The tone in The Giver is light-hearted in the beginning but shifts darker as the main character realizes what really happens in the community. Nothing to the main character (Jonas) is strange until he talks more with The Giver and learns about the corrupt rules.

The book is written in a way that suggests that the reader is aware of the rules in the community, and that everything is normal. Page 5 states, “Their parents, of course, were part of the ritual; they, too, told their feelings each evening. But like all parents – all adults – they didn’t fight and wheedle for their turn.” This is an example of the character not outright explaining the rules, but speaking in a way that shows how normal this is for them which contrasts with how abnormal it is to the reader. This creates an eerie tone, as all dystopian novels do. The novel does not mention that any actions or rules are wrong until chapter 19 where the reader, and Jonas, discover the meaning of being “released”.

A turning point in the novel is within chapter 19 where Jonas learns that being “released” means being killed. The chapter starts with The Giver offering to show Jonas the morning’s release (147). Jonas denies at first saying that it’s private but is too curious when The Giver tells him that he could. A tape plays out and Jonas’s dad is seen with twins in an ordinary room. The entire time Jonas is talking about how kind his father is but The Giver is acting differently. The Giver says, “Be quiet, Jonas,’ The Giver commanded in a strange voice. ‘Watch.” (149). The Giver’s attitude is unusual, this creates a foreboding tone. Jonas witnesses his father injecting the baby with a needle, killing it. Jonas is in shock, he’s uncharacteristically angry. This marks a major change in character and tone as Jonas now sees his community as we see it, corrupt and wrong.

In conclusion, the tone of the novel shifts from normal to dark and creates an eerie tone throughout by acting as if everything is normal.