Summary chapters 17-23

Chapter 17

Setting: At Jonas' home, at the home of the old Receiver of Memory (Annex room)

Time: The next few days, middle to end of the next year

Characters: Jonas, Jonas' parents, Lily, Asher, Fiona, other children of the community

Summary: An unscheduled holiday is announced through the intercom, which means that no one has to go to work or school. Jonas is delighted and sets out to find Asher (0%). Jonas can always see colors by now. 

The memories transmitted by the Giver have changed Jonas. He experiences more intense and deeper feelings after he stops taking the pills. He finds that he no longer wants to live without all these new sensations (11%-22%).

Finally, Jonas finds Asher playing a war game with other teenagers, as he used to do before. Jonas never used to judge this activity as dangerous or frightening, because he did not know what war was. But now that he has learned the monstrous and painful side of armed conflict, he finds the game repulsive (44%). He places himself in the middle of the battlefield. However, as the Receiver of memory, he is not allowed to say anything and just stands there. He feels as if he can no longer breathe.

The other teenagers are irritated by his behavior and go elsewhere. Only Asher and Fiona come to Jonas, worried about him (56%). Jonas tries to explain to them that they should stop playing this war game because it is cruel . However, Asher and Fiona cannot understand him because they lack the knowledge Jonas has about war (56%).

Fiona tries to cheer Asher and Jonas up and suggests going for a drive along the river. Jonas realizes that he can no longer have carefree fun with his friends and refuses (67%). He is overcome by a deep sadness because he realizes that his friendships will never be the same again. His friends simply lack the knowledge he has acquired through the transfer of memories.

Asher and Fiona cannot understand Jonas's deep feelings or feel the same affection for him that he feels for them because they, like all members of the community, cannot experience strong emotions. Jonas realizes that he will never be able to change anything in the community because other people will never be able to understand him. He feels isolated and lonely (67%).

In the evening at home, eight-year-old Lily reports that she had a wonderful day. She is also looking forward to the next month. At the Ceremony of Nine, she will receive a new bicycle. Gabriel can now take his first steps, but this also means that from now on he will be punished for offenses with the slender instrument called the discipline wand (78%)....