Jonas Character Analysis in The Giver

The protagonist of the novel, Jonas is thoughtful, intelligent, sensitive, and compassionate. He feels confused by some of the rules of the community, although he obeys them, and longs for human touch even before he understands it. Set apart from his friends by his pale eyes and his ability to see color, he is selected to be the next Receiver when he turns 12. When he discovers beauty, pain, love and death under the tutelage of The Giver, he becomes frustrated with the community's ignorance and convinces The Giver to help him change it. In order to become truly wise, Jonas must learn completely selfless love for Gabriel and his community and be willing to sacrifice his own life for the sake of another's.

Jonas Quotes in The Giver

The The Giver quotes below are all either spoken by Jonas or refer to Jonas. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

The apple had changed. Just for an instant. It had changed in mid-air.

Related Characters: Jonas

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 30

Explanation and Analysis:

Jonas notes that sometimes, the Speaker will announce general reminders of the rules to anonymously shame someone who has committed an infraction. Jonas remembers the one time he has been the target of such shame: when he took home an apple from snack time at school. In this quote, Jonas recalls that he had been drawn to the apple because he noticed something strange about it during a game of catch with Asher. Though everything in the Community is, it's suggested, in black-and-white, something about the apple seemed to become distinctive in mid-air. To further inspect the apple, and to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque o

I have a great honor. So will you. But you will find that that is not the same as power.

Related Characters: The Giver (speaker), Jonas

Page Number and Citation: 106

Explanation and Analysis:

During their first training session, the Giver gives Jonas a memory of sliding down a snow-covered hill, something that does not exist in the Community. Jonas wishes aloud that the Giver could bring back such a delightful activity using his power. In this quote, the Giver points out that while his Assignment brings great honor--as does Jonas's--this is very different than having power.The Receiver's job is to contain all the memories--good and bad--that exist from before the Sameness. This is to ensure that they are not present in the Community for anyone else to access. This functions as a form Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis.

[Jonas] watched them hack the tusks from a motionless elephant on the ground and then haul them away, spattered with blood. He felt himself overwhelmed with a new perception of the color he knew as red.

Related Characters: Jonas

Page Number and Citation: 126

Explanation and Analysis:

While many of the memories that the Giver bequeaths to Jonas are pleasurable, such as ones of sailing and sledding, many of them bring pain and suffering. During one training session, the Giver gives Jonas the memory of an elephant being killed by poachers for the ivory of its tusks. Though Jonas has thus far associated colors with pleasurable memories, seeing the blood of the elephant gives him the sinking realization that colors can represent just as much pain as they do pleasure.In the Community, a total lack of colors and differentiation maintains the peace and ensures that no one Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. A

They were satisfied with their lives which had none of the vibrance his own was taking on. And he was angry at himself, that he could not change that for them.

Related Characters: Jonas

Page Number and Citation: 124

Explanation and Analysis:

Jonas asks the Giver about what the Chief Elder said when she assigned him the role of Receiver: that ten years ago, another Twelve had earned the position, which ended in disaster. The Giver consents to telling him the story of the previous Receiver who requested for release, resulting in all of her memories being free for the Community to access. The fallout was a disaster, and no Receiver had been chosen until Jonas, ten years later.Jonas realizes that his life has become much richer and more nuanced since he began to receive memories from the Giver. His ability to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tem

He wondered what lay in the far distance where he had never gone. The land didn't end beyond those nearby community. Were there hills Elsewhere? Were there vast wind-torn areas like the place he had seen in memory, the place where the elephants died?

Related Characters: Jonas

Related Symbols: The Snow-covered Hill

Page Number and Citation: 134

Explanation and Analysis:

After speaking with the Giver about what happened when the previous Receiver was released, Jonas begins to wonder about what else he has been deprived of as a member of the Community. Though he has never wondered about what existed beyond or before the Community prior to his training, he now starts to long to experience and know more about the world. At this time in the novel, Jonas does not yet know that "Elsewhere" is a euphemism for death, one that Community members use to refer to the place where people go after release. Jonas and his friends assume Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro per

The sled hit a bump in the hill and Jonas was jarred loose and thrown violently into the air. He fell with his leg twisted under him, and could hear the crack of bone. His face scraped along jagged edges of ice… In his agony he perceived the world "fire" and felt flames licking at the torn bone and flesh.

Related Characters: Jonas

Related Symbols: The Snow-covered Hill

Page Number and Citation: 137

Explanation and Analysis:

When Jonas arrives at the Giver's room for training each day after school, he often finds the old man in excruciating pain. The Giver usually shoos him away, and tells him to come back tomorrow. One day, Jonas insists that the Giver give him some of the painful memories so that he can relieve the burden. In this quote, the Giver gives Jonas another memory of sledding on a hill, though with an unhappy ending in the form of an excruciatingly painful broken leg.Since the major goal of life in the Community is to eradicate all suffering by reducing differences Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui s

He was not aware of giving the memory; but suddenly he realized that it was becoming dimmer, that it was sliding through his hand into the being of the newchild.

Related Characters: Jonas

Page Number and Citation: 147

Explanation and Analysis:

Since Gabriel sleeps most soundly in Jonas's room at night, Jonas's father consents to letting the baby sleep there when he comes home with him at the end of each day. One night, while trying to calm the crying newchild, Jonas absentmindedly thinks of a happy memory the Giver gave him, and realizes that he feels it slip away as the child's cries die down. Jonas then realizes that, like himself, Gabe is a receiver, and that Jonas has just passed on his first memory.Jonas and Gabe both have light eyes, as does the Giver, whereas most members of the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia sol

"I couldn't quite get the word for the whole feeling of it, the feeling that was so strong in the room."
"Love," The Giver told him.

Related Characters: The Giver (speaker), Jonas (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 157

Explanation and Analysis:

Jonas asks what the Giver's favorite memory is, and he offers to give it to Jonas. It is a memory of several generations of people sitting around a green tree with colored lights, and a pleasurable feeling that Jonas does not have a name for. The Giver tells Jonas that the people are grandparents--the parents of parents of children--and that the feeling he experienced was love.As a member of a society where strong feelings are repressed, Jonas has no idea that he has not felt the full range of human emotions due to the rules of the Community. Though ritual Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. De

"Do you love me?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas. You, of all people. Precision of language, please!"

Related Characters: Jonas (speaker), Jonas's Father (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 159

Explanation and Analysis:

After the Giver shows Jonas his favorite memory--the love between family members--Jonas takes advantage of his new ability to ask whatever questions he wants, and he asks his parents whether they love him. In this quote, they scold him for using such a general word, since precision of language is an important part of maintaining accuracy in their Community. Their incredulous response immediately tells Jonas that not only do they not love him, but that they have no comprehension of what the word love even means.Life within the Community is designed to discourage close bonds between people, indicated by the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque

The next morning, for the first time, Jonas did not take his pill. Something within him, something that had grown there through the memories, told him to throw the pill away.

Related Characters: Jonas

Page Number and Citation: 162

Explanation and Analysis:

After experiencing the memory of love and giving Gabe part of the feeling of it, Jonas abruptly decides to stop taking his pill. Though he does not quite understand what a "Stirring" is, he remembers how pleasurable it used to be to think and dream of Fiona. Since taking the pill, he no longer has those dreams or feels quite the same about her. Now that he is experiencing so many ideas and feelings through the memories from the Giver, however, Jonas wonders if these experiences may be even more vibrant--like the thoughts of Fiona were--if he stops taking the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum es

He felt such love for Asher and for Fiona. But they could not feel it back, without the memories.

Related Characters: Fiona, Jonas, Asher

Page Number and Citation: 170

Explanation and Analysis:

Jonas gets into a fight with Asher and some of his friends when they begin to play a game that simulates war. Though he frequently played the game as a child, once he experienced the horrors of war and the senseless death it brings through the memories, he becomes angry about the carelessness with which his friends pretend to attack and kill one another. Fiona finds Jonas distraught, comforts him shortly, and leaves. In this quote, Jonas realizes that though he now understands that he loves his friends Asher and Fiona, they can never love him back.Like his parents, Jonas Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptat

He killed it! My father killed it! Jonas said to himself.

Related Characters: Jonas (speaker), Jonas's Father

Page Number and Citation: 188

Explanation and Analysis:

One day, Jonas asks the Giver about the true nature of release, and where people go when they are sent "Elsewhere." The Giver shows Jonas a video of the release that his Father performed earlier in the day on the smaller of a set of twins born (due to the fact that the Rules state there can only be 50 children in any age group in a given year, and that only one of each set of twins is allowed to remain in the Community). Jonas's father injects the newborn with a mysterious substance, and it almost instantly dies. Jonas Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia e

"Having you here with me over the past year has made me realize that things must change. For years I've felt that they should, but it seemed so hopeless. Now for the first time I think there might be a way," The Giver said slowly.

Related Characters: The Giver (speaker), Jonas

Page Number and Citation: 193

Explanation and Analysis:

After seeing the video of his father release the newchild, Jonas is inconsolable. He refuses to leave the Giver's room, and demands that he and the Giver do something to force the Community to stop living in ignorance. In this quote, the Giver slowly comes to the conclusion that perhaps there is a way to impose the memories onto the Community, and to help them cope with the onslaught of feelings so that they can finally understand what it means to know of strong emotions.Like Jonas, the Giver felt incredibly isolated by his role as Receiver, one that left him Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sin

Though he had never seen one before, he identified it from his fading memories, for The Giver had given them to him often. It was a bird.

Related Characters: Jonas, The Giver

Page Number and Citation: 215

Explanation and Analysis:

While everyone is at the annual Ceremony, Jonas escapes away from the bounds of the Community with a pack of food and Gabe strapped to his Father's bicycle. After some time, airplanes come trying to look for them, which they deftly hide from. One day, Gabe cries that he sees an airplane, but Jonas looks up and sees something else flying in the sky. He immediately identifies it as a bird, something that he has only seen in memories before, since no animals beyond fish for food exist within the Community.The sight of the bird gives Jonas the first real-life Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Mol

If he had stayed in the community, he would not be. It was as simple as that. Once he had yearned for choice. Then, when he has had a choice, he had made the wrong one: the choice to leave. And now he was starving.

Related Characters: Jonas

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 217

Explanation and Analysis:

As they travel farther away from the Community, Gabe and Jonas experience hunger and the cold for the first time in their lives. Though the Community is emotionally repressive, it did provide them with all bodily needs and ensured they were never uncomfortable. In this quote, Jonas desperately wonders if he made the right decision to leave the Community. However, after understanding everything he was missing from his life through the memories, he knows that a life in the Community, even one that was warm and well-fed, would not be a life at all. As he states here, "he would Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et.

He wept because he was afraid now that he could not save Gabriel. He no longer cared about himself.

Related Characters: Jonas, Gabriel

Page Number and Citation: 218

Explanation and Analysis:

As Gabe and Jonas travel on, their conditions worsen, and they do not reach another Community. Both boys become very weak, and in this quote, Jonas weeps not for his own life, but for Gabe's. Though this moment can be interpreted as very tragic, since the boys have no concept of how to fend for themselves in the wild, but Jonas knows they will be killed if they turn back, it can also be interpreted as a triumph: by caring for Gabe's life more than his own, Jonas is expressing true love for another human being, something he would not Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque

For the first time, he heard something that he knew to be music. He heard people singing. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thought he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo.

Related Characters: Jonas

Related Symbols: The Snow-covered Hill

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 225

Explanation and Analysis:

One day during the escape, it begins to snow--Jonas and Gabe's first comprehension of this kind of weather, beyond the memories of sledding. Jonas must abandon his bike and carries Gabe. As they both begin to freeze and Jonas tries to conjure memories of warmth and sunshine, Jonas begins to see flashbacks of many memories: He and Gabe sliding down a hill together on a sled, into a warm room of colored lights, where the family that first taught him love is.In this quote, Jonas begins to hear something he has never heard before, but knows the word from the Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Imp

Jonas Character Timeline in The Giver

The timeline below shows where the character Jonas appears in The Giver. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Jonas, the novel's 11-year-old protagonist, is nervous about the upcoming Ceremony of Twelve. While struggling to... (full context)

After dinner that night, Jonas's family engages in the nightly "telling of feelings," in which each person shares a troubling... (full context)

Jonas's father is a Nurturer, which means he cares for the community's babies, or newchildren. He... (full context)

After Jonas's mother explains her worries about a criminal who came before her as a second offender... (full context)

After sharing, Jonas's parents ask to speak with Jonas alone. Jonas's father tries to calm his fears by... (full context)

Jonas and his parents discuss the annual ceremonies. At the ceremony of One, the 50 babies... (full context)

Jonas's father reveals that he has actually peeked at the name of the newchild about whom... (full context)

Jonas's father tells him that after the Ceremony of Twelve, when children get their Assignments, age... (full context)

Lily comes into the room and asks for her comfort object, a stuffed elephant. Jonas's mother tells her that once she is an Eight her comfort object will be taken... (full context)

The next day Jonas's father brings home Gabriel. Although mirrors are rare so that he has only seen his... (full context)

Lily also comments on the newchild's pale eyes, and jokes that maybe Gabriel and Jonas have the same Birthmother. Lily is scolded for her joke, because in the community, it's... (full context)

...Birthmothers never see their newchildren and, after three years and three babies, Birthmothers become Laborers. Jonas's mother comments that there is no honor in either assignment. (full context)

Jonas privately recalls when the Speaker made an announcement directed at him, though like all announcements... (full context)

The next day, Jonas joins Asher and their friend Fiona at the House of the Old, where they do... (full context)

On that particular day, Jonas helps bathe an old woman named Larissa. He notes that only babies and the elderly... (full context)

Larissa joyously tells Jonas that her friend Roberto was released yesterday after a beautiful ceremony. She says Roberto's whole... (full context)

...share their feelings at night, each morning the families in the community share their dreams. Jonas tells his family about his dream: he was in a bathing room and tried to... (full context)

Jonas is proud that he is now such an adult that he has to take the... (full context)

...first day of the two-day December ceremony, Assignments for Ones through Eights are given out. Jonas learns that because his father pleaded Gabriel's case to the Committee, Gabriel is allowed one... (full context)

...to a family whose Four, also named Caleb, had fallen into the river and drowned. Jonas remembers the Ceremony of Mourning for the drowned boy, in which everyone murmured the lost... (full context)

When a different newchild is assigned to a family and named Roberto, Jonas realizes that names are given out to replace the names of those who were recently... (full context)

...boys' hair is cut shorter so that all boys and girls have the same haircuts. Jonas knows Lily is excited not to have to wear her hair ribbons anymore, when she... (full context)

During lunch, the Elevens worry about their assignments. Asher worries he'll get Sanitation, and tells Jonas that he once heard that someone in Sanitation swam the river and left to join... (full context)

Jonas also can't imagine someone feeling as if they don't fit into the community. He knows... (full context)

After lunch, Jonas and the other Twelves take their seats at the front of the room in the... (full context)

It is now Jonas's turn to receive an Assignment. But the Chief Elder skips Jonas and calls number 20.... (full context)

...Assignments have been given out, the Chief Elder tells the crowd that she has skipped Jonas purposely. Jonas, she says, has been selected to be the next Receiver of Memory. The... (full context)

The Chief Elder says that Jonas has all the qualities necessary for Receiver, such as intelligence and courage, which he'll need... (full context)

After leaving the Auditorium, the other Twelves talk excitedly about their new jobs. Jonas feels left out and strange. Even Asher acts differently and respectfully toward him. Jonas realizes... (full context)

At the evening meal, Jonas asks his parents what happened to the person selected for Receiver ten years ago. His... (full context)

After dinner Jonas reads the file he was given at the ceremony describing his training to become Receiver.... (full context)

After school the next day, Jonas reports to the Annex of the House of the Old, where a desk attendant unlocks... (full context)

The Receiver is old and grey, and tells Jonas that he is going to use his last strength to pass those memories onto Jonas.... (full context)

The Receiver instructs Jonas to lie on his stomach. He walks over to the wall speaker, which looks like... (full context)

The Receiver places his hands on Jonas's back and transmits the memory of sledding down a hill: Jonas does not just remember... (full context)

Jonas wishes aloud that hills and snow and sledding still existed, and asks why the Receiver,... (full context)

The Receiver next gives Jonas a memory of sunshine. At Jonas's request, he then gives Jonas his first memory of... (full context)

As Jonas leaves for the day, The Receiver tells Jonas not to call him "The Receiver" any... (full context)

That night Jonas dreams he is at the top of a snow-covered hill, needing to reach whatever is... (full context)

As Fiona rides away, Jonas notices that her hair changes the same way that the apple changed. When he arrives... (full context)

Jonas wonders why the community would want to get rid of the color red, which is... (full context)

The Giver explains that Fiona's hair is unlike other people's hair—just as Jonas's eyes are different from other people's eyes—because genetic scientists have still not mastered Sameness well... (full context)

Jonas soon becomes angry that color has been removed from his world. He tells The Giver... (full context)

The next day Jonas tries to transmit color to Asher by touching his shoulder while Asher looks at some... (full context)

One day soon after, The Giver gives Jonas a memory of an elephant killed by poachers, with its tusks cut off and red... (full context)

One day, Jonas asks whether The Giver has a wife. The Giver says that he did, once, but... (full context)

The Giver tells Jonas that he wishes the Committee of Elders would ask for his wisdom more often. No... (full context)

Some afternoons, Jonas arrives for training and The Giver is hunched over in pain with a memory. On... (full context)

One day, Jonas asks The Giver to give him one of the painful memories. By taking a painful... (full context)

The Giver gives Jonas a memory of falling from the sled, breaking his leg and scraping his face on... (full context)

That afternoon, with his leg uninjured but still aching, Jonas goes home feeling lonely because no one else can experience the kind of pain he... (full context)

After many more days in which The Giver transmits painful memories to him, Jonas, frustrated, asks The Giver why they have to hold all of those terrible memories. The... (full context)

The Giver tells Jonas that people do not want memories of pain. The Receiver's job is so important and... (full context)

Meanwhile, at Jonas's home, Gabriel is growing but is still fretful at night. Jonas's father worries that he... (full context)

Jonas wonders where people who are released go. He hopes that release means that the little... (full context)

Jonas, hoping he can somehow help Gabriel avoid release, asks his father if Gabriel can sleep... (full context)

The next day The Giver is in terrible pain, and he asks Jonas to take the memory he is having. He gives Jonas a memory of a war,... (full context)

The Giver is gentle with Jonas for days following the war memory. He gives Jonas wonderful memories of birthday parties, paintings... (full context)

When Jonas asks The Giver to describe his favorite memory, The Giver tells Jonas he wants to... (full context)

At home that evening, Jonas asks his parents if they love him. They laugh at the question and chide him... (full context)

That night, Jonas gives Gabriel another happy memory to help him sleep and tells the sleeping newchild that... (full context)

Jonas rides his bike along the river. He knows the river must lead to Elsewhere and... (full context)

Returning from the river, Jonas sees Asher and his friends playing a game of war. He tries to explain to... (full context)

Fiona arrives and tries to comfort Jonas, but eventually leaves on her bicycle. Jonas sadly realizes that he loves Asher and Fiona,... (full context)

When he gets home, Jonas takes comfort in Gabriel, who has now learned to walk and talk, and can say... (full context)

The identical twins are scheduled to be born the next day, and Jonas's father mentions having to release one of them. Curious, Jonas asks whether his father will... (full context)

The next day, Jonas asks The Giver about release. The Giver responds that on days when his memories particularly... (full context)

The Giver tells Jonas that her name was Rosemary, and that he loved her very much, the same way... (full context)

Jonas wonders what would happen if he fell in the river and died accidentally. The Giver... (full context)

Jonas explains that his interest in release stems from the fact that his father is releasing... (full context)

The Giver turns on the video screen, and he and Jonas watch as Jonas's father weighs the two babies and then places the smaller one on... (full context)

...explains that this is why he was so sad when Rosemary was released. He tells Jonas that Rosemary actually asked to inject herself with the needle. (full context)

...now realizes that his father lied to him about what would happen to the newchild, Jonas refuses to go home. He spends the night in The Giver's room. Jonas asks The... (full context)

Jonas demands that they do something to stop the community from living in ignorance. The Giver... (full context)

Jonas and The Giver hatch a plan: Jonas will escape from the community, so that all... (full context)

The Giver tells Jonas he is not able to see colors anymore because he has given them all to... (full context)

The Giver and Jonas decide that over the next two weeks, The Giver will transmit as many memories as... (full context)

The Giver will stay behind and help people cope with their new memories. He tells Jonas that after this work is finished, what he wants most is to be with his... (full context)

Jonas and The Giver's plan hits a snag that night: at dinner, Jonas's father tells the... (full context)

Jonas refuses to let Gabriel be killed. When everyone is asleep, he takes some leftover food... (full context)

Jonas rides all night, then hides with Gabriel during the day as planes fly overhead searching... (full context)

As Jonas and Gabriel continue to travel, the road they have been following narrows and gets rough.... (full context)

Jonas wonders if by leaving he has sentenced them to starve. But he knows that if... (full context)

...pleasant as it was in his memories. The cold, wet, and hunger make Gabriel cry. Jonas cries too, not because he is afraid he will die, but because if he dies... (full context)

One day, it snows, leaving Jonas and Gabriel cold, hungry, and exhausted. Jonas has just a few memories left from The... (full context)

When he reaches the top of the hill, Jonas recognizes it. He also sees a sled. Jonas and Gabriel ride the sled downhill. At... (full context)

Jonas Character Analysis

Jonas Quotes in The Giver

Chapter 3 Quotes

Chapter 11 Quotes

Chapter 13 Quotes

Chapter 14 Quotes

Chapter 16 Quotes

Chapter 17 Quotes

Chapter 19 Quotes

Chapter 20 Quotes

Chapter 21 Quotes

Chapter 22 Quotes

Chapter 23 Quotes

Jonas Character Timeline in The Giver