At the same time each year, the Community decreed any child born during the course of that year as being "one year old," whether born January or December! This collective birthday celebration did away with the sense of individualism to favour one's identification with the group instead. This corresponded with the value system of the Community and was coherent with other rules as well.
In the end the Giver arranged with Jonas to make it look as if he had drowned in the river. Things got complicated, though, since Jonas learned at the last minute that Gabriel would be "released" the very next day and decided to take him along as well. The reader can only suppose that the Giver nevertheless stuck to this version of the story as an explanation which would be satisfactory to the other Community members once Jonas was gone.
Lowry does not hint at all that the Giver was punished or died as a result of Jonas' escape. In her following book 'Gathering Blue,' she shows Jonas as the leader of another community, but there is no reference at all to his first one, nor is there any mention of it in the next book 'The Messanger.' There is certainly enough "unfinished business" left over from 'The Giver' and the other two novels to write an intriguing sequel involving all three.
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