Chapters - 16 & 17.

Chapters 16-17.

Chapter – 16.

Jonas feels terrible after the Memory of the War. He has no choice as he has been selected to bear the burden. So he goes back to the annex and receives many pleasant memories from the Giver for many days like the Memory of the Birthday party celebrating the joy and uniqueness of being an individual; Museums with their colourful paintings; Memory of the Horse ride with the sense of the close bonding between humans and animals; the Memory of the Campfire (the joy of Solitude) and finally the Memory of Christmas (Warmth, Love, Happiness etc).

He is much taken by the concept of grandparents and feels it will be nice to have them around in their community despite the apparent risks involved. On his return home that evening, he asks his parents if they love him. His bemused parents tell him that love is a generalized term and therefore, obsolete and inappropriate. But they enjoy his company and pride in his achievements. Jonas lies to them for the first time, despite his strong feelings of love.

Gabriel in the meantime has slept peacefully in his room for four consecutive nights. Each night Jonas gives him memories of picnics, boat-rides, dancing barefoot on a damp lawn and of the soft rainfall against the windowpanes. But not so surprisingly either, when Gab is taken away from his room, he starts sleeping fretfully again. So he comes back till the habit of good sleep is formed in him. The Nurturers are optimistic about his future. Jonas feels the need for love in their community and does not take the pills again!

Chapter – 17.

A rare and unexpected holiday is declared in their community. On such days substitute Labourers take over all the necessary tasks. Happy like the other citizens, Jonas starts looking for Asher and rides to the playfield. He has not taken the pills for the past four weeks and does not want to go back to the world of no feelings! As a result and due to the memories, he can keep the colours for long now. While cycling by the riverside, he realizes that now he can look at the river in its entirety – its colour, history and light all included!

He finds most of the children playing the popular game of the good guys and the bad guys ( A game of war). Some of them are pretending to be struck by the enemies, and clutching their chests or shoulders, they drop down to the ground, giggling.

Despite Asher’s threats, Jonas goes out to the ground and nearly cries out in pain recollecting the dying kid on the battlefield. Asher blames Jonas for being a spoilsport. He asks Fiona, looking very beautiful at that time and Asher, not to play such a game anymore. Asher takes offence and tells him that he is the Assistant Director of Recreation and what they were doing, is not Jonas’ area of expertise ('expertness'). Next moment Asher realizes his rudeness and apologizes to Jonas. Fiona, nervous, asks Jonas if he would like a walk by the riverside. Having declined the offer politely, Jonas sits by the storeroom, He is overwhelmed with a sense of loss (of friends, childhood etc.) and sadness. He also understands his helplessness in not being able to change anything.

Back in his dwelling, father wants to go to sleep early as the twins to-be-born next day, have been detected to be identical. So he will have to release the weaker one. Lily then starts thinking aloud if the weaker of the twins may be sent to Elsewhere after his release from their community and in due course of time gets to meet the other twin during a school trip and what if they switch their places and all. Mother regards Lily to be highly imaginative and opines that it will be nice if she is assigned the job of the Storyteller. Thus encouraged, Lily shares a better idea for one more story. Her idea of the possibility of everyone like Father, Jonas, Asher, the Chief Elder, herself. in the community having a twin Elsewhere is cut short by father reminding her about bed-time.