Chapter 6

    The community described in The Giver uses a variety of technological advancements in order to closely monitor and control the citizens. All forms of surveillance and communication are managed by the Elders. The Elders are a group of older community members, each with a unique role, who are responsible for ensuring the rules of the society are upheld and utilize technology to do so.
   The primary form of surveillance used throughout the film is drone monitoring. A select group of community members are assigned to be drone operators on their graduation day and, from that point forward, are obliged to protect the standards described by the Chief Elder. Drone operators are able to fly throughout the community and monitor members at all hours. In addition, some drone operators are given special permission to explore beyond the boundary known to the rest of the community. However, this occurs infrequently and is at the request of the Chief Elder in order to preserve the society and eliminate potential threats. These drones are in plain view and community members are well aware of their presence. The drones are used to capture both video and audio footage. Throughout the movie, there are multiple ceremonies in which this footage is played. It is used as a montage for celebration of life during graduation ceremonies, in which young community members are finally assigned their roles, as well as release to Elsewhere ceremonies, which marks the end of a community member’s life.
   A second piece of technology exploited by the Elders is the ability to communicate with individuals via transmissions into private properties. The community members have been desensitized over time to the lack of privacy in their own residences and appear to be honored when visited by the Elders. However, there are no restrictions on when or in what form the Elders are able to complete these transmissions. The only individual who has some form of privacy is the Giver due to the fact that he is meant to be the only community member with knowledge of the past. Even in the Giver’s residence, however, the Elders are still able to communicate via audio transmissions. The only additional privacy provided to the Giver is that the Elders are not able to see within his dwelling.
   In order to keep the community blissfully unaware of the past, the entire society is encapsulated in a field. The edge of this field is named the Outer Boundary of Memory and guarantees that knowledge of the past does not infiltrate the society other than through the memories that are passed down from each Giver to the new Receiver. The only way in which the community is able to collectively regain the knowledge of the past is if this outer boundary is breached. In order to cross this line and release the memory of the past, the protagonist decides to leave the community.
   Before moving forward with his plan to pass the boundary, Jonas also sets out to save another community member who is set to be released to Elsewhere. This community member is a newborn named Gabriel who Jonas has a special connection to as they share the same ability to know beyond what is taught in the community. In order to rescue Gabriel, Jonas accesses a restricted area of the nursery with the aid of his friend Fiona. The Elders are made aware of Jonas’ peculiar behavior and are able to track his path through the security camera footage to the nursery. From this point, Fiona is forced to create a distraction while Jonas flees with the stolen pod holding Gabriel and a motorized bike from a detainer. The individuals appointed by the Elders to keep order in the community are the only individuals with motorized bikes as well, which allows for yet another form of control because every other member is given a regular bicycle.
   As mentioned above, the drones are able to track Jonas’ movements beyond the edge of the community. They are extremely powerful and have the capability to lift Jonas and Gabriel into the air. It so happens that the drone operator utilizing this feature is another one of Jonas’ friends, Asher, who places faith in Jonas and assists him in the journey. Eventually, Jonas arrives at the Outer Boundary of Memory, crosses the threshold, and releases all memories of the past to the community members.