on explanation

It's a bit unfair to start with this one because film, by virtue of its medium, cannot be as subtle as literature (for the most part). But one of the things I appreciate about Lowry's writing is that the mystery of Jonas's world is very slow to unfold. In the film, almost an entire third of Lowry's book happens on-screen within the first few scenes. Characters are developed very quickly, and, as a result, the film loses some of the uneasy ambiguity of the book. Granted, because films are limited by time, they have to be more fast-moving than books, which can take a few pages or even chapters to hint at one minor plot point.

2) On screen, Jonas is a (hunky) young man

In the book, much is made about characters' ages. In fact, in the world of The Giver , the calendar seems to center on a Ceremony which marks the aging of children from one year to the next. When the book opens, Jonas is about to become a Twelve, which means he will be given his community Assignment. Jonas' young age makes him the prefect protagonist for a story in which he discovers the depth of human emotion as he simultaneously expands his vocabulary. By making the movie Jonas slightly older — 16 years old — the film loses some of the innocent quality of the Lowry's hero. Still, it's worth noting that Brenton Thwaites does bring a youthful naivety and charm to the role, and so Lowry's vision remains largely intact.

3) Meryl Streep's character was a much smaller part of the book

Streep is absolute gold and her character was a great addition to the movie. But you should know that the character she's based on, the Chief Elder, isn't nearly as important a character in Lowry's novel.

4) Jonas doesn't kiss Fiona in the book

Unsurprisingly, the Jonas/Fiona relationship was given the Hollywood Young Adult Movie treatment. In the book, there are hints that Jonas does have strong but unexplained feelings toward Fiona (Odeya Rush) — the book calls the feelings "Stirrings." The fact that Jonas is able to "see beyond" the gray color of Fiona's hair to its original red also suggests that the two of them share a special bond. But in the book, he doesn't really act on his Stirrings toward Fiona, probably because, well, he's only a Twelve.

5) Fiona isn't assigned to be a Nurturer in the book

This one might not seem like it changes anything about the overall story, and I mostly agree. There is, however, one small part of me that wishes Hollywood would have kept its hands off Fiona's Assignment. In the book, the job Fiona ends up getting assigned to is something much less sexy than the job of taking care of babies. In Lowry's original story, Fiona is assigned to be a Caretaker of the Old.

That means the young Twelve is tasked with caring for the elderly of her society, with bathing them and helping make them as comfortable as possible just before they are euthanized, or "released." Obviously, it would have been difficult to show Fiona and Jonas bathing naked old people, and so it makes sense that this part was written out. At the same time, Lowry's novel stands as a warning to a society that seems to have a certain disregard for its elders, an element the film loses.

6) Asher isn't a pilot, and Jonas doesn't punch him

Again, this was a strategic change made to help with the momentum of the film adaptation. In the book, Asher (Cameron Monaghan) is assigned to be the Assistant Director of Recreation. On screen, he's made a Pilot, which helps add an additional layer of drama to the end of the film when Jonas flees from the authorities, and Asher is sent to search for him.

7) The film's ending is less ambiguous than the book's

Both versions of the story end with Jonas and Gabe sledding down a snowy mountain toward a home that the Giver had showed him in a previous memory. The way that the book ends makes it uncertain as to whether or not the two children actually make it to the abode. In the film, the last shot deliberately features Jonas, babe in tow, walking up to the snow-covered home. The variation between the two endings is slight, but it's worth noting that Lowry's final paragraphs probably had less appeal to producers than the one that ended up on the big screen.

Will you support Vox today?

We believe that everyone deserves to understand the world that they live in. That kind of knowledge helps create better citizens, neighbors, friends, parents, and stewards of this planet. Producing deeply researched, explanatory journalism takes resources. You can support this mission by making a financial gift to Vox today. Will you join us?

We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. You can also contribute via

Next Up In The Latest

Sign up for the newsletter today, explained.

Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day.

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

Everything’s a cult now

We could be heading into the hottest summer of our lives

How today’s antiwar protests stack up against major student movements in history

What the backlash to student protests over Gaza is really about

You need $500. How should you get it?

Food delivery fees have soared. How much of it goes to workers?

Assignments

• Edit source
• View history

Assignments are the occupations of the inhabitants of the Community . Assignments are designated when a member of the Community goes through their respective Ceremony of Twelve .

All Assignments can be found here .

• 1.1 The Giver

History [ ]

The giver [ ].

Claire is given the Assignment of Birthmother at the Ceremony of Twelve.

Coming soon...

• Assignments are made by the Elders may be appealed by contacting them, who form a committee to discuss it. Committees typically take a large amount of time to decide so an appeal is considered to be impractical.

Ask LitCharts AI: The answer to your questions

Suggestions

• A Streetcar Named Desire
• Frankenstein
• The Scarlet Letter
• Wuthering Heights

Please wait while we process your payment

Reset Password

Your password reset email should arrive shortly..

If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.

Something went wrong

Log in or create account.

•   Be between 8-15 characters.
•   Contain at least one capital letter.
•   Contain at least one number.
•   Be different from your email address.

By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy .

Don’t have an account? Subscribe now

Create Your Account

Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial

• Ad-free experience
• Note-taking
• Flashcards & Quizzes
• AP® English Test Prep
• Plus much more

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Already have an account? Log in

Choose Your Plan

Group Discount

$4.99 /month + tax

$24.99 /year + tax

Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!

Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?

Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!

$24.99 $18.74   / subscription + tax

Subtotal $37.48 + tax

Save 25% on 2-49 accounts

Save 30% on 50-99 accounts

Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.

Payment Details

Payment Summary

SparkNotes Plus

 Change

You'll be billed after your free trial ends.

7-Day Free Trial

Not Applicable

Renews May 5, 2024 April 28, 2024

Discounts (applied to next billing)

SNPLUSROCKS20  |  20% Discount

This is not a valid promo code.

Discount Code (one code per order)

SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan - Group Discount

SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at [email protected] . Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.

For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more!

You’ve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link.

Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership.

Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial.

We're sorry, we could not create your account. SparkNotes PLUS is not available in your country. See what countries we’re in.

There was an error creating your account. Please check your payment details and try again.

Your PLUS subscription has expired

• We’d love to have you back! Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools.
• Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools.
• Go ad-free AND get instant access to grade-boosting study tools!
• Start the school year strong with SparkNotes PLUS!
• Start the school year strong with PLUS!
• Study Guide
• Mastery Quizzes

Unlock your FREE SparkNotes PLUS trial!

Unlock your free trial.

• Ad-Free experience
• Easy-to-access study notes
• AP® English test prep

He couldn’t seem to stop, though for each lapse the discipline wand came again, escalating to a series of painful lashes that left marks on Asher’s legs. Eventually, for a period of time, Asher stopped talking altogether, when he was a Three.

Jonas here reflects on his friend Asher’s many punishments for stumbling over his words, illuminating the harsh ineffectiveness of the society’s disciplinarian methods. Asher’s teachers likely viewed the child’s silence as a sign their teachings were working, but the reader knows better. Asher didn’t understand any of the ideology behind the punishment. He simply stopped talking out of fear. When he talked, he got hurt, so he didn’t talk.

“I can’t swim very well,” he said. “My swimming instructor said that I don’t have the right boyishness or something.” “Buoyancy,” Jonas corrected him.

As Asher tries to voice some concerns to Jonas, Jonas fails to respond with compassion and just corrects his word choice. Asher’s verbal mistakes make him the target of judgment, even from his closest friend, and this dynamic illuminates another way the society keeps people in line. Strict adherence to rules creates coldness between people, who out of fear must police others and look out for themselves, rather than unconditionally caring for each other.

“[W]e did not consider for an instant designating Asher an Instructor of Threes.” The audience howled with laughter. Asher laughed, too, looking sheepish but pleased at the special attention. The Instructors of Threes were in charge of the acquisition of correct language.

The Elders mock Asher during an important ceremony, despite the event being a crucial moment in the boy’s life. Asher doesn’t fully know what is happening, but this subtly cruel humiliation is just like the teachers lashing his legs: another tool to keep Asher in line. We watch as Asher internalizes the shame. He feels uncomfortable, but everyone is laughing, so he assumes this feeling is good and normal.

“Games aren’t your area of expertness.” “Expertise,” Jonas corrected him automatically. “Whatever. You can’t say what we play, even if you are going to be the new Receiver.” Asher looked warily at him. “I apologize for not paying you the respect you deserve,” he mumbled. “Asher,” Jonas said. He was trying to speak carefully, and with kindness, to say exactly what he wanted to say. “You had no way of knowing this. I didn’t know it myself until recently. But it’s a cruel game. In the past, there have—” “I said I apologize , Jonas.” Jonas sighed. It was no use.

This exchange between Jonas and Asher occurs after Jonas begs Asher and his friends to stop pretending to shoot each other. Jonas, shaken by the Giver’s memories of war, realizes the horror of such a game. Though we know Jonas’s message is important, Asher’s irritation is understandable. As Recreation Director, he finally has a role, and some respect and authority, and now Jonas comes along and threatens to invalidate that. Asher’s reaction is a microcosm for a society that sees no reason to think about bad things.

“When he began to talk again, it was with greater precision. And now his lapses are very few. His corrections and apologies are very prompt. And his good humor is unfailing.” The audience murmured in agreement. Asher’s cheerful disposition was well-known throughout the community.

As Jonas reflects on the effects of Asher’s years of punishment, Asher becomes a textbook example of the society’s factory-like production of mindless drones. Previously a guileless child, Asher shows how an unvarnished person is sanded down by the community in their youth, and molded to fit into the whole of Sameness.

The Giver (SparkNotes Literature Guide)

Ace your assignments with our guide to The Giver ! 

Popular pages: The Giver

Full book analysis summary, character list characters, jonas characters, themes literary devices, memory quotes, full book quick quizzes, take a study break.

Every Literary Reference Found in Taylor Swift's Lyrics

The 7 Most Messed-Up Short Stories We All Had to Read in School

QUIZ: Which Greek God Are You?

QUIZ: Which Bennet Sister Are You?