The Giver Chapter 20

Weeping and trembling, Jonas shouts vehemently that he refuses to go home. The Giver speaks to the attendant behind the wall speakers, instructing her to tell Jonas's family that he will stay for the night for further training. The Giver calmly explains to Jonas that his father is simply doing what he is told to do, knowing nothing else. "It's the way they live. It's the life that was created for them. It's the same life that you would have, if you had not been chosen as my successor." Chapter 20, pg. 153

Topic Tracking: Choice 11

That's what happens when people are released; they are killed. Fiona is already training to perform releases with no feelings.

Topic Tracking: Feelings 19

The Giver tries to comfort and advise Jonas whose mind is in a turmoil over what he has learned. The Giver explains that after eating dinner, they will together make a plan. There are memories of times when things were different and people had feelings like pride, sorrow, and love. Jonas has helped him realize that memories should be shared. Things should change, and there might be a way.

Topic Tracking: Feelings 20
Topic Tracking: Memory 20

In the community, a Receiver has been responsible for keeping all memories to himself. But if Jonas escapes from the community to go Elsewhere, the memories that have been given to him will come back to the people. That's what happened when Rosemary had been released. All the memories she had received came back to the people, and they panicked. If Jonas goes away and his memories come back, The Giver will help the community cope with the confusion and the pain that the memories bring. In order to control the situation, the Committee will try to quicken the selection process to pick another Receiver. There is a female Six with pale eyes whose name is Katharine, but she is too young to become a Receiver. Thus, the community will be forced to bear with the memories. The Giver has to remain in the community in order to help the people cope with them. He is too old to accompany Jonas. He is no longer able to see colors. But, he explains that there is something that he has been keeping to himself. Jonas had started to see colors; he had had the Capacity to See Beyond. When The Giver had been a child, he had had the Capacity to Hear Beyond. He had started to hear music. The Giver promises to give some to Jonas before he leaves.

Topic Tracking: Memory 21

Jonas goes home the next day, pretending as though nothing has happened. The Giver and he have formed a plan. Until the Ceremony of December, The Giver will give Jonas every memory he has of courage and strength to help him on his journey to Elsewhere which they are both confident exists somewhere.

The plan is that the night before the Ceremony, Jonas will leave his dwelling undetected after writing a note to his parents that he has gone on a morning bicycle ride by the river. After hiding his bicycle by the riverbank, he will come back to the Annex where The Giver will be waiting for him, having ordered a driver and a vehicle. Jonas will hide in the storage section of the vehicle, equipped with two weeks worth of food that The Giver will have secretly saved for him. The Giver and Jonas will ride out together. When Jonas's absence is detected, The Giver will have returned to the community. He will go to the Auditorium where everyone is gathered to announce that Jonas has been lost in the river. He will then help everyone cope with the memories that have returned with Jonas's loss.

Jonas pleads with The Giver to come with him, but the old man is insistent on staying to help the community. He thanks Jonas for helping him realize that there is a way to change things and tells him that he loves him. But after he has helped everyone in the community cope with the memories, he wishes to be with his daughter. Her name had been Rosemary.