The Giver Reflection #4

How does this quote " Gabriel's breathing was even and deep. Jonas liked having him there, though he felt guilty about the secret. Each night he gave memories to Gabriel: memories of boat rides and picnics in the sun; memories of soft rainfall against windowpanes; memories of dancing bare-footed on a damp lawn. "Gabe?"The new child stirred slightly in his sleep, Jonas looked over at him. "There could be love" Jonas whispered." and chapters 16-18 relate to the theme of freedom and choice?

Firstly, I think these chapters relate to freedom because at the end of The Giver, Jonas becomes free and comes to a town where it is full of music, color, love and feelings. Though through this journey, Jonas has had to make some decisions that have been hard, but this means that he had the freedom to choose which decision he wanted. When Jonas decided to go to Elsewhere with Gabriel, he used his freedom to choose to be free. From previous knowledge, he knew that Elsewhere was full of what everybody in his society doesn't have and he feels that he deserves to have that. When he arrived at Elsewhere, Jonas was free. Free from his rule-full society, free from his parents, free from everything.

Finally, I think these chapters are related to choice mostly because of the same reasons as freedom. Jonas had to make a very hard decision at the end of the book, he had to choose to leave his society to go to Elsewhere, or stay and live the rest of his life in his society, that was full of rules. Though he knew that getting to Elsewhere was a hard journey, he chose going to Elsewhere because he knew it was the right choice. Elsewhere was full of what he could dream of! Love, music, color and feelings! All of which aren't visible in Jonas' current society. Making the journey even harder, Jonas had brought Gabriel, a Newchild his father had been taking care of. This special person is way more sensitive than anyone else and could die easily. Jonas had to be careful. He did not have a lot of experience of nurturing so it was basically a life or death route for Jonas and Gabriel. But still, Jonas takes the risk because he knows the right choice. Sometimes people make weird decisions, but they do it because they know it is the right choice.

This is how choice and freedom was related to those 3 chapters and the quote above.