Son: Book 3, Chapter 6 Summary & Analysis

Ten days after the feast, Claire approaches Jonas and asks to tell him her story. They sit on a bench and she begins, telling him she knew him as a boy—and though she looks old, her Ceremony of Twelve was just three years before his. She describes becoming a birthmother, not taking the pills, the fish hatchery, and visiting Gabe. As Claire talks, they skip lunch and it’s late afternoon by the time she’s close to finished. It feels “invigorat[ing]” to tell someone her story. Finally, she describes her climb—and her deal with Trademaster. Jonas puts his head in his hands and explains that they banished Trademaster long ago, and he says he’s been sensing Claire’s presence. Trademaster, he says, is “Evil.”

Claire comments on Gabe’s light blue eyes, which Jonas says likely indicate he has a gift like he and Kira do. As they discuss how they thought of birds upon first leaving their community, Claire realizes she and Jonas are speaking to each other in a new way: like friends who share a past. They talk about the things they haven’t seen since leaving, like electricity, bicycles, and Gabe’s hippo. As Claire starts to say she wishes she’d been able to leave with Jonas and Gabe, she abruptly returns the conversation to Einar, whom she says she loved. As they stand to go, Jonas shares that Gabe is desperate to learn about his past. That’s why he's building the boat. They decide that they should tell him the truth together—but they hear shouts from the river near where Gabe is working.