Chapter 23 - The Giver

Even though freezing cold and snow made Jonas’s journey extremely tough, he was certain that Elsewhere is not far away and felt it was just ahead of him. In addition, a very steep hill appeared in front of Jonas and Gabe. They were totally exhausted and felt tempted to give up keeping on the journey but Jonas did his best with all his effort trying to remember warm memory such as sunshine to renew his strength. From the summit of the hill, he went downward by riding a sled and he got to meet vibrancy lights on a tree from the window of a room.

Oh my… the author finished the story with open ending which makes readers imagine the ending of the story. Most of the readers might reach to the two kinds of endings as I do. The one could be a tragedy. Jonas heard people singing while he slide downward but it says that he thought that the music is from the community where he tried to escape from. This could be a key to assume that people might have got all of the memories which Jonas used to own as soon as Jonas has left, and it was them who really sang the song! Then, it means the final destination was just to come back to the community despite all the painful process. Oh.. my… I’m so sad about this pessimistic ending.

The other one would be a happy ending literally according to the last sentence “Perhaps it was only an echo.” Right. This sentence caused lots of argument between happy and unhappy ending. However, as the author also stated several times through her other interview, messages or writings, it would end up with Jonas’s successful journey to find Elsewhere. Jonas found a family enjoying Christmas and their own family affections and he is getting involved to become a member of Elsewhere in the end.  

Of course, I prefer the optimistic ending to the other one but still I have one pinprick in my mind. The Music. I remember the Giver didn’t transmit the music since it was the best thing which the Giver wanted to keep the last. As a result of it, Jonas can’t hear music but why suddenly Jonas heard people’s singing? Does this mean that after Jonas has left, all the memories went back to the people and also the Giver gave away all of this memories including music and people can sing a song with feeling real happiness and then, Jonas just came back to the his community in the end of his journey? Oh.. my… is there anyone who can persuade me out of this terrible ending?

Gabriel's curly hair was matted and filthy, and there were tearstains outlined in dirt on his pale cheeks.
matted adjective [ˈmætɪd]
forming a thick mass, especially because it is wet and dirty
the dog's matted fur

filthy adjective [ˈfɪlθi]
very dirty and unpleasant
He never washed, and always wore a filthy old jacket.

A steep hill loomed ahead.
loom [lu:m]
to appear as a large shape that is not clear, especially in a frightening or threatening way
A dark shape loomed up ahead of us.

But now the rapidly deepening snow obscured the narrow road and made the ride impossible.
obscure [əbˈskjʊr]
to make it difficult to see, hear or understand something
The view was obscured by fog.

His front wheel moved forward imperceptibly as he pushed on the pedals with his numb, exhausted legs.
imperceptible adjective [ˌɪmpəˈseptəbl] - Opposite: perceptible
very small and therefore unable to be seen or felt;
There was an almost imperceptible pause as she gathered her breath to speak.

He had trudged no more than a few yards through the night when it was gone and they were cold again.
trudge verb [trʌdʒ]
to walk slowly or with heavy steps, because you are tired or carrying something heavy
He trudged the last two miles to the town.

Warming himself ever so briefly had shaken away the lethargy and resignation and restored his will to survive.
lethargy [|leθərdƷi]
the state of not having any energy or enthusiasm for doing things
The report criticizes the lethargy shown by employers when it comes to job creation.

But the hill was treacherously steep
treacherous adjective  [ˈtretʃərəs]
dangerous, especially when seeming safe
The ice on the roads made driving conditions treacherous.

he was impeded by the snow and his own lack of strength.
impede verb [ɪmˈpiːd]
to delay or stop the progress of something
Work on the building was impeded by severe weather.

His consciousness grasped at a wisp of another warm memory
wisp noun [wɪsp]
a small, thin piece of hair, grass, etc
She smoothed away a wisp of hair from her eyes.

As he approached the summit of the hill at last, something began to happen.
summit noun [ˈsʌmɪt]
the highest point of something, especially the top of a mountain
We reached the summit at noon.

on the contrary, his steps were leaden, and he could barely move his freezing, tired legs.
leaden adjective [ˈledn]
dull, heavy or slow
He heard the father's leaden footsteps move down the stairs.

He reached the place where the hill crested and he could feel the ground under his snow-covered feet become level.
crest verb [krest]
to reach the top of a hill, mountain or wave
The ship crested a wave and then fell twenty feet or more.

Numbly his hands fumbled for the rope.
fumble verb [ˈfʌmbl]
to use your hands in an awkward way when you are doing something or looking for something
She was fumbling around in the dark looking for the light switch.

they sped in a straight line through an incision that seemed to lead to the final destination
incision noun [ɪnˈsɪʒn]
a sharp cut made in something, particularly during a medical operation; the act of making a cut in something
Make a small incision below the ribs.