Chapter 18 - The Giver

Jonas has got trained for almost one year. At this time, Jonas and The Giver had a conversation about release. Jonas can’t request release and the Giver either. However, the previous successor of the Giver, Rosemary was allowed to get released and Jonas was very curious why and what happened to her. The Giver was in pain reminding of her since he treasured her as he does Jonas. Rosemary seemed to have been unable to handle all the anguish so, she decided to request the release by herself.

I could guess what “Release” means throughout this book but suddenly I felt that requesting a release sounds very similar to suicide. We don’t know what happens after we die except ones with religion and the people in Jonas’s community also have no idea about the world after release. In addition, suicide is one’s own decision to die or go to another world we don’t know in our world and so is to request a release.  However, while suicide to give up one’s own life results in other’s blame or sympathy in our world, the applied release in Jonas’s world seems to be respected. This is the different point between two kinds of suicides in the different worlds.

"Me," Jonas said in a dejected voice.
de·ject·ed [didʒéktid]
[ADJ] If you are dejected, you feel miserable or unhappy, especially because you have just been disappointed by something.
Everyone has days when they feel dejected or down.

"She was a remarkable young woman. Very self-possessed and serene. Intelligent, eager to learn."
self possessed [sèlfpəzést]
[ADJ] Someone who is self-possessed is calm and confident and in control of their emotions.
She always seems so calm and self-possessed.

The Giver chuckled ruefully.
ruefully [rúːfəli]
feeling or showing that you are sad or sorry
He ruefully admitted that he envied her.

His voice faltered and trailed off.
falter [fɔ́ːltər]
to speak in a way that shows that you are not confident
His voice faltered as he began his speech.

trailed off
if somebody's speech trails away/off, it gradually becomes quieter and then stops
Mark's voice trailed away to a whisper.


She insisted that I continue, that I not spare her.
spare [spεər]

to save somebody/yourself from having to go through an unpleasant experience
He wanted to spare his mother any anxiety.

I couldn't bring myself to inflict physical pain on her.
in·flict [inflíkt] 

to make somebody/something suffer something unpleasant
Do you have to inflict that music on us?
  

The Giver looked at him imploringly.
 imploring [implɔ́ːriŋ]
[ADJ] An imploring look, cry, or letter shows that you very much want someone to do something and are afraid they maynot do it.
Frank looked at Jim with imploring eyes.

The Giver looked at him gravely.
 grave [greiv]
 [ADJ] A grave event or situation is very serious, important, and worrying.
The police have expressed grave concern about the missing child's safety.

I was so devastated by my own grief at her loss
devastate [dévəstèit]
to make somebody feel very shocked and sad
I am devastated with the news of Michael Jackson.