The Giver: Foil 1 key example

When Asher is about to receive his Assignment, the entire community once again singles him out and laughs at him for a vocabulary mix-up that happened when he was only a Three. Jonas remembers Asher's teacher beating him in front of the other children every time he asked for a "smack" instead of a snack. This horrible abuse caused Asher to stop speaking altogether for some time. The way the community laughs at this story all these years later demonstrates an utter lack of concern for Asher's feelings. His failure to conform even at three years old has turned him into a lifelong outsider and the butt of the joke. The Chief Elder even uses the story to emphasize how difficult it has been to find any suitable Assignment for Asher. When she announces that Asher will be able to play to his strengths as Assistant Director of Recreation, there is a collective sense of relief: finally, the community has figured out what to do with this "problem" child. Everyone can stop being embarrassed by his nonconformity.

At this same ceremony, Jonas gets his first taste of what it is like to be singled out as an outsider. The Chief Elder is supposed to announce Twelves' Assignments in birth order. However, when she arrives at Jonas's number, she skips over it. She circles back to Jonas after all the other Assignments are handed out because his Assignment is so special. In the meantime, however, he endures long moments of confusion and shame similar to what Asher must feel when the entire community laughs at his mistakes.

As Jonas and Asher begin to learn their new roles in society, their positions reverse. Jonas begins to question societal rules and expectations. He learns information that he is not allowed to share with anyone, and he is empowered to lie to people for the first time. He stops doing exactly what is expected of him. Although the Assignment of the Receiver is supposed to be honorable, it nonetheless turns Jonas into an outsider in his own family and community. Asher, meanwhile, begins to enjoy for the first time the sense that he is excelling in his training and meeting everyone's expectations. The reversal puts a strain on the two boys' friendship. Ultimately, to do what he feels is right, Jonas must break free not only from Sameness but also from his friendship with Asher, who wants to do nothing more than conform.