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Why Jonas felt he had to leave
  • katherinet July 2011
    I'm a little confused on why Jonas felt he had to leave and share his memories with everyone. I'd like to hear what other people think.
    Katherine T.
  • dparrydparry July 2011
    I would too, katherinet. Come on, readers. Chime in.
  • sarahj July 2011
    Katherine, I feel that part of the reason Jonas left was to share his memories with everyone, like you said. Sharing these memories meant that every citizen could have the pleasure of having feelings and memories of happy times and sensing color. Jonas said that the citizens of his community were "hungry for feeling and color." This also came with the bad memories as well, but I believe Jonas wanted everyone to have freedom just like he did being an apprentice to the Giver. THis freedom that I believe Jonas wanted would let the people use the memories to either their advantage or disadvantage and make their own decisions. I also feel that Jonas left "Elsewhere" to keep Gabe from being "Released."
    Sarah J.
  • BreannaRyan August 2011
    I agree, Sarah. I think that Jonas felt that everyone needed to know about the past, about colors, and other things that they were deprived of. Although this knowledge would give them more freedom, it became apparent that people may not be able to handle the more gruesome memories. So while Jonas felt people needed more freedom, I do not think he took into account the factor of potentially destroying the rest of civilization, as the giver's daughter almost did. So with these doubts, I believe that your theory of keeping Gabe from being released is a much more sensible motive.
  • dparrydparry July 2011
    Hi, sarahj. Thanks for adding to the conversation. This was not an easy decision for Jonas to make. Considerable sacrifice was involved, but I think the call of freedom, as you mention, made it necessary. Think about how the quest for freedom and liberty has directed the sweeping changes in our own human history.
  • alexandermalexanderm July 2011
    i feel that this sacrafice was completly necessary for jonas to do. It reminds me of the american revolution, we had to give up things for our freedom as jonas had to also. He felt it was necessary so that everyone wcould see color and make thier own choices and mistakes
  • pmhotchkis August 2011
    I agree Alexander that the sacrifice Jonas made was completely necessary and that in human history it is much like the American Revolution or any revolution because people are forced to make sacrifices for not only themselves, but for their people. By leaving, Jonas allowed his people to see color, to educate themselves and to feel every emotion. In saying this, it could also mean that this book was written to be in the past because maybe a very long time ago people lived similar to the way we did, then they went to sameness and then Jonas brought them out of sameness by escaping, which could be the world we are living in today. Just a thought.
  • fstswmmr July 2011
    I thought that Jonas had to leave the community because he did not feel comfortable after seeing his father "release" one of the twins. He felt that his dad had lied to him. After experiencing that type of pain, Jonas wanted to escape with Gabe, so Gabe wouldn't have the same fate as that baby. Jonas knew that when he left, the community would experience his memmories of joy, pain, and suffering. He knew the community would then turn to The Giver for advice, and he would guide them through on reality.
    Kimberly C.
  • RBrowne July 2011
    I think that Jonas left because he didn't want to keep the memories a secret for the rest of his life annd he didn't want Gabe to be Released. Though the people would get the memories, Jonas would still remember them.
    Ryan
  • Andrew_Schiller July 2011
    I believe that Jonas left because he wanted everyone to be able to have the memories and colors that he was seeing, and after hearing that gabe was going to be released he brought him with him, so he would not have to end up like the lighter of the twins.
  • Dylann August 2011
    Jonas felt he had to leave because he knew about colors and seasons and how wrong the ceremony of release was. He knew that he could not live in a place so ignorant to the feelings that once were.
  • PatrickL August 2011
    The giver really reminds me of the saying, "Ignorance is bliss." I wholeheartedly agree with breanna's opinion of Jonas not considering that if his plan went wrong, it could have definitely destroyed the community. One bit I do not understand is why when rosemary applied for release and her memories were shared through the community, the community didn't wonder why they received those memories and what they were. Could anyone elaborate on that point?

    -Patrick L
  • Mac_MacVaugh August 2011
    Jonas left because he wanted to save gabriel and have the community have the memories that were transmitted to jonas and so he left
  • MaddySewell August 2011
    I agree with everything Mac said. I also agree with Dylan, how she said that Jonas knew about colors and seasons and felt that it would be better for everyone if he left.
  • CharlieBennett August 2011
    Jonas left because he felt the pain of death and war and knew what Gabriel would have to go through unlike the rest of the community, Jonas also knew not only of the pains Gabriel would endure but the joy she was missing out on. He left with the hope of finding "family" that the giver spoke so highly of and he had felt. Jonas longed for the feeling the Giver had produced for him a feeling not found in this closed off world.
  • nick_bass August 2011
    I agree with Charlie that Jonas left the community because he didn't want Gabriel to have to experience pain and death but also I thought that he was tired of living in a world where no one understood how he felt and where everything was so controlled that nothing interesting ever happened.
  • PatrickL August 2011
    Nick, Didn't Gabriel experience more pain than he would have if he was released? Also, I think you are definitely right that Jonas was extremely angry that he was the only person other than the giver that understood what he knew and how he felt
  • nick_bass August 2011
    Patrick, I agree that Gabriel did experience more pain than he would have if he had been released, but Jonas didn't know that they would face those challenges when he and Gabriel fled the community.
  • camillek August 2011
    The reason I thought Jonas felt like he had to leave was that once he knew what the old world was like, he could no longer live with the ones he loved, because he knew that they couldn't love him back. His feelings and emotions took over him. He also felt like he needed to leave because he knew Gabe would be "released." He loved Gabe and wanted to save him and give him the best life he could possibly have instead of dying. Gabe probably experienced more pain than if he were to be released, but then Jonas would've experienced a lot of pain because he would've lost someone he loved and Jonas probably wanted company when he left. So pretty much I feel that Jonas was sort of being selfish by taking Gabe with him.
  • nick_bass August 2011
    I thought Jonas was being selfless not selfish because one of the main reasons he left was to save Gabriel's life and not have to have him suffer. This sort of backfired though because in the end both he and Gabriel suffered a lot more than they would have if they had stayed but Jonas couldn't have predicted that.
  • camillek August 2011
    The only thing is that if Gabe was released, he would've lost his life but not have suffered. But I do agree that Jonas couldn't really predict the pain that they were going to go through in the future. He was clueless on what would happen. Jonas didn't really think about the pain he just thought of saving a persons life when he left.
  • Dylann August 2011
    I dont think saving Gabe was the main reason Jonas left. Jonas had made the plan before he knew about Gabe's release. He just could not live having all the knowledge he had while in a place so ignorant to feelings and colors and even animals.
  • PatrickL August 2011
    Dylan, you are definitely right, Jonas didn't originally plan to leave with Gabe. But I do recall that Jonas left early to save Gabe and thus didn't have the food or happy thoughts that the giver wanted to give to Jonas. It also gave Jonas a disadvantage because he had to ride his fathers cumbersome bike that was too large for him because he needed the child seat.

    -Patrick L
  • camillek August 2011
    I also don't think saving Gabe was the main reason he left, but I do think is was just another reason to leave that might've helped make a final decision for sure to leave.
  • Andrew_Schiller August 2011
    Jonas decided to leave before he heard from his dad that Gabe was going to be released and decided to take Gabe with him so he would not have to be released.
  • kamon112 August 2011
    I think Jonas left because he wanted to give people the knowledge and awareness he was given with the memories. I also think he left when his father told him they were going to release Gabe. I think it was the last strike that really convinced him to leave and take Gabe with him.
  • PatrickL August 2011
    Kendall, I think that Jonas was completely ready and convinced to leave even before Gabe was going to be released. But yes, it did make Jonas leave earlier and change his plans.

    -Patrick L
  • stephanied August 2011
    I felt Jonas had a few reasons to leave, but i think it was mainly because he could no longer live within that community and he felt happier knowing those he left behind would have the knowledge he had. Unfortunately the community did suffer pain but he thought it was the correct decision to make at that time.

    Stephanie D.
  • danielc August 2011
    Jonas felt like he had to leave because he felt like things were not fair in the community. For example, no feelings, no color, no free choice, no pain, and no love. All these things make a person a person. He also left because he had already experienced what a real Ceremony of Release was and he didn't want Gabe to die. I agree with Stephanie that he would feel happier knowing the community he left behind would have the knowledge he had.
    Daniel C
  • Abel_Edens August 2011
    I agree with daniel completely. Why would anyone want to live in a community where people felt no feelings like love or true happiness or even sight of color. No one could choose their own job or even their own wife or husband. How terrible would Jonas feel with no one to comfort him or talk to him about what he was feeling. Not to mention that he figured out what "release" really meant, and what kind of person his dad was. He didn't want his new friend Gabriel to die. He needed to leave the community for his own good. Also, I too agree with Stephanie that he would ultimately feel better knowing that the community he would leave behind would have the knowledge he had. He wanted and need to leave, so he did.
  • maccarey August 2011
    I think that a part of the reason Jonas left was to spread his memories to other people. By spreading these memories people could have the knowledge that he had. Also, as Daniel said, that it was not fair in the community. No one could comfort him when something went wrong. One last reason I think he left was to save Gabriel’s life.

    Mac C.
  • michaellira August 2011
    I believe Jonas left because he felt it was unfair that only he and the giver had to hold all that pain and suffering for the whole community. I agree with abel that no one would be able to comfort him when he remembers a bad memory, making it impossible to live in that community. Also i believe all his thoughts of leaving began when he saw the release for the first time. I believe it hit something in him and from that point on he could no longer live in a community where they kill the old and the new borns. I also agree that he left to save Gabriel.
  • HenryB August 2011
    I agree with Michael that Jonas left because he saw what the process of release actually was and it wasn't some great thing that everybody in the community thought it was. I think when he saw Asher and Fiona play the war game this also made him angry because they do not know what war actually is.
  • faithd August 2011
    I believe that Jonas left because he felt that his community needed to know what it felt like to actually love, feel real emotions, and even see color. I also feel that he felt like his community was almost brain washed because they had really no idea of what they were doing when they would kill the people they thought were not fit for their community, they didn't know what love was and picked who others would marry, and they also didn't know what pain and suffering they were causing during war. He thought that the community should be able to experience the great things that only he and the giver knew, such as color, emotion, and free choice, but he thought they should also know what pain they were causing.
  • SophieFortner August 2011
    Jonas left because he believed the community needed to feel both the great and painful memories. i agree with Henry that Jonas felt especially angry as he watched Asher and Fiona playing war games because Asher and Fiona did not know the real sufferings of war. Jonas may have felt a huge burden of responsibility being able to feel and experience different emotions and attributes such as color. Also, the feeling of wanting and needing to save Gabriel became much stronger after Jonas started transmitting memories to Gabriel. Such as; sunlight, the sailboat on the river, and the many others Jonas used to put Gabriel asleep.

    Sophie Fortner
  • chrislarsen August 2011
    I also agree with Michael and Henry. I think that Jonas wanted to release his pain to the community because they don't know what "real life" is. He wanted everyone to experience happy and sad emotions. He wants everyone to experience love.
    -Chris L
  • Max_R August 2011
    Michael has a good point in that it is unfair that The Giver and Jonas only had to hold the pain. It is also unfair that the community is excluded from certain memories such as love, color, and music, this prompted Jonas to leave. Another reason he left was because he wanted to be surrounded by people who care and can express their feelings. Not everyone recognizes this as a horrible way to live. However, we know how great it is to have the freedom of choice and Jonas wants this as well. This is why he feels the need to leave.
  • kateh August 2011
    I agree with Sophie on how Jonas believed that the community needed the memories, the good and bad.I think this because when Jonas was first getting trained he figured out that no one got to experience the memories and that really bothered him. Also he may have wanted to save Gabriel from being released.
  • Colleen_H August 2011
    I felt that Jonas had to leave, and share the memories with the people, because he needed them to know about the past. The people needed to know about what things used to be like. For example, how there used to be colors, and different weather. Also Jonas wanted the people to know that there could be another world outside of the world they lived in. I agree with Sophie, when she said that the community needed the good memories, and the bad memories. This may be because both good and bad memories bring wisdom. If the community had wisdom, then they wouldn't be going to the giver for all of there problems. Also i agree with Michael when he said that another reason Jonas left, was so that the Giver didn't have to hold all of the pain for the community, instead now the whole community shares the pain, and the memories.
    -Claudia Henry
  • brett_gangi August 2011
    I agree with Max because Jonas was sad that his friends couldn't understand about colors and other memories that were good and bad. He felt lonely because he couldn't tell anyone about the memories.
  • McKenna_Sandoval August 2011
    I think Jonas felt he had to leave for a couple reasons. The first reason was to save Gabe so he wouldn't get released. The second reason was so the community would have to feel pain and have memories of pain. With the memories I think he wanted everybody to be able to see color and to hear music.
  • jp_hatch August 2011
    I don't think Jonas should have left at all. He should have found a way to remove sameness without leaving so people could create their own memories just like real life. In effect, Jonas has just made a different kind of sameness where everyone has the same memories instead of none like before.
  • PatrickL August 2011
    Jp, I think that is a good point, although, I remember a part of the book in which they made fun of the fact that when a matter was "studied" by the elders, It would take an extremely long time and most likely not happen. Jonas left to force the memories onto the community.

    -Patrick L
  • jp_hatch August 2011
    I completely agree with you Patrick, but I meant another way that didn't involve using the Elders either.
  • PatrickL August 2011
    Right, I didn't think of that....

    -Patrick L
  • katiearial August 2011
    I believe Jonas left for a couple of reasons. One reason Jonas left was because he was tired of being trapped with frustration from knowing that he was the only one who could feel emotions and that he knew that his family unit had been lying to him his whole life. Another reason Jonas felt he had to leave was so the community could receive all of the memories the Giver has passed down to him from generations before, in order for the the community to live a life full of color, choices and emotions.
  • laurenA August 2011
    i think jonas left because he thought that the community needed the memories. without memories the people would not have known what the world used to be and how the world was before sameness. I believe jonas wanted people to know what the world used to be like, for instance colors, weather, choices, and emotions. I agree with claudia that both good and bad memories bring wisdom and that if they did have wisdom they would not be going to the giver. jonas no longer wanted to feel like he was living in a world of pain and a dreadful atmosphere.
    - Lauren Allan
  • AnneM August 2011
    I think that he had to leave the community because it would just feel wrong to be in a place where the people around him didnt have all of the great things he had even if some were bad, like Lauren said, that the bad memories can bring good skills.
    Anne Marquardt
  • abistagne August 2011
    I believe that jonas left because he wanted to give them freedom. The freedom to choose, see, hear, and experience things such as suffering, and happiness as they truly are. He was working in the same direction as the people in the american revolution; he gave up his freedoms for everyone else's. These people were less than people because they didn't have experiences, wisdom or love. They couldn't really wonder, explore, thoroughly enjoy themselves, or experience deep feelings such as pain, hardship, they rarely had fear or had to overcome it. Worst of all these people couldn't learn the real lessons that give wisdom, understanding and deeper comprehension, the larger life lessons. So jonas feeling these things or at least starting to feel them, thought that he needed to give the community these experiences and freedoms. So he left to try and give them this by eliminating the sameness through giving them the memories.
  • Clara August 2011
    i think Jonas decided to leave, because he wanted to members of the community to experience the things he had, such as happiness, color, sadness, and freedom. i believe another reason why he left was to save Gabe from being released. i also think he wanted the community to know about the world before sameness, and he wanted them to experience a "real" life.
    clara g
  • CameronE August 2011
    I think Jonas decided to leave not only because he didn't want Gabriel to be released but also because he felt that the rest of the community deserved to know what they were missing out on and to understand what exactly it was that they were living with everyday. Although the community may have suffered a great deal from learning these new things it was a good experience for them to endure in order for more people than just the Giver and Jonas to have the memories.
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