How does Jonas's development in The Giver contribute to our understanding of the theme - individual -vs- the community?

At the beginning of the book and through more than half of it, Jonas is a obedient and unquestioning member of his community. He is also very community-minded, in the sense that he fully understands everyone's actions contribute to the community's efficiency and success as a whole. Every member of the community has this same mindset. There is very little room in the community for individual thought or expression. Whatever individuality is allowed, is fairly minimal. Community members are encouraged to participate in a sharing of feelings each evening with their families and sharing of their dreams each morning. Obviously each of these would be individual; however, we also get the impression these ceremonies help keep the community in line. For example, in Chapter Five when Jonas shares his dream about Fiona, he inadvertently reveals that he has begun the "stirrings" and he is promptly put on pills to suppress them.

As Jonas begins to receive memories and learn more about the world before Sameness, he naturally begins to think more independently. He becomes frustrated and angry by rituals and people in his community that he never would have questioned or been upset by before. He notices that there are real disadvantages to to the world they live in now, but he still feels obligated by his position and feels there is no way out of the community. It is not until he witnesses the video of the release that he realizes he cannot stand to be in the community any longer. He and the Giver decide to help him escape. In spite of their detailed planning, Jonas changes it at the last minute when he finds out that Gabriel is scheduled for release the next day. Jonas then does the most individual and independent thinking he has done for the entire book and decides to leave that night. This is a decision made against the community. It is an individual decision and is made for individual reasons.

As readers we want to believe the community is a good place at the beginning, but we quickly feel something is wrong. It is a little too perfect and a little too uniform and very controlled. So, Lois Lowry is subtly sending the message that acting as a community without questioning the reasoning for the group decisions can be dangerous. She then develops Jonas as someone who becomes one of the only individuals and our hero, thus encouraging us to root for him and for thinking for one's self!