Son

by

Lois Lowry

Jonas is the boy who runs away with baby Gabe to the village where the novel’s third part takes place. In the third part, he’s a married man in his 20s who is still a mentor to Gabe. With his wife Kira, he has two children, Annabelle and Matthew. Jonas is framed as being special from the start. He is assigned to be the “receiver” when he and other kids are given their assignments at age 12 (the specifics of what it means to be a “receiver” are detailed in the first book of the series, The Giver, of which Jonas is the protagonist). A kind, generous, and honest man, Jonas believes that it’s important to help and welcome others. This is why, seven years before the novel’s third part takes place, he banished Trademaster and shut down Trade Mart in the village. When he learns Trademaster has returned and that the elderly Claire is actually Gabe’s mother, Jonas helps Gabe prepare to vanquish Trademaster once and for all. He uses his gift for the last time to help Gabe locate Trademaster, believing that it’s time for the next generation to move up and use their gifts.

Jonas Quotes in Son

The Son quotes below are all either spoken by Jonas or refer to Jonas. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Pain and Maternal Love Theme Icon
).
Book 3, Chapter 7 Quotes

All that work. The weeks and weeks of planning, of building, of hoping. And all he could say now was that the paddle worked well. Gabe felt it all slipping away: his dream of returning, of finding his mother, of becoming part of something he had yearned for all his life.

Related Characters: Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Jonas, Trademaster
Related Symbols: The Boat and Paddle, Water
Page Number: 332
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 8 Quotes

But still. Still. He felt an enormous sadness that he didn’t entirely understand, when he watched Kira with her children. He felt a loss, a hole in his own life. Had anyone—all right: any woman—ever murmured to him that way, or brushed crumbs gently from his cheek? Had anyone ever mothered him? Jonas had told him no. “A manufactured product,” Jonas had said, describing his origins sadly.

Related Characters: Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Jonas, Kira, Annabelle, Matthew
Page Number: 335
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 11 Quotes

It was dark when Gabe stood at the water’s edge, alone. He had begged Jonas to come with him. But Jonas had said no.

“Years ago, Gabe, when I took you and ran away, there was a man I loved and left behind. I wanted him to come with me but he said no.

“He was right to refuse. It was my journey and I had to do it without help. I had to find my own strengths, face my own fears. And now you must.”

Related Characters: Jonas (speaker), Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Trademaster, Lame Einar
Related Symbols: Water, The Boat and Paddle
Page Number: 367
Explanation and Analysis:

He repeated them, like a chant. He loosened the paddle from there it was wedged. With his fingers he could feel the carved names in the smooth wet wood: Tarik. Simon. Nathaniel. Stefan. Jonas. Though she had not carved her name, he added Kira in his mind. Then little Matthew, and Annabelle. Finally he said his mother’s name—Claire—aloud, adding it to the list of those who cared about him. He shouted it—“Claire!”—into the night, begging her to live. Holding tightly to the paddle, he began to kick his way easily across the gently flowing water in the moonlight.

Related Characters: Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six (speaker), Claire, Jonas, Trademaster, Kira, Nathaniel, Annabelle, Matthew, Tarik
Related Symbols: Water, The Boat and Paddle
Page Number: 372
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 12 Quotes

Frantically he tried again to remember what Jonas had told him. Use your gift. That was it. Use your gift!

He was very frightened, but looking directly at Trademaster, he concentrated and willed himself to veer.

Related Characters: Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Jonas, Trademaster
Related Symbols: Veering
Page Number: 386
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Son LitChart as a printable PDF.
Son PDF

Jonas Quotes in Son

The Son quotes below are all either spoken by Jonas or refer to Jonas. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Pain and Maternal Love Theme Icon
).
Book 3, Chapter 7 Quotes

All that work. The weeks and weeks of planning, of building, of hoping. And all he could say now was that the paddle worked well. Gabe felt it all slipping away: his dream of returning, of finding his mother, of becoming part of something he had yearned for all his life.

Related Characters: Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Jonas, Trademaster
Related Symbols: The Boat and Paddle, Water
Page Number: 332
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 8 Quotes

But still. Still. He felt an enormous sadness that he didn’t entirely understand, when he watched Kira with her children. He felt a loss, a hole in his own life. Had anyone—all right: any woman—ever murmured to him that way, or brushed crumbs gently from his cheek? Had anyone ever mothered him? Jonas had told him no. “A manufactured product,” Jonas had said, describing his origins sadly.

Related Characters: Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Jonas, Kira, Annabelle, Matthew
Page Number: 335
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 11 Quotes

It was dark when Gabe stood at the water’s edge, alone. He had begged Jonas to come with him. But Jonas had said no.

“Years ago, Gabe, when I took you and ran away, there was a man I loved and left behind. I wanted him to come with me but he said no.

“He was right to refuse. It was my journey and I had to do it without help. I had to find my own strengths, face my own fears. And now you must.”

Related Characters: Jonas (speaker), Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Trademaster, Lame Einar
Related Symbols: Water, The Boat and Paddle
Page Number: 367
Explanation and Analysis:

He repeated them, like a chant. He loosened the paddle from there it was wedged. With his fingers he could feel the carved names in the smooth wet wood: Tarik. Simon. Nathaniel. Stefan. Jonas. Though she had not carved her name, he added Kira in his mind. Then little Matthew, and Annabelle. Finally he said his mother’s name—Claire—aloud, adding it to the list of those who cared about him. He shouted it—“Claire!”—into the night, begging her to live. Holding tightly to the paddle, he began to kick his way easily across the gently flowing water in the moonlight.

Related Characters: Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six (speaker), Claire, Jonas, Trademaster, Kira, Nathaniel, Annabelle, Matthew, Tarik
Related Symbols: Water, The Boat and Paddle
Page Number: 372
Explanation and Analysis:
Book 3, Chapter 12 Quotes

Frantically he tried again to remember what Jonas had told him. Use your gift. That was it. Use your gift!

He was very frightened, but looking directly at Trademaster, he concentrated and willed himself to veer.

Related Characters: Claire, Gabe/Abe/Thirty-Six, Jonas, Trademaster
Related Symbols: Veering
Page Number: 386
Explanation and Analysis: