Discussion Topic
Jonas transmits memories of cold and feelings of snow to Gabriel in The Giver
Summary:
Yes, Jonas transmits memories of cold and feelings of snow to Gabriel in The Giver to calm him and help him sleep. This act of sharing memories is part of Jonas's growing understanding of his role as the Receiver and his deepening bond with Gabriel.
Why does Jonas transmit memories of the cold to Gabriel in chapter 21 of The Giver?
In chapter 21 of The Giver by Lois Lowry, Jonas flees his community with the infant Gabe. Jonas had planned to escape, but he leaves earlier than intended after learning that Gabe is to be released the following morning. Jonas choose to abandon the plan so he can save Gabe. The plan had involved making it look like Jonas was lost to the river, but now the community knows Jonas has fled and they send out search planes.
Luckily the pilots cannot see color, and so Jonas and Gabe are able to blend in to the surroundings. Unfortunately, they can detect heat. Jonas remembers this from his science class. In order to prevent the planes from detecting their body heat, Jonas transmits memories of snow to the baby. The intention is to keep their body heat down to prevent detection. As they experience snow in their minds, they feel...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
cold and shiver. This works, and the chapter ends with the planes ceasing their search.
Why does Jonas transmit feelings of snow to Gabriel in The Giver?
Jonas transmits memories of snow to Gabriel to keep them both safe.
When Jonas decides to escape his community, he decides to take Gabriel with him. This is a risky move; Gabriel is far too young to have any sense of reason about the danger they are facing in their escape. As Jonas journeys away from the community, he moves as quickly as physically possible, especially at first. He understands that when the community realizes that he is missing, they will begin searching for him. Jonas is desperate to get away from the community with the great hope that the memories will be returned to all of the community members.
Sure enough, the search planes soon show up. Since the pilots cannot see color, Jonas realizes that they would find it nearly impossible to visually discern the boys from their environment; Jonas and Gabriel would simply look like gray smudges against gray foliage. Yet Jonas recalls an important detail from his classes at school: those planes have heat-seeking devices.
Those memories of snow serve a powerful and practical purpose. When Jonas transmits those cold memories, the boys both become colder. Reducing their body temperature helps them to camouflage into their surroundings, making it less likely that the search planes will find them with their heat-seeking technology. Jonas's strategy works, effectively hiding the boys from those who are searching for them.