Chapter 23
Although he cannot see or hear anything, Jonas feels that he is getting closer to his destination--Elsewhere. When it begins to snow, riding becomes impossible. Jonas must abandon the bicycle and continue the journey. For a moment, he thinks that he would like to give up and drop beside the bicycle. All the memories that he received from The Giver have been shed, returning to the people of the community. When Jonas calls back the memory of sunshine, nothing comes at first, but a few moments later, it comes to him. Jonas transmits the memory to Gabriel to warm him. Renewed by this brief moment of warmth, Jonas begins to climb a steep hill. Occasionally, he tries to call back memories of warmth to protect himself and Gabriel from the cold. He regrets that there was not more time for him to receive memories of warmth from The Giver, but Jonas suddenly begins to be happy. Although he is still exhausted and cold, he remembers his family, his friends, and The Giver.
Topic Tracking: Memory 23
When the land becomes level again, Jonas feels certain that they are getting closer to their destination. He whispers to Gabriel that he remembers the place. "It [is] not a grasping of thin and burdensome recollection; this [is] different. This [is] something that he [can] keep. It [is] a memory of his own" Chapter 23, pg. 178
Topic Tracking: Memory 24
On top of the hill, Jonas finds the sled that he knows so well. Grabbing the rope and holding Gabriel tight, Jonas speeds down the hill as though sliding down to the Elsewhere he has constantly thought about--"the Elsewhere that [holds] their future and their past." When he opens his eyes, he can see lights and knows them to be the kind that are on trees where there are families, memories, and love. As the sled slides down faster, Jonas knows for certain that they are waiting for him and Gabriel. "For the first time, he [hears] something that he [knows] to be music. He [hears] people singing. Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he [has] left, he [thinks] he [hears] music too. But perhaps, it [is] only an echo." Chapter 23, pg. 180
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