Mr. Cacciatore
Seventh Grade Language Arts
Marking Period 2

Music: Hearing Beyond

Imagine a world where there is no music: No beating of the drums during half time at the high school football game. No blaring of Z-100 during the ride to school in the morning. No walk-man to drown out the rest of the world.

Although there are many desirable aspects to life in The Community, lack of music is definitely not one. There is one person in The Community, however, that has the capacity to hear beyond. This man is Jonas’s mentor: The Giver.

Objective: For this assignment, you will be a “Giver” in the sense that you will "give" to your audience, namely your parents, peers, and me, a writing piece that explores a personal part of your world. In fact, for this essay,  you are to assume the persona of The Giver himself.

In a “style” similar to the words in The Giver, compose a narrative piece around the following scenario: Pretend that you are The Giver and that you are going to share a favorite piece of music with Jonas, who will hear it for the first time.

Remember, the novel is told from a third-person point of view. When you write your piece, therefore, you are to stay in third-person. As a result, when you speak as The Giver, you will need to use quotation marks; the same is true when you speak as Jonas. Lastly, third-person also allows you the opportunity to have a narrator.

Through this assignment, you will have the opportunity to express some of your individuality, a major theme of the novel, as well as the opportunity to demonstrate your narrative writing skills. Focus on the following to make your writing more vivid:

• Because you are The Giver, your selection should “teach” Jonas something about life that he has not experienced. Remember, The Giver’s job is to mentor Jonas.
• Dialogue/quotations: I will certainly grade the mechanics of your work.
• It’s okay to describe the actual music, not just the lyrics.
• Thoughts/feelings: The thoughts and feelings of both characters should be consistent with the rest of the novel.
• Quality writing involves using some sensory details. When appropriate, what do your characters hear, see, feel, smell, & taste?

Skills Required:

• A thorough understanding of The Giver's and Jonas's personalities.
• An understanding of third-person point of view.
• Punctuating dialogue (EoW, 737-742)
• CREATIVITY