The One And Only Ivan

When the novel opens, Ivan thinks of the picture of himself on the mall billboard, where he is billed as “The One and Only Ivan, Mighty Silverback,” as something separate from his true identity—but as the novel continues, Ivan incorporates the strength of this billboard Ivan into his true self. Ivan explains that he can see the mall billboard from a windowed wall of his cage, and it features “an angry animal with fierce eyes and unkempt hair”—an animal that is “supposed to be” Ivan but is not, because the real Ivan is “never angry” (9). As Ivan explains, a silverback is a mature male gorilla who uses his anger and strength to guide and protect his loved ones. Ivan, who has “no one to protect” (10), does not consider himself a true silverback. However, once the young elephant Ruby arrives at the mall, and Ivan comes to care for her and promises Stella he’ll give Ruby a safe, happy life, Ivan finally has someone to watch over. As a result, Ivan realizes that the One and Only Ivan is a part of him, a righteously angry Ivan that is “inside me, hidden” (172)—and that comes out when he gives the “chest beating of a mad gorilla,” a sound “as if the sky has broken open” (207) that forces