Look up the definitions of all the names in the Giver. They nearly all can set some light on the character they represent.
The origin of the name Jonas, according to Wikipedia, "The biblical character Jonah entered the whale's gape, but was spared, and exited the gape alive" Just as Jonas managed to escape the community.
Gabriel In Hebrew, the name Gabriel means- Man of God. Gods able-bodied one. (http:/www.meaning-of-names.com/hebrew-names/gabriel.asp) Gabriel was to be the next Receiver if Jonas didn't cut it.
Hope that helps. My students are always amazed at the names in books once they realize that authors do things for very specific reasons.
K-
7th grade English teacher
Yes.
They are added from historical or popular names.
The people in The Giver only have first names.
No, people in "The Giver" do not have last names. In the community where the story takes place, individuals are only referred to by their given names. The absence of last names highlights the emphasis on conformity and uniformity in the community.
Asher, and another girl
The Ones receive their names and family at the Ceremony of the Ones.
it is an allusion, to the Furies.
Allusion is a noun meaning some reference (often veiled) to another fact, occurrence, or event.One candidate referred to another candidate's apparent attraction to women, an allusion to rumors of an extramarital affair.Fictional names used in novels will sometimes include an allusion to some historical or classical person.
Newchildren in "The Giver" live in the Nurturing Center until they are one year old. At this time, they are given names and assigned to family units.
In the community depicted in "The Giver," children are named during the annual Ceremony of Twelve. The Chief Elder announces the children's names, which are chosen based on a list of approved names for each age group. The names are assigned by the community elders, rather than chosen by the parents.
In chapter two of "The Giver" by Lois Lowry, The Receiver is revealed to be an elder named The Giver who holds the memories of the community. He is responsible for training and passing on these memories to the new Receiver, Jonas. The relationship between The Giver and Jonas is crucial to the plot of the book.
In the book, "The Giver", by Lois Lowry, the ones receive their names and their family units at the Age ceremony because they are old enough to leave the nurturing center.