~ Chapter 1 ~

In the beginning of the book, chapter one, Jonas is thinking about what feelings he is going to share at the dinner ritual of sharing feelings. At first he thought he was frightened.

'It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. No. Wrong word,Jonas thought. Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen.'

No he was not frightened he was eager.

'Thinking, still, as he wheeled his bike into its narrow port beside the door, he realized that frightened was the wrong word to describe his feelings, now that December was almost here. It was too strong an adjective.
He had waited a long time for this special December. Now that it was almost upon him, he wasn't frightened, but he was . . . eager, he decided. He was eager for it to come. And he was excited, certainly. All the Elevens were excited about the event that would be coming soon'

So now he is eager, but wait there is more!

'But there was a little shudder of nervousness when he thought about it, about what might happen.
Apprehensive, Jonas decided. That's what I am.'

As you can probably guess, Jonas is very apprehensive about something that is going to be happening in December for the "Elevens." So far by what has happened in the story, we can not really tell what this special event is. All we know is that Jonas and his family have a "sharing of feelings" ritual every night at dinner and that Jonas is feeling apprehensive. Why do you think he is apprehensive?