Why is the setting in the book the giver so important? could it take place somewhere else? how would the story be changed if the setting was different?

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is set in a futuristic dystopian / utopian society. Based on the evidence in the text, the place where Jonas lives seems to be a fairly small community. The community is by a river, which comes up often in the plot (at one point, a four year old boy name Caleb drowns in the river). 

The various places within the community include: 

The Nursery, the Nurturing Center, the Childcare Center, the Department of Justice, the school, the fish hatchery, the House of the Old, the Rehabilitation Center, the Hall of Open Records, the Hall of Closed Records, the Auditorium (where public events are held, such as the ceremony of twelves), and various family houses (called units or dwellings).

Also, there is a Annex, where the Giver / Receiver lives. It is special and noteworthy because it is the only place in the entire community that has locks on the doors, indicating the Giver / Receiver's unique status in the community. 

A VERY important setting is also "Elsewhere," which is what the members of this community call anywhere that is beyond the community. At the very end of the novel, Jonas escapes the community and supposedly makes it to the mysterious "Elsewhere."

the audience knows that nora is intentionally failing to dance correctly, but helmer doesnt

explanation:

the intellectual community is a place like a university where people with high marks, or original thought or an outstanding interest in something gather. they take classes together. they discuss things. they argue sometimes, and not always in a friendly way. but if they argue, it is because they are passionate about something, and there is nothing the matter with that.

lately i've been hearing rumors that it is not the way it was when i went to school. the one thing all schools used to have was free speech. the 1st amendment rights were sacred. now i'm hearing they are not. students can be reported and disciplined for giving an off the wall opinion.

that is shameful.

intellectual ideas are meant to be discussed. they are meant to be chewed up and worked on. that is the primary responsibility of every intellectual community. if that is not the way it is, then that is not a school to go to.

social media, in my opinion, and this is just an opinion. i wouldn't take it too seriously, complicates everything to do with human communication. you can want to share things and others feel they have the right to be very critical or sarcastic or mean about what you share. lack of respect is an immeasurable intolerable condition and social media abounds with that sort of thing.

one of the things i really like about is how careful people are because they must have some idea that the mods are exactly what the word says they are. they police this board very well, and what is so remarkable about them is that they are no older than the average grade 12 student.

my hat goes off to them (which means i respect them quite a bit).