I had always read the book to mean that the two died at the end. It seemed that the sights and sounds Jonas saw and heard were hallucinations based on the memories given to him to store--his "life", or that of many others, flashing before him, so to speak. I was surprised when I found out that other people believed that they lived, and figured it was mostly that people wanted and expected happy endings, especially for children. But then I read an interview with Lois Lowry, the author. She said she had not intended for readers to assume the two died. I guess it is as with any work of art--take from it what you think it means.
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