Assess students' ability to analyze major themes (memory, individuality, conformity), interpret recurring symbols (sled, color, river, release), and explain character motivations (Jonas, The Giver, Elders). Require textual evidence in short constructed responses and a final analytic paragraph evaluating how Lowry’s choices shape the novel’s message about control, empathy, and freedom; tasks include identifying passages, explaining symbolic meaning, tracing character development, and comparing differing motivations and consequences.