Lowry relies on rhetorical questions — questions to which oftentimes there are no answers — to reveal many of Jonas' thoughts. The unanswered questions that Jonas asks himself show the changes that he is going through as he gains wisdom. These questions emphasize the internal and external conflicts that Jonas experiences. For example, Jonas feels alienated from his friends because he can't discuss his training as the new Receiver in the same way that his peers talk about their job training. Jonas wonders to himself, "How could you describe a sled without describing a hill and snow; and how could you describe a hill and snow to someone who had never felt height or wind or that feathery, magical cold?" By using rhetorical questions, Lowry reveals Jonas' thoughts about how absurd it would be for him to try to explain his recent experiences to his friends, who could not understand them because all that his friends know is Sameness. Jonas, however, knows that life can — and should — include much more than Sameness.
In addition to rhetorical questions, Lowry uses euphemisms to show how easily people's thoughts can be manipulated and controlled without them even realizing it. A euphemism is a term used to say something indirectly or sometimes less offensively. For example, people tend to refer to the elderly as "senior citizens" rather than "old people," or they will say "pass away" instead of "die."
Euphemisms are often used in political situations, usually to cover up or misrepresent an embarrassing incident. Euphemisms are also deceptive. For example, in Jonas' community, the citizens use the word "release" to disguise its real meaning: kill or euthanize. Using euphemisms enables the community members to distance themselves from reality. The word "release" tends to soften the act of violence that is committed.
