The people in the community are controlled by announcements and chastisements that are heard over loudspeakers. Apparently, secrets do not exist within the community. Loudspeakers are everywhere, even in the family dwellings. Jonas was once publicly chastised because he took an apple home from the Recreation Area. The Speaker didn't mention Jonas' name over the loudspeaker, but both Jonas and his parents knew that the reprimand was directed at him. He broke a rule, and the next day he promptly apologized to the Recreation Director. Confused and unable to find the precise words to describe what happened to him, Jonas never told anyone why he took the apple. He was playing catch with his best friend, Asher, using the apple as a ball, when suddenly he saw the apple change — Lowry doesn't describe how it changed. Knowing that this strange occurrence was "different," he didn't tell anyone about it. Jonas' uneasy feelings and the hints that Lowry has revealed about Jonas' being different from other community members add to the suspense of the book.
Lowry leads us to believe that Jonas' community is a perfect place to live, or a utopia. When children become Eights, they begin their volunteer hours. These children have the freedom to choose where they want to volunteer; however, because the hours are mandatory, it appears that even this freedom is controlled. The purpose of volunteering is to give the Committee of Elders the opportunity to observe each child in different working situations so that the Elders can make appropriate lifelong career Assignments for the children when the children become Twelves.
