Chapters 18-19

In chapter 18, Jonas asks The Giver about release and what The Giver thinks about it. He says that it was set as a rule, that The Receiver may not apply for a release, because of the failure from the last Receiver. Then The Giver tells Jonas about the last Receiver. He says that she was a little like Jonas and that she sat in the same chair as he did the first day of training and asked the questions like Jonas did. Then The Giver said her name was Rosemary. Then The Giver said that he had loved this girl. When the training had started, all The Giver gave her was happy and joyful memories, and for him to give her painful memories just broke his heart. Then The Giver said that he had to give her painful memories and when he did, she didn't have the laughter and the happiness in her eyes anymore. Then one day after her training, she said goodbye and didn't go back to her dwelling, but instead The Giver had heard that she had went straight to the Chief Elders and asked for release. The rule was not made that she couldn't apply for release, so she did. Then The Giver had not seen her ever again. The Giver told Jonas that when they loose a Receiver the memories that they have received, go to the people of the community.

Don't you think it would be scary if everyone in that community had the memories that Jonas received?

In chapter 19 of The Giver, Jonas is at another day of training when he says to himself

"I wish I could watch,"

When he says, I wish I could watch, he means watch his father do the release that he did had to do early that morning. When he says that, The Giver replies with:

"You can watch,"

When Jonas hears it, he thinks The Giver is joking, but he isn't. The Giver explained to Jonas that when you are The Receiver, you have access to everything. Then Jonas agreed to watch
and the "ceremony" started. His father is in a windowless room and takes the two twins near a scale. Then he weighs them both. During this is showing, Jonas is excited to see his father on a television screen and makes remarks throughout the video. The Giver says be quiet every time he makes a remark. When Jonas's father weighs the babies he finds out that one that weighs less. That is the one that is released. They took the bigger baby away and left the smaller one in the room. Then Jonas's father gave the baby and shot, with a white liquid in it, and put it into the babies forehead.

Now he cleans him up and makes him comfy, Jonas said to himself, aware that The Giver didn't want to talk during the ceremony.
As he continued to watch, the newchild, no longer crying, moved his arms and legs in a jerking motion. Then he went limp. His head fell to the side, his eyes half open. Then he was still. With an odd, shocked feeling, Jonas recognized the gestures and posture and expression. They were familiar. He had seen them before. But he couldn't remember where.
Jonas stared at the screen, waiting for something to happen. But nothing did. The little twin lay motionless. His father was putting things away. Folding the blanket. Closing the cupboard.
Once again, as he had on the playing field, he felt the chocking sensation. Once again he saw the face of the light-haired, bloodied soldier as life left his eyes. The memory cam back
He killed it! My father killed it! Jonas said to himself, stunned at what he was realizing. He continued to stare at the screen numbly.

This was the process of release. All the adults and the Old kept the secret of the real release concept from all of the children and now when Jonas had saw it, he was terrorized.

How do you feel about Lois Lowry choosing to keep the real method of release, till this chapter. Did it stun you, what the real meaning of release means?