CHAPTER SUMMARY WITH NOTES

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Summary

Today is an unscheduled holiday, a rare occurrence. Four weeks have passed since he stopped taking his pill. For Jonas there is no going back. The memories are contributing to the changes in him. He is now able to see colors more easily. And, they do not fade away any longer. JonasÂ’s feelings are deeper, deeper than they were in the past, and deeper than the feelings of others in the community.

Jonas decides to look for Asher. He finds him and others playing at a game of war. This upsets Jonas. After he interferes in the game and most of the children leave, Jonas asks Asher not to play the game in the future. Asher reminds him that he is the one training to be Recreation Director, not Jonas. Jonas tries to tell Asher the background of the game, but Asher does not understand.

Fiona suggests to Jonas that they ride down to the river. He would love to do that, but he can not, not at this point. Soon his friends leave on their bicycles.

Jonas sits down on a bench and is overwhelmed by his feelings. He has feelings of loss. He is sad because his friends do not understand his concerns. He loves Asher and Fiona, but they cannot love him back. Jonas knows that he cannot change the way things are.

In the evening, Father mentions that tomorrow he will be called on to release one of the identical twins being born. Jonas takes the opportunity to try to learn more about the subject of release. He asks Father if he is to be the one who takes the infant Elsewhere. Father tells him that he will just decide which one should be released. After he cleans the one to be released and makes it comfortable, he will perform a ceremony and wave bye-bye. In response to JonasÂ’s questions, Father says that someone from Elsewhere will take the child.

Notes

Life for Jonas is becoming unbearably frustrating now. He feels more and more distance between himself and his friends. But, he cannot go back to the way he was. If he could, he would not want to do so.

The children in the community know how to play the game of war without knowing what it is really about. They know the rules of the game without having any clue to the history behind it. It has lost its meaning.

Jonas seems to be getting more pain than pleasure out of his newly acquired depth of understanding. He is not able to show his family and friends his love or to receive love from them. He is able to feel the frustration of not being able to share many things with his family and friends.

Jonas continues to search for answers to his questions about release. And, he will continue to search.

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