The One and Only Family

Discuss the relationship between Ivan and Maya. Is this relationship positive, negative, or both? What do Ivan and Maya suggest about the relationship between captive and captor?

Compare and contrast Ivan’s relationship with Kinyani to his relationships with Bob and Ruby. How are the relationships the same and different? What does each relationship offer Ivan, and how does the interplay of these relationships affect how Ivan views himself and the other characters? How would Ivan be different without each of these characters?

What messages about humans does Applegate deliver throughout the book? Do humans have a positive, negative, or mixed effect on the world and its other inhabitants?

How does Raji’s understanding of her world show differences between her and Ivan? What causes Raji to accept vets and limited living space in ways that Ivan still struggles with at the end of the book, and what does her acceptance suggest about the future of both humans and animals, as well as the relationship between the two?

How does Ivan change when he decides to stop hiding from his past and accept what happened to him? How is the documentary different for Ivan versus the humans watching the film? How does the documentary exemplify The Unfairness of Power Dynamics for both animals and humans?

Ivan changes his stance on his past, his self, and his situation as a result of the confrontation between the younger male gorilla and the humans. What does this incident force Ivan to confront that he has never dealt with before, and how does it compel Ivan to see things differently? How have the other changes in Ivan’s life, such as becoming a parent, brought him to this moment? What messages about leadership and relationships does Applegate send by ending the story with this situation?

Throughout the book, Ivan grapples with feeling like his time among humans has fundamentally changed his gorilla nature. Based on Ivan’s thoughts and actions, does this seem to be true? If Ivan’s nature has changed, how is he different from how he would have been without human interference? If he hasn’t changed, what characteristics have allowed him to maintain what he feels is his true self?

In Chapter 11, Ivan posits that he can’t learn to be a gorilla without gorilla role models to show him how. Explore this idea through how Tuma and Raji grow. How much do the twins learn from their gorilla parents versus the humans? How would the twins be different if they were raised purely by gorillas or humans?