Jonas 'Punishment In The Giver'

All the people in Jonas’s community feel that Jonas’s selection is a great honor. Despite what the community thinks, Jonas thinks of it as more of a punishment. Being the Receiver is a punishment for the following reasons, the Receiver will lose contact with the outside world, he is also filled with pain and sorrow, plus he can’t quit.

Jonas will lose contact with the outside world when he becomes the Receiver. The Chief elder even says so herself, “He is to be alone, apart.” (page 58) His rules also stated the same thing, “Go immediately to your dwelling at the conclusion of training hours each day.” (page 65) If Jonas has no time for recreation he will lose contact with Fiona and Asher. If Jonas has no time to hangout with Fiona and Asher, they will likely drift apart from each other. His rules say, “Do not discAQs your training with any other member of this community, including parents and Elders.” So, Jonas can’t talk about his training so his friends will be suspicious. If his friends think something is going on, they will not trust him any more for keeping secrets. The only time Jonas can talk to his friends is when he is riding his bike back from the annex room.

Jonas is filled with great pain and sorrow.

However, at least he was warned, “Jonas, she said, turning to him, but speaking in a voice that the entire community could hear, “the training required of you involves pain. Physical pain.” (page 59) The Chief Elder told Jonas his training would hurt. According to his rules, “Except for illness or injury unrelated to your training, do not apply for any medication.” (page 65) He has to feel everything, and he can’t apply for medication to make it feel better. The Receiver makes the lives of other people better because he holds the memories so they can be happy. He holds all the memories so the rest of the community doesn’t have

to.
He can’t quit.Rosemary, the old Receiver, failed, receiver applied for release and when she was released, all her memories were released too. Now, Jonas can’t apply for release. He can run away to elsewhere. He runs away to escape his training.
That is why it is more of a punishment than a honor to be the receiver. The Receiver will lose contact with his friends. They will be sad and in constant pain because of the memories. The final reason being the Reciever is a punishment is, they can't quit.