„I ain‘t trying to do what everybody else doin‘, just ‘cause nobody doing what they all do. (…) Always do what you decide, don‘t let them control your life.“

There is no difference in the community, everything is controlled and regulated. Jonas wants to change this with his new power.

(Hannah & Fiona)

This song fits to the topic community because they never question their way of living and the sameness that is included. They believe what they are told without asking for an explanation. They are subliminal influenced by the leaders of the community, for example by taking pills to make the “stirrings” go away. 

In the first memory Jonas received, he found himself on a sled, on top of a hill in the snow. This was when he first experienced what snow was and what downhill and sled meant. He had a lot of fun driving down the hill on his sled. 

Red Sled: 
The memory in which Jonas got to know the first color, was again on the sled in the snow. The Giver told him to look down on the sled, where he could see, that it was red. The Giver told him about colors and that it had to do with the “seeing beyond”. This was also the explanation for the experiences Jonas had before with the apple, Fiona’s hair and the crowd at the ceremony where “something had changed”. 

Sunshine: 

The memory in whichJonas found out how sunshine felt was set in a desert. Jonas didn’t know what weather or seasons where before. The sunshine and the warmth felt very good on Jonas skin, and he enjoyed it. 

Sunburn: 

After experiencing what sunshine was, the Emory he received after that was getting a sunburn. This was the first memory of pain that Jonas received. 

Sled accident: 

Another memory, where Jonas had to learn about pain, he found himself on the already familiar sled on the fill. He rode downhill but this time the sled got faster and out of control which caused an accident. Jonas broke his leg and was in very bad pain. 

War: 

The most painful and traumatizing memory Jonas received was about war. He was on a field full of fallen men and horses, who were begging for help. Next to Jonas their was a man in a uniform laying on the ground and covered in blood. He begged him for water and was dying. Jonas was wounded himself but he gave the man the water. This memory had a big impact on Jonas. The experienced changed the way he viewed the world around him. It also caused Jonas to tell his friends to stop playing the game where they act like they shoot each other, because they didn’t understand what that actually means and how horrible it is.