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Fiona is Jonas’s friend and the object of his first glimmering of sexual interest. Fiona is a sweet, soft-spoken, and caring girl. Her kind nature is so obvious to others in the Community that it comes as no surprise when she is assigned the job of Caretaker of the Old at the Ceremony of Twelve, with Jonas commenting that the career choice is “perfect for such a sensitive, gentle girl.”
Around the same time that Jonas has his intimate dream about Fiona, he also notices a change in her hair – unbeknownst to Jonas at the time, he is starting to see color, and Fiona’s hair is bright red. In this sense, Fiona becomes a symbol of Jonas’s transition into adulthood and into the responsibilities that come with being able to see the world for what it truly is. At first, the changes he experiences are confusing yet exciting, and Jonas continues to comment on Fiona’s beauty and caring personality. In fact, when Jonas first learns of Rosemary and her tragic fate, he thinks of Fiona, expressing that he would never want her to suffer.
However, Fiona’s innocence and appeal are later destroyed when Jonas realizes that she, in her new position as Caretaker of the Old, is responsible for euthanizing elderly people. As the Giver says, “she’s very efficient with her work, your red-haired friend. Feelings are not part of the life she’s learned.” Additionally, when Jonas finds Asher and Fiona participating in a game of war with the other children of the Community, he realizes that despite Fiona’s sweet disposition, she would not be able to understand his pain or sadness – or anyone’s – should he attempt to explain it to her. Her kindness is ultimately hollow without the existence of true empathy.
