Quicklet on Lois Lowry's The Giver (CliffNotes-like Summary & Analysis)

Jonas’ father knows what the procedure entails.

he receives it is one he will be satisfied with.
We discover more about Jonas’ appearance and how he differs from his own society when his father comes home with Gabriel, a blue-eyed baby boy. Gabriel’s health has not been well and since his father is a Nurturer, he has decided to take him in for one more year before he is given away. Jonas has the same blue eyes, which is unusual in his society where most people have dark eyes. When Lily expresses a desire to be a Birthmother, her mother tells her sharply that “‘[t]here’s very little honor in that Assignment.’” Lily’s mother’s opposition to her daughter’s aspirations and her husband’s own role as a Nurturer who separates mothers from their children reflect both parents’ slight indifference to emotions involved in parenthood, yet may also hint at their knowledge of emotions involved in pregnancy, which their society seeks to suppress. As he is doing homework, Jonas recalls a time when he played catch with Asher, using an apple as the ball. As the apple flew above the ground, Jonas thought he saw it change while it was in mid-air. Curious about the apple, Jonas took it home with him to reflect on it. An evening announcement to the entire community (but actually addressing Jonas specifically) was then made on the loudspeaker, warning people not to take food from the recreational area. The fact that Jonas had been warned not to take food away from a given area seems to hint at his society keeping things secret from those with an inquisitive mind by not wanting them to question things in a more private space. Furthermore, the loudspeaker announcement points to the fact that Jonas and his fellow community members are being constantly monitored.
Jonas arrives at the House of the Old—a home for the elderly—where he volunteers with his friends Asher and Fiona. As Jonas helps bathe an elderly woman named Larissa, she talks about a couple of elderly people who have been released. This further piques his curiosity on the subject of release, but all he is told is that it entails a celebration and that the person walks through a door, never to be seen again. The reader may note that only Nurturers and the released are aware of what happens during release, which means that