Chapter 16 Summary
After receiving the memory of warfare, Jonas is reluctant to return to receive memories from the Giver again. However, the decision is not his; Jonas has been selected. Warfare is awful, but the Giver is quick to point out that there are many good memories. Jonas recalls birthday parties, which celebrate individuality, and museums that celebrate beautiful artwork. Jonas asks about the Giver’s favorite memory. He is surprised when the Giver transmits his favorite memory to Jonas. It is a scene with people of all ages—children, parents, and an older couple as well—gathered around a tree, which is indoors and decorated with red and green lights. People are cooking nearby. Others are exchanging presents. When Jonas returns from the memory, he cannot name the holiday, but he recalls feelings of warmth, family, and happiness. There is also another feeling, which the Giver helps Jonas to identify as love.
Jonas inquires about the elderly couple, and the Giver explains that they are grandparents. A long time ago—“back and back and back”—parents did not become “childless adults” after their children grew up. They remained a part of the family. Jonas is quick to point out that there are disadvantages to this organization. It puts the elderly at risk of not being cared for. Additionally, the family in the memory had a fireplace and candles, which is clearly dangerous. On the other hand, Jonas admits that the candles and fireplace did feel “warm.”
When Jonas returns home, he asks his parents whether they love him, and they laugh at this question. Jonas’s father is surprised to hear such imprecise language from a member of his family. Jonas’s mother explains that love has become a generalized word that is now so meaningless it is nearly obsolete. Instead, Jonas could ask whether his parents enjoy his company or whether they are proud of his accomplishments. When Jonas’s parents ask whether he understands, Jonas lies for the first time as he thanks them for helping him.
The chapter closes with Jonas once again taking care of Gabriel. The child has slept soundly in Jonas’s care for four nights in a row, and the Nurturers are very pleased with Gabriel’s progress. However, when Gabriel starts sleeping on his own, he again has fretful nights. That night, Jonas tells the baby that the world could be different. For example, there could be love. The next morning, Jonas does not take the pill that stops the Stirrings.
Expert Q&A
In The Giver Chapter 16, how does the author depict Jonas's growth through color and feelings?
In Chapter 16, Jonas's growth is depicted through his exposure to color and feelings, which overwhelm him after a life devoid of emotions. He struggles with painful memories but also experiences love for the first time, contrasting his community's absence of true familial bonds. Jonas realizes the richness of a life full of emotions and colors, preferring it despite its dangers, as it offers a more complete and meaningful human experience than his community's controlled existence.
What clues in Chapter 16 of The Giver help infer the unnamed celebration?
In Chapter 16, clues in the memory suggest the celebration is Christmas. The Giver's favorite memory involves a joyful scene in a warm room with "firelight glowing on a hearth" and snow outside. The key clue is the "twinkling tree" with colored lights, indicating a Christmas tree. Additional details like the smell of food, wrapped presents, and family members laughing and hugging confirm the Christmas setting, despite the holiday not being named.
What event does the Giver share with Jonas in chapter 16, and what might have happened to it?
In chapter 16, the Giver shares a memory of Christmas with Jonas, highlighting a family's love and warmth, which Jonas finds unusual yet appealing. This event no longer exists in Jonas's community due to the principle of Sameness, which eliminated emotional depth, individuality, and biological family ties to promote equality and prevent conflict. The concept of family and religious celebrations like Christmas were eradicated to ensure conformity and governmental control.
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