summary of chapter 1

The first chapter begins with Jonas, a boy who is frightened because an aircraft flies over his community to bring “food” and the community ordered the citizens to go in immediately. After that you get to know that the pilot flied the wrong way and that he is going to be released.

Jonas is at dinner with his family and they have got the ritual that everyone has to speak about his/her feelings that he had at that day. So Lily, Jonas little sister begins and talks about her feelings which she had at that day when she was playing with the sevens.  She sais that she is angry because they played against the rules and her parents explain her that it had a reason why they broke the rules. So Lily stops being angry. After Lily her father is the next one, he tells about his day at work (he is a Nurturer), that there is a newborn child which is not healthy and he wants to bring at home to take care of it, but it is not possible because it is against the rules because they would have too many children (only two are possible). The next person is the mother who speaks about her feeling. She says that she has to work against a person who keeps breaking the rules. And if he breaks one more rule, he will be released. After that it is Jonas turn. He likes to hide his feelings but it is not possible because it is against the rules. So he starts to talk about how he is apprehensive about the ceremony of twelve which is going to be in December. Then Jonas’s parents send Lilly away so that they can speak in private with Jonas.