Jonas In The Giver By Lois Lowry

Set in a community with no climate, emotions, choices, or memories Lois Lowry tells the tale of Jonas in The Giver. Jonas is selected to be the receiver of memory, which means the memories of generations past, before the community was created, will all be transferred to him to hold. As Jonas receives memories his concept of the world around him drastically changes. Jonas starts out as twelve-year-old boy with perceptions different from those around him, he then begins to see the community for what it really is, and he makes a plan to change it.

Jonas is very mature at the beginning of the novel. For example, he volunteers at many places, plays games, goes to school every day, shares his dreams and feelings, and most importantly follows the rules.

Throughout the novel Giver, Jonas was questioning his society and community. Jonas accepting his society because he's unaware of the emotions of the other people in his community. Jonas starts to question his community when Jonas starts to feel emotions from getting memories. Jonas became to reject his society because he finds out what his community actually is. In the beginning of the novel, Jonas accepts his society's rules but once he starts to feel the memories of the past Jonas questions, and if they purposely took that out for the rest of the community.

Jonas starts out with a very low understanding of what it means to be mature. He has no knowledge of pain, love, or any other emotion. He proves this by acting like a normal child. He plays with his friends after volunteer hours. He attends school on a regular basis. Jonas is a stickler for the rules. He has been told that it is wrong to not follow rules and that there

Jonas, the main character of The Giver, becomes different by being an intellectual (pg. 127). He knows more than most and therefore feels

Jonas lives with his father who is a Nurturer of new children, his mother, and his seven-year-old sister Lily. At the beginning of the novel, he is apprehensive about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve, when he will be given his job that cannot be altered or changed, which officially presents him as a new adult member of the community. He doesn’t have a single

Jonas is a soft-hearted character in the novel for many reasons. One example is when Jonas gives memories to Gabriel at night every night. In the novel, the author states, “Each night he gave memories to Gabriel; memories of boat rides and picnics in the sun; memories of soft rainfall against window panes; memories of dancing barefoot on a damp lawn”(Lowry 128). This quote shows that Jonas is soft-hearted because he gave these memories to Gabe so that he was able to experience and feel all the nice things that Jonas got to. Another example of that shows Jonas is soft-hearted is how he gives Gabriel memories of warmth to help him survive. In the novel the author states,

He is given his Assignment in chapter 8. Once again, Jonas is fearful of what is to come, but he sees the audience accept his Assignment and he feels a change within himself. The author writes on page 80 in chapter 8: “I think it’s true” he told the Chief Elder and the community. “I don’t understand it yet.

The people who have bravery and curiosity have a very big chance of succeeding in life, and Jonas both has these characteristics, and these two things help him get through the part taking in his new title. Jonas from The Giver, written by Lois Lowry, is a very interesting and dynamic character, and he changes very much when he gets the job of The Giver, as a person and as a friend. He receives these memories that makes him wonder about the way they live, and why they live this way. No one is allowed to know about anything besides their community, but when Jonas receives these memories, he starts to see colors and learn more about other things than his community. To start off, one example of Jonas changing is on page 82, when Jonas tells the Giver, “I am brave, I really am” At the beginning, he was

Even though, Jonas has a high honor in his community, it is a punishment because of all the pain he has to endure and also having to keep all the memories and his training to himself. During break time at school, all the students were talking about their first day of training, but Jonas stayed calm and listened to everyone "He was aware of his own admonition not to discuss his training" (Lowry 112). This shows that Jonas’s selection was a punishment because he could not be a normal kid and fit in with everybody else, making different. Also, after the Giver gave Jonas some painful memories he felt lonely because he was not allowed to talk about it and no one knew how he felt.

Jonas is the true giver in the science fiction book The Giver by Lois Lowry. In the book The Giver, Jonas is a regular kid that has grown up with his friends Asher and Fiona, and each year, together, they go to the ceremony to become the next year older. They go to school and do their community service hours all for the day they wait for-- the day that they get their assignments or jobs that they will do for their life. When they go to the Ceremony of 12’s to get their assignments, the number 19, or Jonas’s number is skipped. At the end, it is announced that Jonas has not been given an assignment but rather he has been selected--selected to be the new Receiver of Memory.

In the beginning Jonas was a rule follower but then he slowly changed to a rebel. Jonas always told the truth, never stole, and did what he was told to do. For example, when the aircraft flew over twice the announcer came over the speakers and told everyone to get inside. “Leave your bicycles where they are and get inside”(Lowery 2). Why did they have to go inside when a plane flew over.

Jonas' mom is a shrewd, thoughtful, and understanding individual. She holds a conspicuous position at the Department of Justice. One of her occupation obligations is to rebuff individuals for breaking the entirely upheld standards of the group.

With all that Jonas has gone through versus nature, it has made him stronger. The first example is when he was on his journey to save his community and had no food.  “At night… tortured by hunger… in the community where meals were delivered to each dwelling every day”(Lowry 217). Another example is when he was riding his bike on his journey and his legs were in so much pain.  “...as he pushed on the petals with his numb, exhausted legs”(220). These examples show that all Jonas has gone through versus nature with hunger and being exhausted shows it’s an external battle versus nature. After all this, Jonas will become stronger and save his entire community. A third clear example is when Jonas twisted his ankle and scraped his knee on his bike.

In the book, The Giver, the main character is Jonas. Throughout the novel, Jonas was chosen to be The Receiver. The Receiver is a person who receives the memories from all over the globe that is outside of their community. In order to receive these memories, Jonas had to go to The Giver. The Giver is located at the Annex behind the House of the Old. So far in the book, the author describes Jonas as selfless, rule breaker, and compassion.