Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
"Jonathan Livingston Seagull," authored by Richard Bach, is a philosophical allegory that explores themes of self-enlightenment and individual potential. Set against a backdrop that could be any coastline at any time, the narrative focuses on Jonathan, a seagull who pursues flight as an art rather than merely a means to find food, diverging from the norms of his flock. This pursuit leads to his expulsion from the group, prompting a journey of self-discovery and spiritual awakening. With a blend of Eastern and Western philosophical ideas, the story encourages readers to reflect on the nature of freedom and personal growth.
As Jonathan encounters a community of like-minded gulls in a metaphysical space, he learns about the inner transformation necessary for true mastery. Upon returning to his original flock, he seeks to impart his newfound wisdom, emphasizing that every individual holds within them the potential for greatness. Although initially met with resistance, Jonathan’s teachings resonate, particularly with a young gull named Fletcher. The book, published in the early 1970s, reflects the era's cultural intersection of spirituality and self-discovery, resonating with readers seeking deeper meaning in life. Richard Bach continued to explore similar themes in subsequent works, maintaining a focus on personal enlightenment and the sharing of knowledge.
Subject Terms
Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
First published: 1970
Subjects: Animals, death, and religion
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Allegory
Time of work: Unspecified
Recommended Ages: 15-18
Locale: A shoreline
Principal Characters:
Jonathan Livingston Seagull , a gull who grows to understand and achieve his full potential in flight and in lifeThe Elder , the head of the Flock, who believes that Jonathan is irresponsible and banishes him from the FlockSullivan , Jonathan’s flight instructor and his best friendChiang , the spiritual and philosophical Elder of “heaven’s” flock, who teaches Jonathan to perfect himselfFletcher Lynd Seagull , Jonathan’s student and his successor
Form and Content
As an allegory of self-enlightenment, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is meant to have universal implications. The story resists being located in any particular time or place—it could be happening on any coastline in the world at any moment in history. Because seagulls are the only characters, the moral of the story applies not simply to one race or nationality of people but rather to every creature capable of thought. The allegory is deceptively simple. It is told through a combination of uncomplicated language (reminiscent of folktales) and black-and-white photographs that capture the elegant flight of the gulls. Author Richard Bach also invests the story with an amalgam of Eastern and Western philosophy—ideas broad in scope but simplified for the lay philosopher and common reader. The use of allegory, in which the particulars of the setting are vague, suggests that the themes addressed are both universal and timeless.
As the story opens, while his Flock feeds on a fishing boat, Jonathan is elsewhere over the ocean testing his speed and control in flight. Unlike the other gulls, who use their powers of flight only to obtain the day’s meal, Jonathan views flight as an art form to be studied, tested, and perfected. He spends his time discovering how to access the full potential of his wing movements so that he can do barrel-rolls in mid-flight, so that he can control his turns at higher speeds, and, most important to him, so that he can go faster than any gull ever has before. Despite the admonitions of his parents that he should be more like the other gulls in the Flock, he continues his experiments. One morning, however, Jonathan’s desire for speed sends him thundering through the Breakfast Flock at 214 miles per hour and endangering the other gulls. The Elder, instead of praising Jonathan for breaking the world speed record for seagulls, banishes him from the Flock for what he sees as “reckless irresponsibility.” As an Outcast, Jonathan leaves the Flock and travels the world friendless.
At the end of many years alone, Jonathan is suddenly encountered by two golden gulls who lead him to a place beyond Earth not unlike heaven. In this heaven, the gulls are similar to Jonathan in their desire to craft and perfect the art form of flight. He develops a relationship with the wise Elder Gull, Chiang, who tells him that he will be able to fly fastest only when he has spiritually perfected himself as a seagull. When he finally achieves this enlightenment, however, Jonathan is not satisfied with simply teaching the students of this “heaven” Flock to do the same. Instead, he bids farewell to his friend and former flight instructor, Sullivan, and returns to Earth to teach the gulls of his old Flock what he has learned.
Jonathan is at first reviled by his old Flock, but he soon attracts a few interested students, the first of whom is Fletcher Lynd Seagull. He teaches his new students that freedom can be found only in discovering one’s true nature and that an idea of the Great Gull exists in every gull. When at the end of the story he believes that he has taught all he can, Jonathan returns to his “heaven” Flock, and Fletcher is left to carry on his teachings.
Critical Context
When it was published, Jonathan Livingston Seagull enjoyed more popular success than critical success. Although it was a best-seller and continues to be an emblem of the period in which it was written, academic interest in the book was negligible and remains so.
Regard for the book has waned since its initial success, partially because its themes belong to a particular era of late twentieth century American culture, the height of which was in the early 1970’s. During this period, pop culture attempted to unite Eastern philosophical thinking with Western religion in order to develop a more inclusive or universal sense of the spiritual self. Another important novel of this period of American culture is Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974), in which a man attempts to reconcile two warring sides of his own consciousness. More recently, Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh (1982) and The Te of Piglet (1992) have continued ideas engendered during this period, despite the fact that much of this brand of spiritual thought lost popularity in the 1980’s.
Richard Bach wrote other books on similar topics after Jonathan Livingston Seagull, including Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah (1977) and Running from Safety (1994), which also dealt with issues of obtaining personal wisdom and educating others about it.