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• The novel The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is about a twelve year old boy named Jonas. Jonas has recently become the new Receiver of Memory (a highly honored position in the Committee of Elders) and now has to face the hardships of training to become the Receiver, which includes bearing all of the past memories by himself until another Receiver is selected. Despite the Old Receiver's attempts to comfort him, Jonas is not sure this was what he thought he signed up for. Throughout the novel, Jonas tries to become what all the people want him to be, but as hard as he tries, he can not keep the thought out of his head that he likes the risk of choices, because he also enjoys the excitement that the choices allow him to have. Fighting the want of freedom and risks with his new awareness, Jonas experiences confusion, loneliness, and frustration. One feeling Jonas encounters was confusion, which made him even more scared because he rarely experienced it. For example, at the beginning of the novel when Jonas was at the Ceremony of Twelve, about to receive his assignment, he experiences great discombobulation when the Chief Elder skips Jonas. Jonas thought, "What had he done wrong (page 58)?" This quote shows that being skipped in the Ceremony of Twelve is not normal, and that it usually doesn't end well for those unlucky few who are part of it. There was another instance when Jonas was reading his printed sheet he received from his assignment. Jonas wondered, "What if others- adults- had, upon becoming Twelves, received the same terrifying sentence (page 71)?" This means that Jonas was scared and confused about his rule sheet, and wondered who else had been allowed to lie. A second feeling Jonas endured was loneliness. One instance that obviously shows Jonas' loneliness was when he was admiring the geraniums with Asher in front of the Hall of Open Records. Jonas narrated, "...He tried to give his new awareness to his friends... 'No, nothing. I thought for a minute that they were wilting' (page 99)." This shows that Jonas was suffering in silence and he wanted someone to relate to that was his age. Another instance that showed great loneliness was when Jonas ended an especially excruciating day, and was just about to sleep. Jonas thought gloomily, "They have never known pain... The realization made him feel desperately lonely (page 110)..." This shows that Jonas is restlessly reminding himself that he is no longer like his other companions and has to deal with that for the rest of his life. A third sensation that Jonas acquires throughout his training is frustration. An example of when Jonas became frustrated was when he was explaining to the Giver why he liked colors in the Annex. Jonas exclaimed, "I want to wake up in the morning and decide things (page 97)!" This quote enhances the fact that Jonas is now getting used to colors and does not want to let them go; he is also getting annoyed that he can't share the wonder with anyone else except the Giver. A second example of how Jonas became frustrated was when he was having a conversation with the Giver, and Jonas realized he would have to be burdened with more pain so he could have more wisdom. Jonas said with annoyed determination, "It wasn't fair. Let's change it... Together we can think of something (page 113)!" This quote shows that Jonas realized the Giver has a lot more influence on the Committee of Elders than he lets on and wants to bring that to his advantage. In the novel The Giver, by Lois Lowry, Jonas is trying to become familiar with his future assignment, but as time goes by, Jonas is not sure whether or not the utopia he is living in is really worth existing in. With that thought in mind, Jonas goes through phases of confusion, loneliness, and frustration. I believe that if the committee had decided keeping some choices in the society they were living in, Jonas would have never been as rebellious as he was with wanting to have choices, because he still would have had at least a slight area of free will. As it is, though, those who truly do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.