Chapters 12 and 13: Summary

Chapter 12 begins with Jonas eating his morning meal. He had a dream the previous night, but in compliance with his training instructions, he doesn’t tell his family about it. At school, Jonas feels alienated from his friends because he can’t discuss his training in the same way that everyone else does.

A quality that the Chief Elder believes Jonas possesses is the Capacity to See Beyond. Jonas saw the apple change when he threw it to Asher, and when he was onstage during the Ceremony of Twelve, the faces in the audience changed. One day, Jonas sees Fiona’s hair change. When he asks the Giver about these experiences, the Giver explains that when the community chose sameness, the people gave up color, and what Jonas saw was the color red.

Jonas becomes accustomed to asking the Giver questions. Through the Giver’s answers, he learns about the kind of life he can look forward to as the Receiver of Memory. He will be able to apply for a spouse and children (The Giver’s spouse now lives with other Childless Adults), but his life will be strained. Like the Giver, he will not be allowed to talk about his work, not even to his wife.

Because the Committee of Elders seldom asks the Giver for advice, the Giver spends the majority of his time alone with his memories. Further, the Giver tells Jonas that he can never transmit painful memories to anyone since they will not be able to endure them.

Chapters 12 and 13: Analysis

These chapters address the questions that the readers may have had for a while. Each answer, however, leads to more questions; understandably, some answers will have to be deferred. The readers can see that Jonas now begins to understand and adapt to his assignment, but it’s also clear that he will need to mature further to understand the complexity of the emotions he experiences.

Jonas’ loneliness begins to become more apparent. We also realize that this is part of his life as the Receiver. Even if he does request a wife, he will not be able to share any of his true feelings with her. Instead, he must keep all that is shared with him to himself. If he fails in his role as, the community may not be able to handle the pain and grief that will befall them.

Lowry also explores social inequalities such as sexism that exist in the community. be seen as an indication of how difficult it is for women to thrive in a male-dominated society. Lowry’s discussion of sexism challenges readers to think critically about the gendered aspects of life in Jonas’ society as well as their own.