Chapter 17 - The Giver

One day, it’s suddenly announced as holiday. So, Jonas got to meet his friends to play with instead of schooling or training. However, his friends played a game which reminded Jonas of War. He tried to explain them how cruel the game could be and persuade not to play the game but his friends didn’t seem to get it. It’s for sure since they don’t have the memory or concepts about the war while Jonas has.

I was really interested in what Lily mentioned while the family was talking about Elsewhere. She said "What if actually we were all twins and didn't know it, and so Elsewhere there would be another Lily, and another Jonas, …“ it sounds much like doppelganger. When I was young, I have heard about doppelganger that one meets his doppelganger at the last moment of death but of course, Lily didn’t mention this point. Then again, what is the author’s intention through Lily’s state? It could be foreshadow on what is going on at the end but still not sure. Let’s see!

And his new, heightened feelings permeated a greater realm than simply his sleep.
permeate [pə́ːrmièit]
to affect every part of something
I think it's quite obvious that tragic memories really permeate our conscious awareness.

realm [relm]
an area of activity, interest, or knowledge
At the end of the speech he seemed to be moving into the realms of fantasy.

Though he knew that his failure to take the pills accounted for some of it, he thought that the feelings came also from the memories.
account for something
to give an explanation of something
He was unable to account for the error.
to be a particular amount or part of something
The Japanese market accounts for 35% of the company's revenue.

he had seen oceans and mountain lakes and streams that gurgled through woods;
gurgle [gə́ːrgl]
to make a sound like water flowing quickly through a narrow space
Water gurgled through the pipes.

he had reacted with rage that welled up so passionately inside him
well up
if an emotion wells up, you start to feel it very strongly
She felt anger welling up inside her.
Nearby, other bikes were strewn about on the ground.strew [struː]
to cover a surface with things
Books were strewn about on the desk.

He skidded to a stop and dropped his own bike beside the others.skid [skid]
to slide sideways or forwards in an uncontrolled way
The car skidded on the ice and went straight into the wall.

A female Eleven named Tanya staggered forward from where she had been hiding.stag·ger [stǽgər]
[VERB] If you stagger, you walk very unsteadily, for example because you are ill or drunk.
He lost his balance, staggered back against the rail.

From their hiding places a horde of children--Jonas recognized Fiona in the group--emerged, running in a crouched position, firing across the field.
horde [hɔːrd]
a large crowd of people
There are always hordes of tourists here in the summer.
crouch [krauʧ]
to put your body close to the ground by bending your legs under you
He crouched down beside her.

They dropped to the ground and lay suppressing giggles.
suppress [səprés]
to prevent yourself from having or expressing a feeling or an emotionto suppress a smile
She was unable to suppress her anger.

the only sound was the sound of Jonas's shuddering breaths.
shud·der [ʃΛdər]
to shake because you are cold or frightened, or because of a strong feeling
Just thinking about the accident makes me shudder.

He heard the sounds as they righted their bicycles
right [rait]
to correct something that is wrong or not in its normal state
Righting the economy will demand major cuts in expenditure.

Asher looked warily at him.
war·y [wέəri]
If you are wary of something or someone, you are cautious because you do not know much about them and you believe they may be dangerous or cause problems.
People did not teach their children to be wary of strangers

For a fleeting instant he thought he would like nothing better than to ride peacefully along the river path
fleeting [flíːtiŋ]
lasting only a short time
We paid a fleeting visit to Paris.

Jonas trudged to the bench beside the Storehouse and sat down, overwhelmed with feelings of loss.
trudge [trʌdʒ]
[VERB] If you trudge somewhere, you walk there slowly and with heavy steps, especially because you are tired or unhappy.We had to trudge up the track back to the station.

Father's is too big for me. I fell," she explained matter-of-factly.
matter-of-fact
said or done without showing any emotion, especially in a situation in which you would expect somebody to express their feelings
He was very matter-of-fact about the breakdown of his marriage.

"Gay!" he chirped.
chirp [ʧəːrp]
to speak in a lively and cheerful way
The little girl chirped her joy.

But he set his glum thoughts aside.
glum [glʌm]
sad, quiet and unhappy
The players sat there with glum looks on their faces.

then I get the smaller one all cleaned up and comfy.
comfy [kΛmfi]
comfortable
Loose-fitting shirts are comfy.