Post-Reading Activity: The end of the book

The end of “The Giver”

Behind him, across vast distances of space and time, from the place he had left, he thaught he heard music too. But perhaps it was only an echo.

The speed and cold filled his eyes with tears. Jonas could see nothing. It included Gabriel and clung to the sled. Suddenly he heard soft music again. The music was sad ...
Jonas saw the Giver. He stood on the podium; he had tears in his pale eyes. Behind him were garlands of flowers were in all colors. They were beautiful.
Jonas looked around. The crowd was, as in any other Ceremony, to their usual places. The children sat in their groups and the adults were sitting together, but there were the Olds too. The labor, the newborn, the Birthmothers, the Nurturer ... everyone from the community was there.
Jonas found his parents in the crowd. The resentment against his father rose up in him again: How could he have done such a deed...? But there was something that surprised Jonas. His father had tears in his eyes. Jonas looked to his mother, who was next to his father. She cried too. Now he looked into several of faces of the people. They were all still crying. Tears rolled down their cheeks. It was only to hear the gentle music, besides all was still.

Jonas noted that the Giver looked up and coughed.

Than he began to speak: “Today a year ago a young boy, named Jonas, had done a great deed.  He made our live worthy to live. He brought us colours and feeling. He brought us love and luck, but he brought also pain and sadness. He brought the memories back and had changed this community. He was the real Receiver of Memory! Jonas was only thirteen but he had the courage like nobody else. We thank him everything. We thank him our live. Before him we were not real. Now we are.

Jonas liked the colours like nobody else. If he is here, he would love these flowers. But rather, he would laugh with you all and have fun. He loved the feeling of love like all of us. Because of Jonas and because of all of us, we should try to give love everyone. Jonas had done this. He loved his family and of course a female person too. We should give love everyone too.

And we should keep in the heart of his message: He has sacrificed himself for us all so that we can live and love. We get to know the good things in life and should put away the suffering of the world. Let us do it! The world is too wonderful to destroy it!

Thank you Jonas for everything!”

Jonas cried with everyone in the Community. He closed his eyes. It was too much. He can’t understand it. Was it really one year ago as he had left the Community?

The music changed. Now there was a hopeful music, a music which shows the future…

But Jonas didn’t hear it. He opened his eyes. And closed them slowly… Big snowflakes were blown in it like thorns. He noticed that he wasn’t on the Ceremony anymore and he wasn’t on the sled Pain came over him. A lot of pain. He was cold, could not move his limbs. The last time he opened his eyes, fighting against the snow and the pain. After a while he saw Gabriel, lying in his arms, as if he were asleep. But Jonas knew that Gabriel was not asleep.  
He looked around ... The sled next lied broken in front of rock. The snow around him was red. It was quiet. Church bells rang softly to him. A smile flitted over Jonas's face. It was Christmas! He felt no pain, no sorrow; he only heard the Christmas song of the children and the laugh. Jonas knew at once he had made it. He felt the love in him. “Hopefully, there Elsewhere is also Christmas for Gabriel and me!” Jonas thought…

The Christmas song Jonas had heard:

Verse 1:

Long

period of darkness,
Snow covers the land.
People light candles
and shake hands.
Fire in the fireplace,
I feel safe
and heat deep in the heart
in this cold period.

Refrain:

The light of hope shows us the way
not only when it's Christmas.
The light of hope gives confidence
and heat when you freeze.
A spark of hope, but enough already
and helps us through the solitude of the night.
And if it becomes a fire,
It has rekindled in us the chance.

Verse 2:
When winter arrives,
Peace is in the air.
House and yard are colorfully decorated,
Beyond Christmas scent.
The night is long at this time,
people light candles.
And then I just now realized
which can give hope.

Refrain:
The light of hope shows us the way
not only when it's Christmas.
The light of hope gives confidence
and heat when it freezes.
A spark of hope, but enough already
and helps us through the solitude of the night.
And if it becomes a fire,
It has rekindled in us the chance.

( „Das Licht der Hoffnung“ by Irena)