Jonas begins to think in the same way as we now think of death. He is horrified by it, and by the casual attitude that everyone else has about it in his society. He did not understand what "release" meant, but now that he does, he is overwhelmed. He thinks of all the people in the past who have fought against death, and of all the suffering that has come through it. Jonas believes it is tragic that society now thinks so little of death. Moreover, he has become aware of the value of an individual life, and the importance of preserving it.