Well, if I were you, I would want to focus on the way that
Jonas and his perception of the relationships that he has changes as the novel
progresses, and particularly as Jonas begins his training as the next Keeper of Memories
and becomes privy to knowledge that the rest of his community are protected from. This
has the impact of profoundly affecting the relationships that Jonas has with his friends
and with his family. Consider, for example, how Jonas feels in Chapter Seventeen on the
unscheduled day off, where he plays a game with Asher and other friends, only to feel
that he has to stop playing when he realises that they are actually playing a war game,
that he himself has experienced the reality of:
Jonas trudged to the bench beside the Storehouse
and sat down, overwhelmed with feelings of loss. His childhood, his friendships, his
carefree sense of security--all of these things seemed to be slipping away. With his
new, heightened feelings, he was overwhelmed by sadness at the way the others had
laughed and shouted, playing at war. But he knew that they could not understand why,
without the memories. He felt such love for Asher and for Fiona. But they could not feel
it back, without the
memories.
What is key to
focus on is the way that Jonas feels profoundly separated thanks to the memories he has
received, and also the way that he has been able to experience emotions that none of his
friends or family ever have, such as love. This both separates him from others but also
makes him realise the profound limitations of the relationships that others have in his
community.
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