Describe how you felt when you realized what being "released" meant. Did you know this throughout the book, or did you think it meant something else. Explain your answer.
Your response must be at least five sentences in length. If it is shorter than five sentences, it will not be posted, and you will not receive credit. It will be considered a missing assignment.
Please respond by next Thursday (May 31, 2012. Remember to follow the rules for posting to this blog.
To realize that to be "released" ment to be killed strongly dissapointed me. I had no idea! To think that Jonas's own father lied to him about KILLING BABIES is disturbing. It is wrong, no matter what the rules are, to take away the life of a child before it even begins. What if that child was a future genius that would improve the community with his amazing inventions and discoveries? And you just killed it? I believe it is a bad idea in every way.
ReplyDeleteAt first I was thinking that they went out the gates of the community, because I thought they lived in a kind of community like in the movie The Lorax so that no one can leave. When they went out I thought that they would live on their own. Then went we started to read more into the book I thought released had meant that they would open a door and they would travel into another community or that they would have a place for all released people to live in. Then when I read about what released had really meant about the baby incident I felt sick and sad for the people and disgusted of the people who were in charge of that community. I hated them. It made me sad for those released people even thought it is just a book because they didn't do anything wrong to deserve that other than the bad people. I'm still glad that that is only a book.
ReplyDeleteBeing "released" to me was a painful to thing to listen about. At first, i thought they just let the people out into the wild and survive, or die. But, the real thing was that the workers inject a serum into the forehead and the elders/young people die. I think it is disgusting and disturbing that the citizens have to go through with this. It made me grossed out.
ReplyDeleteBefore i found out what release meant, I thought it meant to go to another community. Finding out what release meant, I felt disgusted about the fact that Jonas' father acted as if it were a happy thing. Considering that Jonas' father didn't have the memories of love, he would have no idea what he was doing to the baby. I also felt surprised that releasing meant death. If the community knew what feelings were, the community would understand how people would feel.
ReplyDeleteWhen I finally realized what released meant, i felt shocked. Shocked because I didn't think that they would kill them. I simply thought that being "released" meant to be sent away or to where they call "Elsewhere". I was also shocked at how the father of Jonas, who worked at the nurturing center and helped with release, simply acted as if killing a child was no big deal. He said kind words to it like "Your arms are to teeny weeny for the shot" and "bye bye little guy" when he sent it down the shoot. I think this is just sickening. To also lie to Jonas about his job is completely wrong. I find that killing the people, is just not the answer, and should not continue to happen.
ReplyDeleteBefore I figured out what release really meant, I thought that the people who got released would go to a different community. I was surprised when the book described that release was poisoning the people in their veins. When the book also described how there was a bed and tools I thought immediately thought to myself,"Oh no, Oh my gosh..there going to murder them." Even though Jonas' father's job is to release the newborn twin, I do think that he doesn't mind doing such a terrible thing. I mean if I was put in that situation I would NEVER acted like he did.
ReplyDeleteWhen I found out what release meant, I was stunned. I sat there with both my book and mouth oopen for nearly 15 minutes. I thought this community was supposed to be a happy place. It's more of a prison that leads to death the way I think of it. I mean, if you want to leave, then you die. It is absolutely sick. It doesn't matter what age you are. It happened to Rosemary, the small twin, and the elder that Jonas bathed. It is going to happen to Jonas too, and the Giver. Don't even get me started with Jonas's "father". He is a sick man with no heart, HOW COULD YOU DO THAT???? I can't get the words "bye bye, little guy" out of my head. I certainly wasn;t expecting this!
ReplyDeleteWell, to admit it, I read ahead; but when i came upon that chapter and knowing what release meant, i was terrified! I mean releasing is just like killing someone, it is a crime! But I mean, I wouldn't reallt blame the Jonas's father, because this cimmunity never felt the feelings of love. I am sure if they did, they would care much more about that little baby the father released, and would never do that ever again. At first, before I read this book, I kept thinking release was to "bann" them from this community, I never had any idea that release was so painful, full of horror, and so, so heartful. It is like crushing a child's dream, it's horrifing, I say that from experience. It felt like the world ended, but the world is full of suprises, love and warmth, and promises; so the child should've lived and experienced how life felt. I've never been so sad and even cried about a book/story, this is the first book that led me to tears.
ReplyDeleteWhen I discovered what released meant, I had a sick feeling at the pit of my stomach. In the beginning of the book, I had thought that being released meant to be thrown out of the community and sent to live in another community. Later in the book, I thought that being released meant being thrown into the wilderness. However, I never expected release to mean death. I mean, it makes me feel weird, to think that in the community people can be replaced like furniture. If you weigh a pound too little at birth, release. If you turn at the wrong time during pilot training, release. If you become too old, release. I understand now that release is just a fancy term for death and that if you take one little step out of line, you're dead, literally. In the beginning you feel like they live in a perfect world, but inside, you truly see how horrible things are.
ReplyDeleteI alway knew release meant death, but it was still an eery thought. Killing off a twin that weighs less is completely bonkers. I know these people don't feel real "feelings" but they are still aware that they are killing off little helpless children.The worst part was how Jonas' father talks to the child almost as if nothing was wrong, nothing was out of the ordinary. When in truth EVERYTHING is messed up!
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought that being released meant that the people go through a door, out of the Community, to Elsewhere. When I first read the part about what 'Realeasing' really is, I was pretty horrified. It was an awful thing to do. But, not that I think about it more, there are two sides to this story. On one hand, anyone that knew anything was a heartless murderer that is really sick. But on the other hand, they aren't really given a chance to have hearts. They have no feelings whatsoever, so they probably don't notice the enormity of what they're doing. That doesn't make it any more right, or any less their fault. The fact that their treating humans like bugs, just squashing them every which way without a care in the world, is really sickening. Such as in Chapter One, "releasing" a human pilot because he made a mistake in training is plain cruel. When I read about the release of the newchild twin for the first time, everything was creepy. But what was really bad was the Nurturer, Jonas's dad, was so calm and... even HAPPY about it all. It just reminded me of those crime investigator shows my mom always watches, and this was almost like that. A cold-blooded killer, with a sardonic smile on his (or, more appropriately, ITS) face, saying to its victim sweetly, "Hello there, dearie. I'm going to murder you now, okay? Everything's all right, it's okay, stay calm, gootchy wootchy."
ReplyDeleteBlegh!!!
When releasing was first mentioned, I thought the person being released would go to another community. Now that I know what it is, I am petrified of this community. I was shocked because I thought differently. I definitely did not think that the person would be killed! I did not know this throughout the book. Now this book bothers me. I would never want to be part of this community.
ReplyDeleteI knew that release meant that they kill the people in the community. I just didn't think that they would kill you by giving you a shot with a chemical that makes you die. When I found out how they really done release, I wasn't very surprise. But I didn't know that they would throw them down a chute. I thought release meant something else.
ReplyDeleteBefore I knew what released meant, I thought it was just a person set on a vehicle to leave. To leave to another community. Now I know what it is. Two words, DEAD CRUEL! I could not believe that they stab a baby with a needle and kill it. The person felt NOTHING as he KILLED A BABY! I hate this! Heartless, cruel, disgusting..... This list could go on forever!
ReplyDeleteI had that feeling that it meant they killed them, but it was a theory. Now that I know it is happening in this book, it makes them look like murders. Supposedly they don't have feelings like loss and forgiveness or what ever. Maybe thats why its okay to them to kill. But i know true sadness and loss. Compared to injecting them with a drug and throwing them down a trash disposal shot, I have lost an unborn sister, my dads parents, and my mom's stepmother. So doing this would break my heart. To even think I wanted to live here a few days ago seems just wrong. I took this book home, reread chapter 19, and had a crying frenzy. I then read it to my mom and she did the same. Mainly i just want to point out that Jones's father said basically killing a baby was pleasant. JUST PLAIN NASTY!
ReplyDeleteThis was completely horrifying. It was awul. Horrendous. Disgusting. Murder. I didn't know that they would KILL the person! I just thought that they would go through the door... Elsewhere... The Newborns and the Old did not get a chance to live a full life. Their lives have been cut off. Release is not an honor to mark a long and prosperous life. It's a chance to end it. I cannot imagine how awful this was. But really, the Nurturers know what they are doing. They know that they are about to kill an innocent baby or an old person. That is heartless murder. But how would they know that it was wrong if they have never experienced pain or happiness Jonas did? Did they notice that what they were doing was homicide? BUT DOES THAT NECESSARILY CHANGE ANYTHING? They still KNOW that they are killing people. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody has those days. But to release them for mistakes is cruel and stupid.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first thought of about release I knew it meant death, but i didn't expect a cold-blooded murderer. What kind of a monster uses baby talk when they're about to kill someone. That's worse than a serial killer bursting into your house and saying," Hey Sweetheart." while holding a lethal weapon. But when he killed the newborn there wasn't even a burial. He just threw the body down a trash chute. With monsters like these I wouldn't be very happy about release.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, I thought that being released meant that people have a celebration and then that person walks through a door to Elsewhere. I thought that was perfectly fine, but when I first read the part about what "releasing" really meant, I was horrified, angry, surprised, and sad. How they, without any feelings, just murder a innocent child or elder like they are a tiny insect! Probably everybody in the Community has no feelings whatsoever, and they really don't care if someone is killed! Throughout the book, I had this feeling that when they walk through the door, someone just stabs them or poisons them and just dumps their body into a trash can or the river! And how Jonas's dad lulls the baby to its death and talking to him sweetly is the most horrifying thing in the world! Jonas's dad is not a Nurturer, but a serial killer!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I wasn't even a bit surprised. I always thought that Elsewhere was "heaven", and if being released meant being sent Elsewhere, then being released meant death. Of course I was a bit frightened (Especially with how Jonas's father talked to the twin), and the idea is somewhat disturbing, though not surprising. However, HOW they released the twin was somewhat surprising. I never even thought about how they would release people.
ReplyDeleteBefore chapter 19 I thought release meant being released into Elsewhere. But when I found out it meant a lethal injection, I couldn't believe it. It was even harder to believe they emptied the bodies in a trash chute. It is horrible to kill people just because they are too old or break three rules. However, the people in the community know nothing. They have no feelings.
ReplyDeletewhen I heard release I thought it meant someone would leave the community. Some people seemed happy when they got released. When I heard that they got killed I thought of all the other people that got released. It was very confusing for me, then I realized that his dad was lying to him about his job. This is what I thought of the true meaning of release.
ReplyDeleteFrom the time Roberto got released, I actually suspected "releasing" meant helplessly stabbing the Old when they entered the Door of the Old without anybody seeing and poisoning the newborns when they are having their afternoon meal. But once I actually read what "releasing" meant, I just wanted to go to my room and cry my heart out. Just injecting a needle in somebody, is just so HEARTBREAKING!! And I also just wanted to throw the book against the wall (even though I couldn't) when I read that Rosemary insisted to inject the needle in herself!! How much worse can release be? And the most horrid part about it: NOBODY KNOWS HOW PEOPLE GET RELEASED! Why? Because nobody in the Community has feelings, SO THEY CAN'T CARE!!
ReplyDeleteI originally believed that being released was leaving the community to go elsewhere. When I found out what being released really meant i was shocked. I can't believe they would kill people and act like it was nothing, however those people had no feelings at all so they didn't know how it felt to actually kill. It's heart breaking know that just killed people all like it was a piece of trash. Reading about the new child was just weird, but the jonas' dad was the worst out of them all. He was just a killer who could come back to his family and lie and then go back and kill again the next day.
ReplyDeleteWhen I realized what released I felt really bad for people who get released. I think Jonas's Dad is really creepy because he killed the newborn twin with creepy, sarcastic voices. Nobody in the community has feeling or pain. The Giver was so sad that Rosemary wanted to be released. I wished everyone in the the community could feel feeling or pain so they could feel what Jonas is feeling.
ReplyDeleteWhen I found out what released meant, I was HORRIFIED!!!! I was also very shocked. This whole time I thought it meant moving on to a different community or something like that not killed. When we read that part with the class I was also disgusted. I couldn't believe people didn't care if they KILLED someone. For example, Jonas's dad just smiled and used that creepy voice like it was no big deal. It was so SCARY. So technically that part of the book just freaked me out
ReplyDeleteWhen the reality behind the concept of release was revealed in Chapter 19, I was horrified. Though it was not too surprising that release meant death, it nevertheless shocked me. The most frightening aspect is how they do it without a second thought. "Here's a needle, let me inject you now." It's because the people who perform release don't have feelings of compassion and love, just as all of the community members don't. "Okay, you're dead now. No big deal. We'll just drop you down a garbage chute." What? That's just cruel and disgusting.
ReplyDeleteThe moment i read the actual concept of releasing someone, I was honestly surprised. I didn't know this tough out the book. Before when I thought of releasing, I thought it would mean that the person being released would be taken to another city. Such as the place where Lily visited early in the book. Now that I know the what releasing is, my thoughts on the community changed drastically. I knew that the community didn't have feelings, but this is just cruel. It makes me under if Jonas's father actually knows what he's doing to the new children he releases.
ReplyDelete