Who is Jonas?
Jonas is a typical teenager in his society, but none of them are typical of the adolescents that we are familiar with in our society. Adolescence in the textbook Adolescence by John W. Santrock is defined as "the developmental period of transition from childhood to adulthood; it involves biological, cognitive, and socioemotional changes" (Santrock G-1) Jonas and his friends all experience the same family lives, the same school experiences and are given medications not to go through normal puberty. They all go through life knowing that when they become a 12, they will have a role in society and that will always be their role in society. Once Jonas begins to become The Receiver of Memories, he essentially takes on Puberty overload with all the emotions and changes rushing in at one time.
I think identity is important when looking at the character of Jonas. Self understanding is thought to be complex in adolescence, let's look at how it affects Jonas.
I think identity is important when looking at the character of Jonas. Self understanding is thought to be complex in adolescence, let's look at how it affects Jonas.
- Prior to becoming the Receiver, Jonas would have described himself in a very concrete way, similar to other children his age. As he becomes the Receiver, Jonas had his world opened up to other realities and would be able to describe himself as an idealistic young man looking to make the world better for all of his society.
- As far as differentiation, Jonas started out as being only the one ideal Jonas created by his society, but as he learned other emotions, he would be able to recognize himself with different characteristics and the ability to relate to different people in different ways and have different feelings towards different people.
- Real versus ideal is quite a struggle for Jonas as he begins to take on the memories. Everything that he has ever thought was real is being challenged.
- The only possible self that Jonas had was to become the Receiver since that is the role that his elders chose for him. As Jonas become the Receiver, he could then see other possibilities for his life, but could not share them with those he began to care for in a different light. He became trapped in the world of possibility that was put before him. Jonas never really compared himself socially until after he became the Receiver, then he began to see how things and people are different.
- Jonas began the story in a minimal level of identity diffusion because he had not experienced an identity crisis and had not made any commitments, the truth being he would not be allowed to as society would do this for him. At the end of the story, Jonas has identity achievement because he has undergone an identity crisis and worked through it making a commitment to bring change to his society.