Content of chapter 3 and some own thoughts

Jonas' father takes a newchild named Gabriel home. Lily is enthused about Gabriel and notices his "funny" eyes. They are similar with Jonas' eyes. He doesn't like that Lily mentions his eyes because they are different to nearly the whole community. The eyes are normally black, but Jonas' are pale. (So like Gabriel's) It isn't against a rule to pay attention to things which are different about individuals but it's rude. And Lily has to learn it soon otherwise she will get a chastisement.

Later when Jonas thinks about his certain look by his light eyes he feels self-confident. He decides that his eyes have a depth.

In the second part of this chapter Lily says that she wants to be assigned to be a Birthmother, because of her interest and love for the newchildren. But when her mother specifies this Assignment and appeals to Lily's conscience she decides that she won't be a Birthmother later. (A Birthmother has three births, consequently three years of laziness/fun, and never gets to see newchildren. After she will be a Laborer for the rest of her life until she will enter the House of the Old.) Lily's father has the opinion that she should hope for an Assignment as Nurturer.

In the third part of this chapter Jonas remembers an event which happened one month ago. He played with Asher in the recreation area. Jonas picked up an apple and threw it to Asher. He threw it back and like this it goes on and on. But one time Jonas noticed that the apple changed in mid-air. It was only for a short moment. When he held it into his hand again, it was the same fruit. Unchanged. This happened four times but Asher didn't notice it. Jonas was interested in this curious change and took the apple home. But it didn't happen again. Later there was an announcement over a speaker. Without saying Jonas' name everyone knew to whom this announcement was.
"This is a reminder to male elevens that objects are not to be removed from the recreation area and that snacks are to be eaten, not hoarded."

 My idea: - maybe Jonas noticed the change of the apple because of his different eyes
               - creation of suspense

My own expressions to some quotations:
page 23, (ll. 11-13) --> "No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals."

It is alarmingly how all people have to be the same, or nearly the same. I would say that everybody is an individual but in Jonas' world it isn't accepted. You could say that all have different status objects and different Assignments but as well these things are chosen by someone else. The people in this community haven't the right to decide something by themselves. Furthermore this sentence makes clear that they will be punished if they don't follow the rules.

page 24, (ll. 8-11) --> "I think newchildren are so cute," Lily sighed. "I hope I get assigned to be a Birthmother." "Lily!" Mother spoke very sharply. "Don't say that. There's very little honor in that Assignment."

I think that this extract is different to all the other things before. Every time the parents had said that the Elders will find the right Assignment for everyone, but right here you can see that Lily's mother has some own ideas how the future will look like and as what Lily should work. She prefers some Assignments more than others. (Maybe it's because of her prominent position at the Department of Justice that she wants success for her children.)