What were some of the actions Jonas did to start destroy his society in The Giver?

Jonas began to destroy his society by asking questions and pointing out problems, and then by disappearing with Gabe.

Jonas thought his community was perfect until he started his training as Receiver of Memory.  Under the old man’s guidance, he learned about the past.  In doing so, he learned that the world of previous generations had its drawbacks, but was vastly superior to Sameness.

Jonas’s community is a surveillance state.  They do not accept any...

Jonas began to destroy his society by asking questions and pointing out problems, and then by disappearing with Gabe.

Jonas thought his community was perfect until he started his training as Receiver of Memory.  Under the old man’s guidance, he learned about the past.  In doing so, he learned that the world of previous generations had its drawbacks, but was vastly superior to Sameness.

Jonas’s community is a surveillance state.  They do not accept any kind of inconsistency or imperfection.  This is why they allow the concept of release.  Anyone who breaks a rule or is imperfect is killed.  Jonas has no idea what is really happening until he sees the video of the release. 

When Jonas sees the memories, he feels that the community should no longer play war games.  When he confronts Asher and tries to explain it to him, he frustrates and confuses his friend.  Asher is annoyed that Jonas would try to tell him how to do something in his own area of expertise.  However, Jonas’s reaction is a subtle shift and would have had an impact on the community overall.

Another way Jonas’s memory experience impacts the community is when he asks his parents if they love him.  His parents scold him for being imprecise.  Jonas is confused, because it is not the reaction he expected.

"What do you mean?" Jonas asked. Amusement was not at all what he had anticipated.

"Your father means that you used a very generalized word, so meaningless that it's become almost obsolete," his mother explained carefully. (Ch. 16)

Jonas’s parents might have begun to wonder what Jonas was learning that love would suddenly be important to him.  This would have been another subtle shift in the community’s understanding, if his parents began to wonder about the idea that love was imprecise and invaluable.  Jonas also told Gabe about love.

However, the biggest challenge to the community is when Jonas escapes with Gabriel.  He watches the video of the newborn twin’s release, and then he decides that his community needs to be shaken up.  He escapes with Gabe in order to rescue him, but also in order to get his community back to the way things were in the last generations before Sameness.

The Giver shook his head and made a gesture to silence him. He continued. "If you get away, if you get beyond, if you get to Elsewhere, it will mean that the community has to bear the burden themselves, of the memories you had been holding for them. (Ch. 20)

Jonas knows that once he leaves and goes beyond to Elsewhere, he can never come back.  The community will have the memories, and everything will be different.  They will have to do away with Sameness, because they will have an understanding of war and pain, but also sunshine and love.