In this article we will talk about the famous book of R. Bach and present its summary. āA seagull named Jonathan Livingstonā - this name was heard by many, even if they did not read the work itself. What is it about?
About the book
The book "The Seagull named Jonathan Livingston" was published in 1970 and immediately became one of the best sellers. The author admitted in an interview that the story was based on the impression of John Livingstonās flight, an amazing pilot of the early twentieth century.
The work was translated into Russian in 1974. And first published on the pages of the journal "Foreign Literature".
Genre of work
What genre is written in the book "The Seagull named Jonathan Livingston"? Analysis of the work convinces us that this is a story-parable. She talks about a young seagull who is learning to fly and live. Like any parable, the work cannot be understood literally, only allegorically. In images and scenes, references to human reality are encrypted. And the gull itself is a metaphorical image, implying a person.
Summary: "A seagull named Jonathan Livingston." Part one
Bright sunny day. Fishermen from their ships throw nets with bait, and seagulls flock to get their own food. The only seagull is not participating in this feast, her name is Jonathan Livingston. She has a much more important matter - training flights. Jonathan stands out from the pack with his desire to bring flight mastery to perfection.
From the first lines, the author depicts the heroās dissimilarity to those around him, as a brief summary should mention. A seagull named Jonathan Livingston is not looking for food, which worries his parents. They persuade his son to live like everyone else. The hero agrees and the week exists according to the laws of the pack. However, Jonathan quickly realizes the meaninglessness of such a life and returns to flying.
Somehow Jonathan hits the water, rapidly descending, and loses consciousness. Waking up, he heard a voice that said that gulls were not given to fly fast. The hero decides to reconcile and return to the pack. But suddenly he finds a solution - too long wings interfere with flying. Knowing the solution to the problem, Jonathan is rapidly achieving success.
Flock advice is gathering. Jonathan is taken out in the middle of the circle. A young gull awaits praise for its success. But everything happens quite the opposite. An elder condemns him to exile for violating the customs of the Seagull Family and violating his dignity.
Jonathan flies away and spends his whole life alone. He improves his skills and does not regret anything.
Part two
He created his hero as a romantic and rebel Richard Bach. A seagull named Jonathan Livingston is gradually aging. And then one day he sees two snow-white gulls. They say that he is from their pack, and ask to return home. Jonathan soars upward and himself becomes radiant and snow-white, like his guests. The hero thinks that he went to heaven, and gradually forgets about the old days.
A flock also lives in this place, which trains and wants to achieve perfection in flights. Sullivan, her mentor, says Jonathan is an exception. Usually, seagulls need to live hundreds of lives to enter this world. And this world is not paradise, but paradise is called the achievement of perfection. Jonathan asks the elder to train him to fly at the speed of thought.
Time passes, and our hero realizes that his possibilities are limitless, he is perfect. The next step for Jonathan is to learn how to move in time. The time comes and the Elder disappears, saying goodbye that Jonathan needs to know what love is.
Our hero begins to think about his native pack and decides to return there. He hopes to find a similar exile. Once he succeeds, and he finds one like himself - Fletcher, who becomes a student of Jonathan.
Part three
A summary is ongoing. A seagull named Jonathan Livingston gains new students, except for Fletcher, - these are six exiles, who are also attracted by flights. In the evenings, the teacher tries to tell the students about freedom, but they fall asleep too quickly.
Jonathan decides to return to the pack. The disciples follow him. However, the pack is not happy with them; they are not noticed. But our hero continues to teach. Gradually, the young generation of seagulls begins to come to Jonathan. Once a seagull with a broken wing asks for help. Livingston says he is free and nothing can stop him from flying. Then the wounded spread its wings and takes off. After this incident, Jonathan begins to be considered a god.
A week later, Fletcher dies. In another world, the teacher catches up with him and offers a choice - to stay here or to return back with him. Fletcher wants to come back. Seeing the living Fletcher, the pack thinks that either Jonathan is the devil, or the Son of the Great Seagull. At this time, Fletcher gains the ability to instantly move.
After some time, Jonathan calls Fletcher and says that he is leaving the pack. And he leaves in his place. After which our hero disappears, wanting to continue to improve. Fletcher becomes the mentor of the next generation of seagulls.
Topic
A completely unusual piece, "A Seagull named Jonathan Livingston." An analysis of it by different people can give completely opposite results. In this many-sided work, one can see different worldview trends: Nietzscheās doctrine of the superman, positivist thinking, Buddhism with its idea of āāreincarnation and the absence of a transcendental god.
One main theme of this work is the search for the meaning of life. This idea is in tune with the throwing of the protagonist of the book "The Seagull named Jonathan Livingston" (quotes confirm this).
In addition to the topic of the search for the meaning of life, other eternal questions are raised in the work: the desire for the sublime and base concerns; the problem of fathers and children; thirst for knowledge and dark ignorance; understanding of philosophical categories such as love and kindness.
Main conflict
The main conflict of the work is based on the confrontation of the talented "eccentric" Jonathan and his pack. The seagulls represented by the Elder are unambiguous and unshakable in their opinion that "it is not possible to comprehend the meaning of life, for it is unattainable", the only thing they can is "to eat and stay alive until there is enough strength." But Jonathan is not ready to accept such rules, he longs for more: "we live to learn ... to be free," and not spend all our time searching for fish heads.
"A Seagull named Jonathan Livingston": reviews
Evaluate the book in very different ways. Some claim that it has a deep philosophical meaning, while others say that it is sectarian. Some leave completely indifferent reviews - read and forgot. There are those whom she motivated to self-development.
One way or another, there are many more positive reviews than negative ones. Mostly noted is the ease of writing and the joyful impression that remains after reading. Someone does not agree with Bachās thoughts, someone, on the contrary, completely shares them. However, according to the majority, this book is worth reading.