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I think Katherine Applegate chose to tell this story through the perspective of Ivan because it shows a different viewpoint and way of thinking.  The story would have been completely different from the perspective of a human.  The reader learns more from the book since it is from a gorilla's point of view because we think differently than gorillas.  The One and Only Ivan gave me a chance to see how a gorilla might think and feel.

Out of the many things that I learned from Ivan's perspective, one that really stood out was Ivan's contemplation about anger.  As humans, we tend to get angry over small matters such as things not going the way we want them to. Our anger is almost always for ourselves and directed at another person.  Ivan points out that gorillas only get angry when they need to protect someone or something else.  That was a really interesting point to me because it made me think about anger in a whole new way.

I also learned how much you see if you just look.  In the beginning, Ivan's main conflict is not having anything to do during the day.  Due to Ivan's endless time without entertainment, he spends a substantial amount of time observing his environment.  Throughout his narration he points out many obvious things that we do not notice. Ivan notices every detail about the world around him.

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By Elise Brooks

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By Elise Brooks

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I do not think Ivan feels lonely, and there are two possible reasons why..  Ivan may not not feel lonely because he has been isolated for so long.  On page 22, Ivan says,"With enough time you can get used to almost anything". It is also possible that Ivan does feel lonely and he tries to ignore it.  It would be understandable for him to want to ignore his loneliness because he might think ignoring it will make him feel less lonesome.  Ivan truly understands the difference between being lonely and being alone.  He is alone most of the time throughout the book, but he never longs for someone to be with.  This is why I do not think Ivan is lonely.

Friendships are a large and important part of the story.  Ivan's best friends are Bob the dog, Ruby the elephant and Stella the elephant.  The main conflict comes up when Ivan realizes that he needs to stand up to the humans to get Ruby to a safe place. Ivan's friends are important to him because they are his motivation.  For example, Ruby motivates him to start painting.  Another example is when Stella tells him to make sure Ruby gets to a safe place after she dies.  When Stella does die, Ivan realizes that it is his time to take action and fight for Ruby and himself, eventually leading to their happy ending in a local zoo.  At the end of the book, Ivan says,"I see something new in Ruby's eyes and I know what it is. It's joy."  I think that the animals' friendships were a key part of them being able to have a happy ending.

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By Elise Brooks

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By Elise Brooks