Characters as they appear in order:

• Jonas, a serious young man who is apprehensive about the approaching Ceremony of Twelve, at which he will receive the Assignment that will determine his lifework.

• Asher, an outgoing, fun-loving youngster who is Jonas’s best friend.

• Father, Jonas’s father, who is a Nurturer of new children and a gentle, patient man.

• Lily, Jonas’s younger sister.

• Mother, Jonas’s mother, an official with an important position in the Department of Justice.

• Gabriel, or Gabe, a “newchild” under Father’s care.

• Fiona, a female Eleven, a caring, gentle girl whom Jonas likes.

• Larissa, an old woman who lives in the House of the Old. 

• Chief Elder, the female Elder who gives a personalized speech announcing each individual’s Assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve.

• The Giver (the name this character tells Jonas to call him by), one of the Elders, the current Receiver of Memory. He is an elderly man and has been Receiver for a very long time.