Monday, January 12, 2015

The Giver chapters 12-18: Gaining Wisdom

SUMMARY

Later on as the days pass by Jonas keeps on receiving memories by the Giver and Jonas gains wisdom through them. He gets wisdom because when he looks at the memories he learns good and bad things that happened in the past. One day when he drops off Fiona at the house of the Old he notices that something strange had happened to her hair, IT CHANGED, he goes to the Givers house  and decides to ask him about what it was that he was seeing. After he asks him about it the Giver decides to run a little test and tells him to look at the books in the far corner, when Jonas looks, IT HAPPENS AGAIN!, but for a slit second. Then the giver tells him that he is starting to see colors. Later on Jonas starts to see colors more often and now the colors didn't disappear in a split second, now they started to stay with him. But now that Jonas could see colors he started to wonder if its right for people to live without colors and choices. One day Jonas asks the giver what
kind of terrible pain he was supposed to feel that wouldn't be like any other he had felt before so the Giver gives him the memory of a sled going downhill but this time the sled came down thew hill in full speed until it tipped over and crashed onto a tree and Jonas broke his leg. This time Jonas was in great pain, he had never felt this before and he started to panic but suddenly he woke up in the Anex, with his face wet with tears. He then asked for a relief of pain but the Giver said no, he went home feeling terrible and when his parents asked him what was wrong he just said he felt tired and went to bed. From that day forward every single training session included a memory of pain, the memory where Jonas broke his leg was nothing compared to the other ones that came. Meanwhile at home little Gabriel was always the center of attention but one evening while everyone was eating Jonas dad told the whole family that if Gabriel cant stop being so loud at night and frequently having the need of attention they might have to release him, but then he said that the decision wasn't made yet. Then he told them that one of the birth mothers birthed a pack o twins and that he had to release the littlest one. Then Jonas asked that if they could leave Gabriel sleep with him in his room for the night and not everyone liked the idea at first but then they said he could. That night Gabriel started crying and weeping, then Jonas woke up and when he went to calm down Gabriel he started remembering a quiet and calm ride on a boat but suddenly he gave part of the memory to Gabriel, Jonas tried to take back the memory but he couldn't, after that Gabriel slept soundly again and Jonas went back to sleep, then by 3:00 am Gabriel woke up again and Jonas did the same as before until the memory was gone. Jonas then did not know what to do, should he tell the Giver, then he just decided not to tell. The next day when Jonas went to the Anex he found the Giver in pain, he knew he had to go away but he asked him if he could help somehow and the Giver told him to take the pain from him, Jonas quickly jumped into action and got the place ready so that he could receive a memory. He knew the memory would be painful so he
braced himself but when he did start to see the memory he was in a place like no other, there were people crying for help, some dead and the atmosphere smelled like gunpowder, he then realized he was in a battlefield, he heard and saw how men and horses died in the middle of battle and finally when he could bear it no longer he woke up in the Anex, the Giver looked at him with a face of guilt and apologized.
After that day Jonas did not want to go back, he did not want to be the receiver, nor the memories, nor the wisdom but he had to, it was his responsibility, the following days the Giver was gentle to him. Then one day he asked him what was his favorite memory and the Giver instead of telling him he gave him the memory of Christmas and happiness and love. Then he asked him what those old people were doing there and the Giver replied that they were called grandparents and he explained to him what they were. That same day Jonas asked his parents if they loved him, and they got very surprised, they told him to watch his language and use better words like accept or enjoy. And Jonas lied telling them that he understood. The next morning Jonas stopped taking his pills. That day was declared an unscheduled holiday which was a day when every one took the day off, Jonas went to look for his friends and when he found em he saw that they were all playing a game of war. He started to panic remembering the memory then all the kids left and only his friends Fiona and Asher stayed they asked him if he wanted to ride along the river and although Jonas wanted to he said no. When he got home his dad told all the family that the next day was the day he would have to release one of the twins. The next day Jonas asked the Giver about release and about the failed receiver and the Giver told him everything and that the failed receiver was a girl named Rosemary that he really cared about her and that she was given memories of happiness and joy for the first weeks but then she started also receiving memories of pain and that one day when she left she went and applied for release, Jonas and the Giver both chuckled but Jonas saw that in his eyes he was very troubled about something.

OPINIONS AND QUESTIONS

I don't know how the elders could remove colors in the community but it seems to be something that's terrible, to live without colors or feelings. Another thing that i dont like are the old people, i dont like how families in this community are only based on mom dad son and daughter it looses the whole meaning of family, happiness and love. And finally to end this i just want to say that these chapters have all been the most exciting of the book and im left with a few questions in my mind that i want answered, what will happen to Gabriel, how will not taking the pill affect jonas, who is Rosemary and why is the Giver so sad about her?

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