Song "When I'm gone" by Simple Plan

I have found another song which fits very good to Jonas feelings and situation before he wants to leave the community.

The song "When I'm gone" by Simple Plan from the Album Simple Plan was published in 2008.

I will write something to the lyrics in brackets. I will handle it so that the songtext is written in Jonas perspective.

Simple Plan - When I'm gone


I look around me
And all I seem to see
Is people going nowhere       (with "nowhere" Jonas can mean "Elsewhere in his community)                                       
Expecting sympathy                                     ( the community expected a lot from Jonas and the other ones)
It's like we're going through the motions       ( maybe this can stand for the telling of the feelings and dreams
                                                                    because maybe there are some dreams and feelings which
                                                                    you wouldn't share with your family)
Of a scripted destiny                                   (everything is strictruled in the community and required)
Tell me where's our inspiration
If life won't wait                                         (these two lines can mean that if Jonas won't do something there
I guess it's up to me                                     is no other choice, so he must do something)
Woah
No, we're not gonna waste another moment in this town  ( town stands for community and in this community
                                                                                       he wouldn't stay any longer)
Woah
We won't come back                                                     (Jonas and Gabriel are mentioned with "we", they
                                                                                       won't come back because there is no chance to
                                                                                       survive for Gabriel)
The world is calling out
Woah
Leave the past in the past                                             ( this means forget everything and this is what Jonas
                                                                                     wants)
Gonna find the future                                                     (he will find a new life a better one for him and
                                                                                      Gabriel)
If misery loves company,                                              (the company can stand also for the community in
                                                                                     Jonas point of view)
Well so long,
You'll miss me when I'm gone                                      (adresses to the community because Jonas would      
                                                                                     leave the community if they wouldn't change
                                                                                     something)
(Woah, oh, oh)
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone                      (the community will miss him and Gabriel when they are gone)
(Woah, oh, oh)
Procrastination running circles in my head
While you sit there contemplating                                (they only sit there without doing anything for the community)
You wound up left for dead (you left for dead)          ( can stand for Gabriels destiny)
Life is what happens
While you're busy making your excuses                       ( the do something and don't really care for the
                                                                                    children)
Another day another casualty                                      (everyday bad things will happen to Gabriel if Jonas wouldn't do something)
But that won't happen to me                                        (because Jonas wants to leave the
                                                                                    community)
Woah
No, we're not gonna waste another moment in this town
Woah
We won't come back
The world is calling out
Woah
Leave the past in the past
Gonna find the future
If misery loves company,
Well so long,
You'll miss me when I'm gone
(Woah, oh, oh)
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
(Woah, oh, oh)
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
When I'm gone
Let's go!
I won't look back                                           (this can stand for that he will never look back and never come back)
When I say goodbye                                       (Goodbye is Goodbye , Goodbye is forever)
Gonna leave this world behind me                    (he/they will leave their old life/world behind them)
Gonna take what's mine tonight                         (is very strict:but with mine Gabriel is mentioned)
'Cause every wasted day
Becomes a wasted chance
You'll gonna wake up feeling sorry                   ( the community should feel sorry if Jonas is gone)
'Cause life won't wait                                        ( he won't wait for them)
I guess it's up to you                                         ( it's the fault of the community that Jonas is gone)
Woah
No, we're not gonna waste another moment in this town
Woah
We won't come back
The world is calling out
Woah
Leave the past in the past
Gonna find the future
If misery loves company,
Well so long,
You'll miss me when I'm gone
(Woah, oh, oh)
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
(Woah, oh, oh)
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
(Woah, oh, oh)
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
(Woah, oh, oh)
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone




The big lines are also interpreted before, and sorry for the shit "format" because this here doesn't work like how I wanted this should work!
I'm also sorry that I haven't give an interpretation for every line because not really every line fits to the situation.


Songtext by : http://www.magistrix.de/lyrics/Simple%20Plan/When-Im-Gone-233298.html

video by youtube.

Post-Reading activity // review + short summary

The book "The Giver" by Louis Lowry was published in 1994.
The story is about Jonas who is twelve years old and lives in a community which is perfect organized.
Every year you have to go to a ceremony and after the ceremony of twelve (which is the last) Jonas is selected to be the next "Receiver of the memory". He gets a hard training by the old "Receiver" who later will be called "The Giver" from Jonas.The training is going by and Jonas noticed that something must change in the community and so he decides to ...

Before I have started reading the book I have thought that the book isn't interesting but as I started to read I have found it very exciting. everybody told me that "The Giver" is very boring but it isn't it is nice to read and the life in the community is very different to the normal life. But the Life in the community has advantaged and disadvantages. One of the advantage is that everything is strictruled and there are no problems.

Chapters 21-23 // "Goodbye" by Secondhand Serenade

The song "Goodbye" from Secondhand Serenade from the album "A Twist in my Story" which was published in 2008 fits only of the title very good to the last three chapters because this are the chapters were Jonas escapes from the community. But the rest of the song / the lyrics fits also very good to the situation in which Jonas is.

My Interpretation/ Analysis will be in the bracets.

So now I will give you the songtextwith Interpretation/Analysis :


It's a shame that it had to be this way  (this line can stand for his abrupt abandonment)
It's not enough to say I'm sorry           ( this shows a little bit of blame by Jonas , maybe? )
It's not enough to say I'm sorry

Maybe I'm to blame                         (means the same : look above , it is for the whole stanza )
Or maybe were the same
But either way I can't breathe
Either way I can't breathe

All I had to say is goodbye               (Jonas leaves the community so he has to say "Goodbye")
Were better off this way                   (with "we" Jonas and Gabriel are mentioned , this sentence
Were better off this way                    wants to say that it is better for Jonas and Gabriel if they
                                                         leave the community)


I'm alive but I'm losing all my drive
Cause everything we've been through
And everything about you
Seemed to be a lie                               (If Jonas were the writer of the song this stanza would be adressed to
                                                             his father because his father has betrayed him in the case of the
                                                             released people because released means killed.)

A guiltless twisted lie
It made me learn to hate you                 (for this Jonas hates his dad , one reason for Jonas escape from the
                                                              community)
Or hate myself for letting it pass by

All I had to say is goodbye
Were better off this way
Were better off this way         [ is also analyzed (look above) ]
All I had to say is goodbye
Were better off this way
Were better off this way

And every, everything isn't only
What it seemed so hold these
Words that you never told me     (this stanza expresses again the lies from his dad only with other words)
Its time to say goodbye
Its time to say goodbye
Its time to say goodbye
Goodbye

Bye

Take my hand away                 (maybe this could be a sentence from Gabriel because he should be released)
Spell it out                                ( this could be a "call" from Gabriel to Jonas)
Tell me I was wrong                 (this sentence also could be from Gabriel because he can asked himself or
                                                 Jonas what is wrong with him)
Tell me I was wrong

Take my hand away
Spell it out
Tell me I was wrong                 [also analysed (look above) ]
Tell me I was wrong

Take my hand away
Spell it out
Tell me I was wrong
Tell me I was wrong



Sources :
Songtext :
http://www.songtexte.com/uebersetzung/secondhand-serenade/goodbye-deutsch-bd6ad26.html by Secondhand Serenade

video from Youtube.

Chapters 18-20 Most important character in the book/Characterization

So I will make some little charactarizations about the most important characters in the book and I will tell  some little information about them.

Jonas :  He is the pale-eyed Eleven who is chosen to become the next Receiver of Memory in the community. This is the most honourful and respected job. Jonas has all the qualities which are important for beeing the "The Receiver of the Memory"(mentioned in my post from Chapter 14/15). His traing begins slowly and he understands the truth of the community but he feels that something must be changed there.

(The Giver/The Receiver of the Memory and the Chief Elders , too is mentioned in my post from chapter 14/15)

Mother: Jonas's mother is an eminent official at the Department of Justice. She is responsible for upholding rules in the community.

Father: Jonas's father is a Nurturer at the Nurturing Center who takes care of new born children.

---------> Jonas parents: His parents are perfectly matched. His mother is more intelligent than his father but his father has a calmer disposition. He appropriately complements her as wife and husband should be.


Lily: Is Jonas little talkative sister who is a Seven. At the December Ceremony, she becomes an Eight who wears a jacket that newly identifies her as an Eight and starts her volunteer activities in the community.

Gabriel:  He  is a newchild who is one of the fifty being taken care of at the Nurturing Center.But there is a problem with Gabriel because he doesn't grow up like "normal" children and so Jonas dad takes him home to spend some nights and some time with the family of Jonas. Gabriel is chosen to be released but Jonas family saves him from that.The most important thing to say over Gabriel is that he has the same pale eyes like Jonas.

Asher : He is Jonas best friend and he  is clumsy, careless, and imprecise with words, but cheerful and good-humored. At the Ceremony Asher receives the assingnment of the Director of Recreation. There is a unknow distance between Jonas and Asher after Jonas has started training by the old "Receiver of the Memory".

Fiona :  Fiona is also a friend of Jonas and her assignment is to be a  Caretaker of the Old at the House of the Old. Fiona is a sensitive and gentle girl whom Jonas likes.At the end, however, Fiona also grows apart from Jonas because she cannot understand him and his Assignment as Receiver of Memories.


Rosemary: Rosemary was a girl Eleven who had been chosen to succeed The Giver as the next Receiver of Memories ten years ago. She is the one who was chosen wrong. The reason is never mentioned and normally her name is forbidden to be spoken.  Although her training had begun well, it had eventually failed.
She couldn't stand the pain and the sorrow of the memories that the Giver had been given to her. One day after the training she went to the Chief Elders to apply a release from the community.After her releasing the memories she had been received came back to the community and to the people because memories are forever. The people of the community don't know how to handle with this pain.
----> Rosemary is first mentioned in chapter 18.

Song "FEEL" by Robbie Williams + Interpretation/Analysis --> Chapter 16/17

The song "Feel" by Robbie Williams from the album "Escapology" which was published 2002 was the most successful song of Robbie Williams.

First I will post the Songtext to "FEEL" for you for a better comprehension:


Come and hold my hand
I wanna contact the living
Not sure I understand
This role I've been given
I sit and talk to God
And he just laughs at my plans
My head speaks a language
I don't understand
I just want to feel real love
Feel the home that I live in
'Cause I got too much life Running through my veins
Going to waste
I don't want to die
But I ain't
keen on living either
Before I fall in love
I'm preparing to leave her
I scare myself to death
That's why I keep on running
Before I've arrived
I can see myself coming
I just want to feel real love
Feel the home that I live in
'Cause I got too much life Running through my veins
Going to waste
And I need to feel real love
And a life ever after
I cannot give it up
I just want
to feel real love
Feel the home that I live in I got too much love
Running through my veins
To go to waste
I just wanna feel real love
In a life ever after
There's a hole in my soul You can see it in my face
It's a real big place
Come and hold my hand
I want to contact the living
Not sure I understand
This role I've been given Not sure I understand
Not sure I understand
Not sure I understand
Not sure I understand


In my opinion the song " Feel" by Robbie Williams fits very good to chapters 16 and 17/to the book and the situation of Jonas because Jonas get to know more FEELings and he get to know the in our community/life most important feeling "LOVE" . In this song Robbie talks about " this role I've been giving" and about feeling the love and so on.
I have marked the most important lines , means the lines which fits very good to Jonas feelings , big.

The first part expresses Jonas feeling of beeing the new "Receiver of the Memory" which he gets by the ceremony.
The lines "Come and hold my hand
              I wanna contact the living" can express the first training by the Giver.
the " Come and hold my hand" can stand for the hands from the Giver of Jonas back when he wants to give him the (first) memory "I wanna contact the living" can stand for getting the memories which Jonas receives and will receive.
The second part expresses Jonas feelings about love for example that he loves Asher and Fiona and that they can't love him back this is very hurtful for Jonas. Of course Jonas "needs to feel love and he cannot give it up". The "home" in the song can stand for the communtíty/family/parents  in Jonas world/community because in chapter 16/17 we get to know that Jonas asks his parents if they love him.Robbie say in his song that he "want(s) to feel the home that  live in".
The line  "  'Cause I got to much life" can mean that it is to much for Jonas or the memories are to much for him.
I just wanna feel real love
In a life ever after
There's a hole in my soul
---> This part means that of course Jonas wants to feel love and get love from the others but he can't get it.
The life even after could be the community which Jonas wants have because in the chapters 16 and 17 we get to know that Jonas will change some things in the community.--> So this can be "The life even after". Another Interpretation for "The life even after" can be the life after when the parents have to go their children away because they are now adults.After this the parents aren't allowed to have contact with their "children".
"The hole in my soul" this line can mean the pain Jonas gets by his training and the "pain" he feels as he noticed that Asher and Fiona couldn't love him back.
Maybe the lines which are telling us "Not sure I understand"(which is repeated in the song) could express Jonas feelings of some situations for example the situation with Fionas red hair (not in this chapters) is a good example for the lines because Jonas doesn't know how to react.
Also the repeating of the line "Not sure I understand" creates the impression of uncertainty from Jonas by the reader of the book and the listeners of the song "Feel".



Sources :
Songtext --> http://www.magistrix.de/lyrics/Robbie%20Williams/Feel-47318.html

and Youtube for the Video.

Chapter 16/17 Summary + Song "FEEL" by Robbie Williams

In this chapter Jonas get to know his first memory of love. He get wonderful memories of birthday parties, paintings in museums, horseback riding, and camping trips. None of these things exist in real in the community. Very important in this chapter is that when Jonas asks the Giver to describe his favorite memory, the Giver tells Jonas he wants to give it to him, not just describe it to him. The Giver shares the memory of a group of people, very young and very old, opening presents under a tree covered in lights. He tells Jonas that the memory is of family and love. Jonas wants to know who the two old people were and the Giver told him that they were grandparents.Jonas has never heard this word. Jonas wishes aloud that his own family could be more like the family in the memory and that the Giver should be his grandfather.At home that evening, Jonas asks his parents if they love him.They laugh about this question and they anwered that they took pride in his accomplishments and they enjoyed having him aroud but they couldn't say that they love him. That night Jonas gives Gabriel another happy memory that he can sleep better and he tells the sleeping newchild Gabriel that he wishes he could change the community to make it have colors, grandparents, and love. In the next morning happen a very important thing for the story , Jonas decides to stop taking his pill for the Stirrings.
Four weeks later, the community loudspeakers declare an unscheduled holiday. Jonas doesn't have to go to school.His Stirrings have returned because he had stopped taking the pills.He feels a little bit embarrassed about the dreams he is having at night, but also has no intention of giving up the pleasure that the dreams give him.The memories that he has got from the Giver have given him the depth of feeling and he becomes annoyed when people use expressions like sadness and anger because he knows that only he has actually felt authentic emotions because the other "normal" people can't feel the things like Jonas can feel the different things and feelings.When Jonas rides his bike along the river he saw Asher who is playing a game of war he tries to explain Asher that the game is a cruel mockery of the terrible realities of war.But Asher doesn't understands him and he answers him angrily that he has to do this for his job as a director of recreation.
Fiona arrives and tries to comfort Jonas because Jonas is sad about his conclusion  he loves Asher and her, but that they can't love him back. When Jonas arrives at home he pays attention at Gabriel because he had learned to walk and to say his own name.Besides Jonas asks his dad about the identical twins who will be born the next day.His father told him that the boy with the lower weight will be fetched up by someone from elsewhere.Lily comments about the strangeness of two identical twins growing up separated, one in the community and one in Elsewhere.





I think I will give the link to the video and the songtext in a second link with a little interpretation because this will be to full ;)

Chapter 14/15 Explanations for the most important things in the Book and for the Chapters

The Annex: The Annex is the Giver's dwelling behind the house of the Old.This is where Jonas begins to receive his training. When somebody pushes the buzzer in front of the Annex ,is let in by a female attendant. A door leads to the Giver's room, and it is the only door which is locked in the community.In the whole community no other door is locked because the rules said that this should be so. The receptionist explains to Jonas who is puzzled that it is to "ensure the Receiver's privacy" .

The Giver/The Receiver of the Memory : The Giver(/The Receiver of the memory) is apart from Jonas the main character in the book. He is the most venerated and regarded Elder in the community and he has  has the access to all the memories of the past.The Receiver or later called the Giver by Jonas has the same pale eyes like Jonas and the new born child Gabriel. He trains Jonas to be a good next "Receiver of the Memory".He gives him some of his memories and the memories which he had given to Jonas were erased in his mind. He is an old and grave man who had been chosen years ago to be "the Receiver of the Memory" and to give the next ONE the sorrow and the pain that memories bring. Jonas wants to make him realize that the community have to change and he agrees to a plan that will make everyone have access to the memories of the past. To Jonas who is often confused and frustrated as a result of his training , The Giver is a paternal figure for him who provides guidance as well as wisdom.
Besides if you become the "the Receiver of the Memory" you must have  some special qualities , "Intelligence" , "Integrity" , "Courage" and "Wisdom". Also you must have the "Capacity to see Beyond".But this you will learn by the years and your training.


The Commitee of the Elders : The Committee of Elders is a group of Elders in the community whose long robes distinguish them from the rest of the citizens. The Elders make important decisions for the important things (like "which job is the best for someone" and so on) in the community. The children were observed by them during school hours as well as during recreation and volunteer hours in order to give them their appropriate Assignments. The Elders also observe citizens to marry them it means that they are searching a husband or a wife for almost every citizen in the community. Also the Elders choose the children for the citizens when they want to have a child the Elders have to approve it. The Giver is also a member of the Committee of the Elders and he gives them advice when they need counsel on things that are new or unfamiliar to them.