The One And Only Ivan Summary, Characters and Themes
The One and Only Ivan is a heartwarming children’s novel by Katherine Applegate, first published in 2012. It is inspired by the true story of a gorilla named Ivan, who spent decades in a cage at a shopping mall. The novel is a touching exploration of friendship, freedom, and the deep emotional world of animals.
Through Ivan’s perspective, we journey into his life as he grapples with memories of his past and his desire to protect a young elephant named Ruby. With its themes of compassion and hope, the story resonates deeply with readers of all ages.
Summary
Ivan, a gorilla, has spent 27 years living in captivity at a shopping mall, his memories of his earlier life in the wild slowly fading. His small enclosure has three glass walls, allowing him to see the mall where he’s known as “The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback.”
Though he bears the telltale silver streaks of a mature male gorilla, Ivan doesn’t feel like a true silverback, as he has no troop to protect. His closest companions are Stella, an aging elephant who once performed in a circus, and Bob, a stray dog who sleeps on Ivan’s chest at night.
Ivan also forms a special bond with Julia, the young daughter of the mall’s janitor, George. Julia is an artist, and she encourages Ivan’s own creative side by giving him paper and crayons.
While Julia’s drawings come from her imagination, Ivan can only recreate the things he sees. His art, sold by the mall’s owner, Mack, offers a brief escape from the monotony of life in a cage.
A dramatic change occurs when Ruby, a baby elephant, is brought to the mall. Mack hopes that Ruby will boost the mall’s dwindling revenue, but he treats her cruelly from the start.
Stella, despite her own declining health due to an infected foot injury, takes on the role of Ruby’s protector.
Ivan too quickly becomes fond of Ruby, and the animals bond over shared stories of their traumatic pasts—Stella’s grueling circus life, Ruby’s family being killed by humans, and Ivan’s capture and separation from his family in Africa.
Before Stella succumbs to her illness, she makes Ivan promise to ensure that Ruby finds a safe place to live.
Haunted by this vow, Ivan confronts memories of his own early life in the wild, when he was part of a gorilla family. After his parents were killed, Ivan and his sister were shipped to the United States. His sister didn’t survive, and Ivan was raised by Mack, who treated him like a human child before confining him to the mall.
The memories stir something deep within Ivan, and he begins to understand that his enclosure is not just a home—it’s a prison.
Determined to keep his promise to Stella, Ivan creates a plan. After seeing an ad for a zoo on TV, Ivan painstakingly paints a picture of Ruby living in a zoo. He works in secret, hiding his drawings from Mack.
When the picture is finished, Ivan spells out the word “HOME” in bold letters. With Julia’s help, they display the artwork on the mall’s billboard, attracting the attention of reporters.
The public outcry over the treatment of the animals leads to intervention, and both Ivan and Ruby are taken to a zoo.
At the zoo, Ivan has to adjust to life among other gorillas. Although it’s difficult at first, he eventually finds his place as a silverback, protecting his troop and continuing his artistic expression.
He also spots Ruby, safe and happy in her new elephant herd, fulfilling his promise to Stella.
In his new life, Ivan finally embraces his role as a mighty silverback, surrounded by family and free from captivity.
Characters
Ivan
Ivan, the protagonist of The One and Only Ivan, is a silverback gorilla who has lived in captivity for 27 years at a mall. His character arc revolves around his journey of self-realization and rediscovery of his identity as a silverback gorilla.
At the beginning of the novel, Ivan is complacent about his life in captivity, seeing himself as part of the human world rather than the wild. He suppresses memories of his African childhood, choosing to forget the trauma of losing his family to human hunters.
His life at the mall is monotonous, and he copes with his loneliness through his art. However, he only draws what he can see, unable to imagine beyond his confined surroundings.
As the novel progresses, Ivan’s character undergoes significant growth, spurred by his relationship with the baby elephant Ruby. Stella’s death is a catalyst for Ivan to remember his roots and confront the trauma he has buried.
Through his art, Ivan learns to dream of a better future, not just for himself but for Ruby. His transformation culminates in his final acceptance of his role as a true silverback, a protector of his troop.
Ivan’s journey from passive acceptance of his captivity to active rebellion against it reveals his inherent strength and loyalty. Ultimately, he embraces his true nature as the “Mighty Silverback.”
Stella
Stella is an elderly elephant who plays a maternal role in the story, both for Ruby and for Ivan. A former circus performer, she suffers from the physical tolls of her life in captivity, evident in her infected foot that ultimately leads to her death.
Stella represents wisdom, compassion, and resilience, having endured years of hardship yet still maintaining her nurturing instincts. Her relationship with Ivan is central to the novel, as she helps him begin to question his acceptance of captivity.
Stella’s dying wish for Ivan to protect Ruby forces Ivan to take responsibility and catalyzes his transformation. Her death marks the shift in Ivan’s understanding of his role in life.
Stella’s belief that zoos can be “safe places” suggests her hope for a better life for Ruby. This hope becomes Ivan’s mission after her passing.
Ruby
Ruby, the baby elephant, symbolizes innocence and the potential for change. Unlike the older animals who have resigned themselves to their fate, Ruby is still young, curious, and filled with questions about the world.
Her arrival at the mall represents a turning point for the animals, especially Ivan, as she brings a new energy and sense of purpose into their lives. Ruby’s backstory is tragic—humans killed her family and took her captive, paralleling Ivan’s own experience.
Despite this, Ruby remains open to the possibility of good in humans, recalling the people who saved her in Africa. Ruby’s relationship with Ivan is transformative for him, as her vulnerability forces him to confront his responsibilities as a silverback.
Ruby’s innocence and hope stand in contrast to the jaded outlook of the older animals. It is for her future that Ivan begins his fight for freedom.
Bob
Bob, the stray dog, provides comic relief in the novel but also serves as a foil to Ivan’s character. As a dog who has lived a life of independence and survival on the streets, Bob is cynical and wary of humans, embodying a street-smart persona.
Unlike Ivan, who was raised by humans and maintains a complicated attachment to them, Bob has learned to fend for himself. He views the mall as a relatively comfortable place to live compared to his previous life and is hesitant to trust humans or believe in change.
Bob’s loyalty to Ivan is evident in the way he sleeps on Ivan’s chest and supports him through his emotional struggles. Over the course of the novel, Bob’s character softens, especially after Julia and her family adopt him.
His adoption signals his shift in perspective, as he finally experiences the care and love he had previously rejected. Bob’s character arc mirrors the theme of hope and transformation through relationships.
Julia
Julia, the young girl who is the daughter of the mall’s janitor, represents the bridge between the human and animal worlds. Her artistic connection with Ivan is central to the story, as it is through art that Ivan begins to express his emotions and ideas.
Julia is compassionate, empathetic, and perceptive, seeing the animals as individuals with emotions rather than mere exhibits. Her role in the story becomes crucial when she deciphers Ivan’s message in his artwork and takes action to help him and Ruby.
Julia’s relationship with Ivan is one of mutual respect, as they both share a love of art. It is her belief in Ivan that empowers him to make a stand for Ruby.
Julia’s character exemplifies the potential for humans to be agents of change and kindness. She offers a contrast to the cruelty many of the other human characters display.
Mack
Mack, the owner of the mall and the animals’ keeper, represents the darker side of human nature. He is portrayed as greedy, callous, and disconnected from the animals’ emotional and physical needs.
His initial affection for Ivan fades as Ivan grows too large to handle. Mack’s treatment of Ruby is harsh from the start, emphasizing his view of the animals as commodities rather than living beings.
Mack’s character lacks empathy, and his primary concern is the financial well-being of his failing mall, which leads him to exploit the animals for profit. However, Mack’s character is not wholly villainous; there are moments when his sadness over his failed life and loneliness emerge.
When he admits he’ll miss Ivan but walks away without looking back, it suggests that while Mack is flawed and self-serving, he is also trapped in his own sense of failure. He mirrors the animals’ own captivity.
George
George, Julia’s father and the mall’s janitor, is a more nuanced character than Mack. He shows kindness and guilt over the animals’ conditions but feels powerless to make significant changes.
As a working-class man with a family to support, George is stuck between his job and his morality. He cares deeply for his daughter and respects her compassion for the animals, though he initially hesitates to challenge Mack’s authority.
By the end of the novel, George becomes an ally to Julia and Ivan in their quest to save Ruby. He helps Julia put Ivan’s painting on the billboard and supports her efforts to contact the press.
George’s character highlights the theme of moral complexity, as he struggles with his role in the exploitation of the animals. Ultimately, he chooses to do the right thing, signifying his own growth.
Themes
The Complex Interplay of Identity and Self-Perception in Captivity
In The One and Only Ivan, the theme of identity is intricately tied to Ivan’s sense of self, which undergoes a profound evolution over the course of the narrative. At the beginning of the novel, Ivan describes himself as a silverback gorilla but distances himself from the true responsibilities and identity of a silverback, largely because his circumstances—imprisoned in a mall for decades—have stifled his natural instincts.
This loss of identity is further complicated by the fact that humans raised Ivan as a child, treating him as a novelty rather than respecting his nature as a wild animal. The confusion this upbringing causes in Ivan’s sense of self is central to the novel’s exploration of how captivity distorts identity, both in terms of how Ivan sees himself and how he is perceived by others.
Ivan’s journey toward reclaiming his identity as a “Mighty Silverback” is fraught with moments of self-doubt and suppression. His shift begins when Ruby enters his life, forcing him to confront his role as protector.
As he begins to see himself as more than just a passive spectator in his own life, Ivan’s understanding of his identity becomes a reclamation of his natural role. His eventual acceptance of his position as a true silverback is not merely a return to an identity lost but also a declaration of who he has chosen to become through his experiences.
The novel ultimately challenges the notion of identity as something static and instead presents it as fluid and deeply affected by external circumstances, including confinement, loss, and human interference.
The Moral Ambiguity of Human-Animal Relationships
Throughout The One and Only Ivan, Katherine Applegate examines the complicated, often morally ambiguous relationship between humans and animals. While Ivan and the other animals have undeniably suffered at the hands of humans—Mack’s neglect and cruelty, the traumatic deaths of Ruby’s and Ivan’s families, Stella’s exploitation by the circus—the novel does not present humanity in a purely antagonistic light.
Characters like Julia and her father George serve as a counterpoint to the more villainous Mack, demonstrating that not all humans are devoid of compassion or incapable of forming meaningful connections with animals. Julia, in particular, represents the possibility of empathy, as she not only befriends Ivan but also helps him express himself through art, creating a bond that transcends species.
This moral ambiguity is further explored through the concept of zoos. Stella’s description of zoos as potentially “safe places” introduces a nuanced view of captivity, suggesting that while the animals’ current situation in the mall is undeniably harmful, there are human institutions that can provide them with care and protection.
The novel thus engages with the broader ethical questions surrounding human responsibility toward animals, critiquing exploitative practices while also acknowledging the potential for humane treatment. Applegate avoids a simplistic good-versus-evil dichotomy, instead presenting the relationship between humans and animals as deeply complex, shaped by both cruelty and kindness.
The Power of Art as a Form of Resistance and Communication
Art plays a crucial role in The One and Only Ivan, not just as a creative outlet for Ivan, but as a means of resistance and self-expression. For much of the novel, Ivan’s artwork is limited to simple, literal representations of the world he sees—sketches of bananas or apples, objects from his cage.
This initial constraint symbolizes his mental and emotional imprisonment; he is unable to imagine anything beyond the confines of his immediate reality. However, the arrival of Ruby and the promise Ivan makes to Stella act as catalysts for his artistic transformation.
Ivan’s decision to paint Ruby in a zoo, an image rooted in imagination rather than observation, marks a turning point in his understanding of art. No longer merely a passive reflection of his world, Ivan’s art becomes a tool for envisioning a better future, both for himself and for Ruby.
Art also functions as a form of communication in the novel, transcending the barriers between species. Ivan’s inability to speak to humans in their language mirrors his initial struggle to assert control over his life.
However, through his artwork, he is able to convey complex emotions and ideas that he could not otherwise express, such as his desire for freedom and safety for Ruby. Julia’s eventual understanding of Ivan’s message through his painting further emphasizes the power of art to communicate across boundaries, whether they are physical, linguistic, or emotional.
In this way, Applegate underscores art’s ability to act as a form of resistance, allowing those who are voiceless—whether they are animals or humans in marginalized situations—to assert their agency and demand change.
The Psychological Impact of Prolonged Captivity and the Quest for Freedom
Prolonged captivity and its psychological consequences form one of the most poignant themes in The One and Only Ivan. For Ivan, his decades-long imprisonment in the mall cage strips him of not only his physical freedom but also his psychological vitality.
Applegate subtly portrays how confinement numbs Ivan’s ability to remember his past, dream of a different future, or even assert his instincts as a silverback gorilla. His existence is reduced to routine and survival, leading to a kind of emotional atrophy where Ivan no longer strives for more than what he is given.
However, the arrival of Ruby reignites Ivan’s suppressed desire for freedom, not just for Ruby but also for himself. The novel deftly explores how the quest for freedom, once it is sparked, becomes an all-encompassing drive.
As Ivan grapples with his obligation to Ruby, he also begins to understand his own yearning for a life beyond the mall. His growing dissatisfaction with his cage, which he comes to see as a “prison,” reflects the deep psychological impact of captivity—the erosion of identity, hope, and autonomy.
By the novel’s end, Ivan’s release into the zoo does not represent a simple return to freedom but a complex process of relearning what it means to live as a wild animal. The struggle for freedom, Applegate suggests, is not just a physical battle but an emotional and psychological one, deeply connected to the need for agency and self-determination.
Memory, Trauma, and the Necessity of Confronting the Past
In The One and Only Ivan, memory plays a crucial role in shaping the characters’ understanding of themselves and their world, particularly in relation to trauma. Ivan, Stella, Ruby, and Bob all carry the scars of their pasts, whether it be through Ivan’s forgotten childhood in Africa, Stella’s circus injuries, Ruby’s memories of her family’s violent capture, or Bob’s abandonment.
These memories are not static; they haunt the animals in different ways, shaping their interactions with each other and with humans. Ivan’s initial refusal to remember his past, for example, is a form of psychological self-preservation.
His reluctance to confront the trauma of losing his family mirrors a broader theme in the novel: the difficulty of facing painful memories when one is still trapped in a harmful environment. However, as Ivan begins to remember and recount his story to Ruby, he starts to reclaim his sense of self.
His past, once a source of pain and confusion, becomes a source of strength, allowing him to fulfill his promise to Stella. In this way, the novel suggests that while memory can be traumatic, it is also necessary for healing and growth.
The act of remembering is portrayed as both painful and empowering, a necessary step toward liberation. Through Ivan’s story, Applegate conveys the importance of confronting the past, not to dwell in trauma but to find a way forward.
This theme underscores the idea that healing from trauma requires not just escaping physical confinement but also reconciling with the psychological and emotional wounds of the past.