The Giver: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Four weeks later, the community loudspeakers declare an unscheduled holiday. Jonas does not have to go to school. Now that he has stopped taking the pills, his Stirrings have returned. He feels a little embarrassed about the dreams he is having at night, but also has no intention of giving up the pleasure that the dreams give him. He understands that his dreams and the memories that he has gotten from The Giver have given him a new depth of feeling, and he gets annoyed when people use expressions like sadness and anger because he knows that only he has actually felt genuine emotions.

Jonas rides his bike along the river. He knows the river must lead to Elsewhere and wonders what Elsewhere must be like.

Returning from the river, Jonas sees Asher and his friends playing a game of war. He tries to explain to Asher that the game is a cruel mockery of the terrible realities of war. Asher doesn't understand him, and angrily responds that he has to play these games because of his job in recreation. Jonas realizes it is hopeless to try to explain all that he has experienced.

Fiona arrives and tries to comfort Jonas, but eventually leaves on her bicycle. Jonas sadly realizes that he loves Asher and Fiona, but that they can never love him back.

When he gets home, Jonas takes comfort in Gabriel, who has now learned to walk and talk, and can say his own name.

The identical twins are scheduled to be born the next day, and Jonas's father mentions having to release one of them. Curious, Jonas asks whether his father will personally take the smaller child Elsewhere. His father says no. Instead he will just identify which of the boys has a lower weight, and then someone else from Elsewhere will then come and get the boy. Lily comments about the strangeness of two identical twins growing up separated, one in the community and one in Elsewhere.