Chapters 7 + 8: Screenplay

Screenplay: News in the television in the evening

Announcer: Today, there was another day of Ceremonies. Like every year on the second day of them, had been the Ceremony of Ten, Eleven and Twelve. But the last one wasn’t the same as every year. The first children became their assignments like all the years before but then the Chief Elder left number 19 out and everybody in the crowd was surprised and thought she made a mistake. But of course, the Chief Elder never makes a mistake. After all children have been on the stage to receive their assignments, the Chief Elder apologized for creating anxiety down by the people. The crowd accepted the apology and Chief Elder went on and spoke directly to Jonas. She apologized for him as well and asked him to come to the stage. In contrast to her behavior to the other new Twelve’s she took her arm across his shoulders. She explained that Jonas, instead of has been assigned, has been selected. The audience was surprised and confused by this declaration. Chief Elder announced that Jonas has been chosen to be the next “Receiver of Memory”. She went into detail with saying that this selection for a new Receiver is very uncommon and rare and that there’s only one in the community. He would train his successor, so he would train Jonas, too. The actual Receiver until today had been our Receiver for a very long time and so the Committee of Elders decided to give a new person the most honored job in the community. That the Committee had no doubts when they chose Jonas, you can see it in our following live cut from the stage.

 (original video, “live from the stage”: )

Chief Elder: Jonas was identified as a possible Receiver many years ago. We have observed him meticulously. There were no dreams of uncertainty. He has shown all of the qualities that a Receiver must have.

Intelligence. We are all aware that Jonas has been a top student throughout his school days.

Integrity. Jonas has, like all of us, committed minor transgressions. We expect that. We hoped also, that he would present himself promptly for chastisement, and he has always done so.

Courage. Only one of us here today has ever undergone the rigorous training required of a Receiver. He, of course , is the most important member of the Committee: the current Receiver. It was he who reminded us, again and again, of the courage required.

Jonas, (turning to him but speaking in a loud voice) the training required of you involves pain. Physical pain.

[ You have never experienced that. Yes, you have scraped your knees in falls from your bicycle. Yes, you crushed your finger in a door last year. (Jonas nods)

But you will be faced, now with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. … ] But we feel certain that you are brave.

The fourth essential attribute is wisdom. Jonas has not yet acquired that. The acquisition of wisdom will come through his training. We are convinced that Jonas has the ability to acquire wisdom. That is what we looked for.

Finally, The Receiver must have one more quality, and it is one which I can only name, but not describe. I do not understand it. You members of the community will not understand it, either. Perhaps Jonas will, because the current Receiver has told us that Jonas already has this quality. He calls it the Capacity to See Beyond.”
Jonas: “I think it’s true, I don’t understand it yet. I don’t know what it is. But sometimes I see something. And maybe it’s beyond.”

Chief Elder (took her arm from his shoulders): “Jonas, you will be trained to be our next Receiver of Memory. We thank you for your childhood.”

[Crowd: “Jonas, Jonas, JONAS…” ]

At last I picked up some pictures to aid my idea of the evening news.