The city declares an unscheduled holiday four weeks after Jonas avoids taking his pills. His Stirrings have returned, and he is having enjoyable visions that make him feel guilty, but he refuses to give up the heightened emotions that the Stirrings and his beautiful memories have given him. Jonas notices that he is now experiencing a different level of emotion.He recognizes that the feelings of frustration, sorrow, and joy that his family and friends label as resentment, grief, and happiness are nothing like the feelings of indignation, despair, and joy he remembers. Jonas declines to play a game of good guys versus bad guys with his buddies on this particular holiday because he regards it as a war game. He attempts to demonstrate to his friends that the game is a cruel parody of a terrifying fact, but they are just perplexed and irritated. He abandons his mates, believing that they will never understand or reciprocate his deep feelings for them. When he sees Gabe, who has managed to walk and utter his own name, he feels better at home.His father discusses the impending arrival of one of the identical twins due the next day. Jonas inquires about his parent's willingness to send the new child Elsewhere, but his father declines. He'll only choose the infant that was born with the smallest birthweight, hold a Release Ceremony, and wave goodbye. Someone from Somewhere will come and get him. Lily imagines two identical twins, one here and one somewhere, growing up with the same name. The next day, Jonas approaches the Giver and asks if he considers releasing him. When he is in great pain, The Giver says he thinks about himself, but he can't apply for release until Jonas has been conditioned. Jonas is now barred from requesting his release, a law enacted ten years ago after the loss of the new Receiver. The Giver informs Jonas what happened at his request. The Giver assures Jonas that he adores her and that he adores Jonas as well. Rosemary enjoyed doing new stuff as her training began, and the Giver began by making her chuckle with happy memories. She, on the other hand, desired more difficult memories. The Giver couldn't bear to give her actual suffering, so he gave her isolation, loss, hunger, and terror at her request. She kissed the Giver's cheek and walked away after a long and arduous session. He didn't see her again. He later found out that she had filed for release on the same day. Jonas realizes he won't be able to petition for parole, but he wonders aloud to the Giver what will happen if he drowned in the river by mistake, taking a year's worth of memories with him. The Giver warns him that it would be disastrous: his experiences would not be destroyed, but now would be shared by all in the world, who would be unable to cope. The Giver pauses for a moment, thinking that if that happens, he would be able to help the group cope with the memories in the same way that he supports Jonas, but that he will need more time to consider it.
