When Jonathan Livingston Seagull first came out in the early nineteen-seventies, it was very popular on my college campus. Some English professors required their students to read it, and I remember seeing a lot of copies in the bookstore. As it so happened, I didn’t have an opportunity to read it in undergraduate school. Fortunately, while retrieving some books for a book display recently, I spotted a copy and decided to check it out.
Rather than limiting his time to fishing for food, Jonathan Livingston Seagull decides to pursue his passion for flying. He “pushes the envelope,” and tries to fly higher and faster than any gull in history. Despite warnings from his peers to conform to ordinary gull life, he pursues his dream and is soon ostracized for trying something new. Although he is forced into exile, he is happy and peaceful.
One day, two gulls (Angels?) appear and take him to a higher plane (Heaven?). He meets the Wisest Gull – Chiang – who teaches him how to “astro travel” (move instantly from one place to another in the Universe). He is told he can advance from level to level until he reaches the highest level through the Perfection of Knowledge. Jonathan is already ahead of his peers because of his efforts to fly on Earth. Chiang mentions the Greatest Gull (God?) who resides in the highest levels. Jonathan is given the opportunity to return to Earth to teach other “outcasts,” who were exiled because they did not conform.
The beauty of this book is that it uses the simple life of a gull to teach us several relevant lessons about life. One should be true to himself, and pursue newly discovered abilities and skills. Conformity is not necessarily good since “pressing the envelope” can lead to new discoveries. Everyone should work on Love, and exercise Forgiveness in order to free the spirit. No one should be ostracized for being different. This is true in our own lives as well as in Nature. The book was very relevant for the times (The Vietnam War Era). I felt very happy and peaceful after reading this classic.
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