"He remembered when hiss family received lily, the day she was named, the day that she had become a one."
"A committee was studying the idea. When something went to a committee for study, the people always joked about it. Rules were very hard to change. Sometimes, if it was a very important rule, it would have to go, eventually, to The Receiver for a decision. The Receiver was the most important Elder."
""I think newchildren are so cute," Lily sighed. "I hope I get assigned to be a Birthmother." "Lily!" Mother spoke very sharply. "Don't say that. There's very little honor in that Assignment." "Three years," Mother told her firmly. "Three births, and that's all. After that they are Laborers for the r"
"There was never any confortable ay to mention or discuss one's success without breaking the rule against bragging, even if one didn't mean to. It was a minor rule, rather like rudeness, punishable only by gentle chastisement."
"It was the sort of thing one didn't ask a friend about because it might have fallen into that uncomfortable category of "being different." Asher took a pill each morning; Jonas did not. Always better, less rude, to talk about things that were the same."
"The entire community had performed the Ceremony of Loss together, murmuring the neme Caleb throughout and entire day, less and less frequently, fofter in volume, as the long and somber day went on, so that the little Four seemed to fade away gradually from everyone's consciousness. Now, at this spec"
""Asher," she said, "Thank you for your childhood.""
"The Giver sighed. "You're right," he said. "But then everyone would be burdened and pained. They don't want that. And that's the real reason The Receiver is so vital to them, and so honored. They selected me---and you---to lift that burden from themselves.""