JONATHAN LIVINGSTON

SEAGULL

BY RICHARD BACH

Powerpoint created by Ethan Hendricks

PROTAGONIST

The protagonist in this story is none other then Jonathan Livingston Seagull. He is faced

with the challenge to obtain infinite knowledge

ANTAGONIST

The antagonist of this story isn’t really a single individual character, but a group of many.

The group is the flock of birds that made Jonathan an outcast when he refused to live a simple life of just “getting by”.

FAVORITE CHARACTER

My favorite character is Jonathan. He is my favorite character because he made

me want to live my life better while striving for perfection with what I am passionate about.

LEAST FAVORITE CHARACTER

I didn’t like Jonathan’s parents because they didn’t support him in his quest to perfect his flying.

They told him he was foolish for wasting his time learning new flying skills because birds use flying as a way to get food and to live, not for joy.

They should’ve let him follow his dreams.

PLOT SUMMARYRISING ACTION

Jonathan is a Seagull living on the planet earth, but he is very confused. A seagulls existence consists of eating and sleeping, that’s it. Jonathan is a free thinker who spends his time learning new flying moves and pushing his ability as far as he can.

All the seagulls in his flock make him an outcast. Everyone turns their back on him because he doesn’t blindly follow the crowd.

Jonathan accepts his mutiny and flies off into the distance into the afterlife.

EXPOSITION

When Jonathan gets sent to the next life he is welcomed by other forward thinking seagulls who discovered the joy of flight in the previous life.

He then trains with the elder seagull Chiang who teaches Jonathan how to travel at the speed of thought

Climax

After learning that our bodies are an illusion, Jonathan visits his first lifetime to see if he can teach the naïve seagulls the meaning of life.

He then gets several followers that he teaches for many many years.

Falling Action

Jonathan teaches about love and forgiveness "Do you want to fly so much that you will forgive the

Flock, and learn, and go back to them one day and work to help them know?" Jonathan asks his first student, Fletcher Lynd Seagull, before getting into any further talks. The idea that the stronger can reach more by leaving the weaker friends behind seems totally rejected. Hence, love, deserved respect, and forgiveness all seem to be equally important to the freedom from the pressure to obey the rules just because they are commonly accepted

Themes…

There are several ways this book can be interpreted… Christian themes: Jonathan is like Jesus trying to get

his flock so they can “follow in his teachings”. Transcendence: Jonathan leaves this life and

progresses to the next Passion: My favorite part of this book is how Jonathan

was told by his peers to give up on what he loves to be like everyone else. But he doesn’t, he follows his dreams despite what the nay-sayers say. Do what you love to do no matter what, and follow your dreams. That is what this book is about…dreams.

Setting

The setting takes place at unknown seas and seashores from unknown lifetimes and universes.

The setting is not that vital to the story because the focus is on personal perfection.

Having no real setting adds to the story

Should I read this book?

Yes, read it right now. I really love this book because it changed my life at a point when I was confused. Everyone should read this book. If you are faced with the challenge to either sell out or be yourself, read this book. If you are pissed that your parents are making you go on a mission, read this book. If your father is concerned you became an artist rather then a doctor, read this book. People from all walks of life should read it. 10 out of 10

Social Issues

There are so many issues in this book because it can be interpreted in many ways.

I like how it promotes self perfection and following ones dreams. It translated into how religion is an opiate of the masses, and how people are shunned for going their own way.