In these last three chapters, Lowry heightens the suspense and tension that have been evident throughout the novel. The plan that Jonas and The Giver have made for Jonas' escape will never be put into action, for on the night after The Giver and Jonas decide on a plan for Jonas to leave the community, Jonas knows that he has to escape immediately. That evening, while Jonas' family unit is eating their evening meal, Jonas' father, using an ironically "sweet, sing-song voice," says, "It's bye-bye to you, Gabe, in the morning." The Nurturers, Jonas' father included, have decided to release (kill) Gabe, but Jonas is not about to let that happen. He cannot allow someone whom he has come to love to be killed for no reason.
The rules of the community no longer matter to Jonas. He chooses to break the rules and save Gabe's life, as well as the lives of the people in the community. Never can he go back to being a complacent citizen in the repressive community in which he's grown up.
Taking Gabe, Jonas leaves his dwelling at night, taking leftover food from the night's supper trays, which have been placed outside doorways for the Collection Crew to pick up. He steals his father's bicycle because he needs the infant seat attached to it for Gabe, who now symbolizes new life and the future.
