Questions On Chapter Summaries Of Chapter 17

Jonas is the protagonist of the novel and a third-person narrator tells the entire story from Jonas perception of things. He is intelligent, curious, caring, and his thought process is very mature for being 11-13 years old. A good quote portraying both his matureness and his intellect is “If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things”(97). This is also one of the first signs that he is displeased with the community. Another quote showing his courage and curiosity is "It hurt a lot," Jonas said, "but I'm glad you gave it to me. It was interesting. And now I understand better. What it meant, that there would be

Jonas begins to receive painful memories from the giver and he finally understands why the community would want to avoid such painful experiences. If people had these memories it would create choices, which can lead to many mistakes (Lowry 98). People could choose the wrong mate, the wrong job, and people could get angry which can lead to war. The elders, from a time long ago, did not want to worry about incidences like those happening; therefore they created a community with no memories or choices. So they gave all of their collective memories to a receiver of memory. Jonas, after a year of training

Imagine living your life with no feelings, no choices, and no individuality; that is what it is like living in Jonas’ community. Visualize being only one of a few that knows what the world used to be like with joy, excitement, sadness, and fear; but you cannot change anything. All you can do is receive more memories of freedom, love, war, and happiness. Would that not haunt you? You can just watch the people of the community and know moat of humanity has been stropped of them like a band aid on a cut after it has healed, and only a scar is left; but the skin will never be the same.

Jonas discovers what is really beyond his community, beyond all the rules and policies they have to follow; he decides to leave and give all of his memories to the rest of the community so they would know about what they have not seen or experienced before. Jonas discovers that the community has decided too many things for everyone. He realizes Sameness is not right, that it cannot last any longer. He thinks of all the what-ifs. What if the Elders choose a wrong spouse? What if the Elders choose the wrong job for someone?

Jonas accepting his society because he's unaware of emotions of the other people in his community. Jonas follows the rule of having the share your feelings everyday. Not telling

Jonas is just another member of his community. He spends his life following the rules that his community has imposed him. In all his life, he has blindly followed the rules and has never questioned them. For that reason, it comes to a shock when he receives new instructions that go against everything he has been taught:

Jonas wanted to live a different life. In his journey, Jonas travels with Gabriel, the child that was being nurtured by his family. He needed to saved him from being “released”. Together they faced danger and fear but it was just the beginning of a new life in the land of Elsewhere.

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

1. Chapter 1, is about introducing the Tres Camarones, the state of Sinaloa, Mexico. Also, since the people in that town didn’t like change much there are already danger roaming around like the bandidos who will be evading the town.

Promptly afterwards, Jonas seems “stunned at what he was realizing. He continued to stare at the screen numbly” (Lowry 188). Lowry compares Jonas’s innocence when he is first unable to comprehend the actions of his father, to his growing maturity, after he

It may sound weird but in Document B it says, . “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.” Which means that the people of the community all think that The Receiver does something else, than what he actually does. They don’t realize that The Receiver is the one that lifts that burden of being in pain and having the memories. Another piece of evidence is that in Document D it says, “He killed it! My father killed it! Jonas said to himself, stunned at what he was realizing. He continued to stare at the screen numbly.” Which means that Jonas didn’t know what release meant until he actually saw it, so if Jonas didn’t know, then the rest of the people on the community wouldn’t know either. The only people who would know what really actually means were the people who “released” people, and people who saw it happen. Other than them nobody else knows. As a result, the Giver’s community is a dystopia because people in the community are oblivious to what is happening around

One day, it was time for Jonas to get a job. He was really nervous. His friends went with him and they sat together. When it was Jonas’ number they skipped him. He was getting so nervous that he thought he was not going to get a job. When Jonas’ name got called to be Receiver. He was going to work with an old man. When they met Jonas loved this man, he could show Jonas fun things that kids do, like us! The old man could also show Jonas pain. Jonas wanted to be different from the other people in his town. It couldn’t be that way.if you were different you were released, if there were twins then the one that weighed the most got cleaned and got a new home.if you were the one that weighed the least then you were released.

Jonas lives in a perfect society where everyone is equal and there is no war, pain, or fear. Sounds great right? But not for long. When Jonas reaches the age of 12 he recieves his assignment or career, just like everybody else. But Jonas's assignment is different. Jonas is selected to be the reciever of memories. He will recieve the memories of what life used to be from the giver. He starts out with happy memories, but soon learns about war and pain. But it is hard for the giver too, to give memories to sombody else, when he knows the pain and suffering they bring. And he is still hurt by the memories he hasn't given yet. After awhile Jonas and the giver realize that life isn't the way it's supposed to be in the society, so they plan for Jonas to escape. When he does he brings along gabriel, an infant that his family has been taking care of, and that jonas has grown to love. And together they discover the wonders and fears of the real

Another mistake that Jonas made which made the plot of the story rot is that when the family was noticed that

(SIP-A) Some of the memories that Jonas gains were very negative memories. (STEWE-1) Once Jonas wanted to know what causes the giver pain. “‘giver what causes you pain’... ‘lie down,’ ‘it’s time, I suppose’... Jonas - fell with his leg twisted under him, and could hear the crack of bone.” (Lowry 107-109). This is when Jonas realizes that nobody knows real pain. (STEWE-2) Jonas was once given a disturbing memory if guns and elephants dying. He could hear noises: the sharp crack of weapons… He watched them hack the tusks from a motionless elephant on the ground and haul them away… Now he saw another elephant emerge from the place where it had stood… it tilted its massive head, raised its trunk and roared into the empty landscape. (Lowry 100-101). Jonas was disturbed when he saw death and the animal roar with rage and grief. (SIP-B) When Jonas tried to share his memories it backfired on him. (STEWE-1) Jonas tried to reach out to his friend Asher but when he did his “friend” didn’t understand. “‘Don’t play it anymore,’... ‘games aren’t in your area of expertness’... ‘Asher,’... ‘...it’s a cruel game’”. (Lowry 134-135). nobody understands him. (STEWE-2) When Jonas’s dad kills a twin out of the set it pushes him over the edge. “He killed it! My father killed it! ... “well there you are, Jonas. you were wondering about release”. (Lowry 150-151). (CS) because of this treatment jonas comes to completely reject