~ Chapter 15 + 16 ~

In these chapters The Giver is in great pain. When Jonas says that he will come back another day, the Giver says,

' "Please," he gasped, "take some of the pain." '

Willing to help the Giver, Jonas takes off his tunic and lies on the bed ready to receive a memory, but he did not expect what was about to come. This memory was so painful, its no wonder the Giver wanted to get rid of it. When the memory was over Jonas did not want to go back. He did not want any of the memories, the honor, the wisdom, or the pain. But he had no choice. He must finish his training. This time when Jonas went to see the Giver he received a happy memory. Probably to make up for the memory from the previous day. This memory was full of warmth and happiness. The word that came to Jonas' mind was family. There were aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. In this world, there were no grandparents. As soon as your child gets a house or dwelling of there own, you would live with the childless adults. You would probably never see your children again let alone your grandchildren. So it was very new to Jonas.

Unlike The Giver, in Gathering Blue you would know your grandparents. Even though Kira never met her grandfather, if it was not for him, Kira would have been sent to the Field to die.

Imagine if you never knew your grandparents or if you could never see your children again after they had a family of there own. How would you feel?

When Jonas asked his parents if they loved him they replied,

' "Father? Mother?" Jonas asked tentatively after the evening meal. "I have a question I want to ask you."

"What is it, Jonas?" his father asked.

He made himself say the words, though he felt flushed with embarrassment. He had rehearsed them in his mind all the way home from the Annex.

"Do you love me?"

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then his father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas. You, of all people. Precision of language, please!"

"What do you mean?" Jonas asked. Amusement was not at all what he had anticipated.

"Your father means that you used a very generalized word, so meaningless that it's become almost obsolete," his mother explained carefully.

Jonas stared at them. Meaningless? He had never felt something as meaningful as the memory.

" And of course our community can't function smoothly if people don't use precise language. You could ask, 'Do you enjoy me?' The answer is 'Yes,' " his mother said.

"Or," his father suggested, " 'Do you take pride in my accomplishments?' And the answer is wholeheartedly 'Yes.'

"Do you understand why it's inappropriate to use a word like 'love'?" Mother asked.

Jonas nodded. "Yes, thank you, I do," he replied slowly.

It was his first lie to his parents.