Reading Analysis #4

Jonas repeated his daily routine for weeks and while the weeks went by, he started to learn the names of colors and now began to see them all. Jonas continued doing what he was supposed to do except he knew his life would never be ordinary again. Jonas believed that not having the possibility of choosing between colors or seeing colors was unfair for other people. The Giver started to share painful memories with Jonas but he decided to start with something familiar so he gave him the memory of sled, except this time he fell from the sled and broke his leg.  One day, Jonas started to realize baby Gabe wasn't letting his parents sleep very well and his father was tired, Jonas offered letting Gabe sleep in his room for a change. Baby Gabe was restless at night so Jonas grabbed him in his arms and he placed his hands in the baby´s back. Jonas was thinking about a memory the Giver had passed to him, which was about a sailboat in the middle of a lake. While he was thinking of the memory, he started to feel it fading away and Gabe starting to calm himself. Jonas decided not to tell the Giver what had happened because of the thought that he had developed the ability to give his memories away so early in his training frightened him. When Jonas went to his next day of training, he realized it was one of the days that the giver was in pain and he would be sent away, but before leaving he asked if there was anything he could do. The Giver told him to take some of the pain, Jonas laid down in the bed and the giver placed his hands in Jonas´ back. The memory that was causing pain to the Giver was one of war. He could see other men suffering terrible injuries and pleading for water. Jonas himself had his arm immobilized with pain. Jonas now understood the concept of warfare. When the memory was over he looked at the Giver and he looked away while saying "Forgive me". Jonas did not want the honor or anything else implicated in his assignment anymore, he wanted his childhood back. For the next days, the Giver showed him memories of pleasure. Jonas´ life would never be ordinary again, he had been selected to bear the burden everyone else in his community had been spared to even imagine. One day, the Giver gave Jonas his favorite memory, it was the memory of Christmas and a strong feeling of love that was all around the room. The Giver explained Jonas how families work in the past. Jonas started to realize how real life should be and the next morning he decided not to take his pill.

In chapter 16 the Giver explains love and how families worked before to Jonas and he says, "The family in the memory seemed a little more-" He faltered, not able to find the word he wanted. "A little more complete," The Giver suggested. That made me feel bad for Jonas because he felt his family was incomplete and there was no real love in it. It also made me think how would it be to live in a society like that and made me think that it would be really lonely not being able to really rely on anyone or really trust anyone. When Jonas asks his family if they love him they said that is a inaccurate and meaningless word and that they are proud of him, but they do not exactly love him. In Jonas' society the word love is not used and probably it is because when you take the pill you do not feel attraction to other people and therefore cannot form a real family.

I would not like to live in a society that was controlled like that and I think Jonas is probably going to try to change it. I think that family and having someone there to love you and be there for you is really important.