The One and Only Ivan Analysis

Welcome to the Big Top, by which we mean the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. It's a non-traveling circus, housed in the local mall of a gray northwestern town. If this sounds more dull and dr...

In a book called The One and Only Ivan, it makes sense that Ivan is at the heart of the story. And guess what? Not only does his life take center stage, but he's also our one and only narrator. Thi...

Biography-ishFun fact: There really was a gorilla named Ivan who lived in a mall for twenty-seven years after being captured in the wild as a cute little thing. Ivan's sister was captured, too, and...

As our narrator, Ivan sets the tone for this book. And since he's a pretty humble and honest guy (er, gorilla), the tone of the book is, too. Though we understand that he's pretty darn special (his...

Though Ivan can't really write, this book still reads like his personal blog, journal, or diary. To this end, it's pretty conversational and simple, with bits about his life presented in little vig...

As a title, The One and Only Ivan works on a couple of levels. First off, it's a nickname Mack gives our main ape as a means of drawing people into his depressing mall circus. It's also a nickname...

It is never too late to bewhat you might have been.—George EliotIn a book that opens to a pretty depressing scene—hey there, wild animals in terrible captivity—the epigraph warns readers not...

As the book ends, Ivan and his animal friends no longer live lives in captivity in the mall. Ivan and Ruby now reside at the zoo, while Bob has found a home with George and Julia. It's about as hap...

Ivan, our insightful gorilla narrator, waxes philosophical and uses spot-on metaphors to describe his reality and his painful past, but his language and ideas are clear and easy to follow. Nothing...

Get us Out of HereThe Big Top Mall and Video Arcade may be fun for kids, but the wild animals caged there are better suited to more natural habitats that meet their needs. Ivan, a crafty, soulful...

A little explanation about the monster in our story since it isn't a person or creature or some such. Instead the beast is an outdated way of thinking about animals, a human versus other living...

Ivan expresses his thoughts about his own dual nature, that he experiences life as a gorilla who is part human. While it is fascinating that he has membership in each club, he is denied the perks...

There really was a gorilla named Ivan, and he really did spend twenty-seven years performing in a mall circus before finally getting to spend the rest of his days in the zoo. (Source.)Real dea...

Nothing to see here when it comes to romance, Shmoopers. Nada, zip, zilch.

George Eliot (Epigraph)Picasso (Picasso.175)Rembrandt (puzzle pieces.1079)The Western Code