Jonas and his family share their feelings after the evening meal. Jonas explains that he is apprehensive about the coming Ceremony ofTwelve when he will be given hisAssignment. 
The next day his fatherbrings home a "newchild", named Gabriel, who isn't doing well in the Nurturing Center. Jonas notices that Gabe has the pale eyes that he himself does - a rarity in the community. 
One morning at the dream-telling ritual, Jonas admits that he dreamed about wanting to bathe his friend Fiona. His parents give him pills to control his Stirrings. 
At the community Ceremony, newchildren are placed in families and each succeeding age group is given something new-clothing, responsibilities, or possessions. At the Ceremony of Twelve, each of Jonas's groupmates gets a lifetime Assignment such as Birthmother, Fish Hatchery Attendant, Laborer, or Doctor. However, the Chief Elder skips over Jonas' number; he is not called!

Jonas is selected to be the next Receiver of Memory, the most honored position in the community. He receives special-and unusual-instructions and begins to feel apart from his contemporaries. 
He is also curious about someone who was given this position 10 years earlier and failed. Jonas begins training with the old Receiver who now becomes The Giver. This man has books and memories to share with Jonas. 
Through the training, Jonas learns to experience colors, history, animals, and various feelings, things that he and the community have never known. He learns that memories can be pleasurable or painful. He begins to understand that the people have no choices. 
At home, his parents fret about Gabriel, who fails to sleep through the night. Jonas suggests that Gabe sleep with him, and when the baby wakes at night, he gives him pleasant memories to help him sleep.

Jonas continues to receive memories and experiences from The Giver. He begins to see that there is risk in feelings such as love. 
He stops taking the pills and feels Stirrings again. 
When his father mentions that a twin will be released, Jonas is curious. He learns what this really means - death - from The Giver and is ripped apart. He also learns about The Receiver before him who failed after just five weeks;
she was The Giver's daughter. After her death, the memories she had came back to the people. Jonas and The Giver realize that if Jonas leaves the community, he will leave behind a year's worth of memories. The Giver will stay to help people deal with them, to help them become caring and human. 
The two plan Jonas' escape. However, when Jonas learns that Gabriel has been scheduled for release the next morning, he leaves that night, taking the baby with him. They travel on bike by night, hiding from the search planes during the day. The weather turns cold, they are hungry, and Jonas uses his memories of warmth to save them as they flee toward Elsewhere.