In The Giver, how does Jonas change over the novel? How does he demonstrate the theme that to be human we need to have emotions?

Jonas changes a great deal over the course of the short novel. When readers first meet Jonas, he is a naive, rule-following child. By the end of the novel, he has moved to being an emotional rebel. He has now experienced what it feels like to have joy, pain, anger, and sadness. Additionally, he has learned the value of having a choice. He no longer agrees with the concept of Sameness, nor does he agree with the idea of a single person holding on to all of the memories and feelings of society. As Jonas comes to value these emotions and choices, he realizes that they are what make people "human." He so strongly believes in this fact that he takes action. He rescues Gabe from being released, and then he leaves the community. He hopes that by leaving, he will cause a release of all of the memories and emotions. He wants the people to return to a pre-Sameness state and be more human.

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