The Giver Chapter 19 Summary

  • Jonas starts to talk with The Giver about the twin that his father is releasing today. The Giver frowns; he wishes they wouldn't do that to a twin baby. But Jonas reminds him that it would be so confusing to have two identical people running around.
  • He then says he wishes he could watch the ceremony, to see what happens to the twin who goes Elsewhere.
  • The Giver tells him that he can watch the ceremony if he wants to. It's in the rules, after all, that he gets to ask any questions of anyone he wants.
  • Jonas shrugs; it's too late now, he says, the morning's ceremony is already over.
  • But The Giver reminds him that all ceremonies are recorded in the Hall of Records. If he wants, he can go watch a tape of what happened.
  • With a quick request to his Attendant, the Giver gets the video pulled up on the screen inside his room.
  • Jonas watches the video. In it, his father takes the twins and weighs each one on a scale.
  • Jonas, who's taking the whole thing very casually, keeps making comments, and The Giver, who knows what's up, keeps telling him to be quiet.
  • Jonas's father hands the heavier baby (six pounds) to a nurse to take back to the Nursery.
  • Jonas remarks that this is the part where his father cleans up the other baby and "makes him all comfy."
  • But then Jonas watches as his father… gives the baby a lethal injection to a vein in the forehead.
  • Oh.
  • Then, as though it's no big deal, he drops the dead baby down the garbage chute.
  • Oh…
  • Jonas is outraged.
  • The Giver says he watched the tape of Rosemary's release, except he turned away after she asked to inject herself.