“I think I’ve always been an artist.”
Though Ivan represses most of his memories, Ivan realizes that he always had an artist’s eye, even as a child. He recalls drawing on his mother’s back with damp mud when he lived with his family in the wild, drawing inspiration from his environment. This quote is significant because shows Ivan accessing a small portion of his memory for the first time.
"I was born in a place humans call central Africa, in a dense rainforest so beautiful, no crayons could ever do it justice."
In this passage, Ivan finally moves past his repression and recounts his memories of his early life. This passage is significant because Ivan must access his memories in order to reclaim his identity as a proud silverback gorilla. Though his memory involves painful images of his dead family, it also contains beautiful images of his vivid natural environment.
"I'm not going to hurt her, I just want to get her attention."
Mack's desperation to make his circus profitable again leads him to threaten stubborn Ruby with a sharp claw stick. This passage is significant because it betrays how Mack fools himself into thinking he isn't mistreating his animals. His desperation compounds his self-delusion, and ultimately leads to the closure of his circus.
"Bye, Ivan. Say hello to your new family."
When Ivan moves to his new home in the zoo, Julia pays him a visit. While she and Ivan formed a bond through Ivan's glass domain, and acted as surrogate family members to each other, in this quotation we see Julia recognizing that Ivan is now where he belongs, living among other gorillas.
"There's a difference," Stella says gently, "between 'can't remember' and 'won't remember.'"
In this passage, Stella corrects Ivan's claim that gorillas have terrible memories. Stella, who remembers everything, suggests that Ivan is repressing his memories. This passage is significant because Stella knows that her own memories are painful, and she can see how Ivan would want to avoid remembering his own traumatic past. Ultimately, Stella's correction turns out to be correct, and Ivan finds that he can remember.
"But many days I forget what I am supposed to be. Am I a human? Am I a gorilla? Humans have so many words, more than they truly need. Still, they have no name for what I am."
After reflecting on how he was raised in captivity, Ivan comments on his loss of identity. Not treated as fully human or fully gorilla, he finds himself lost between identities. His life has been derailed and deformed by human greed and mistreatment, and he suggests that humans don't have a word for what they've created. This passage is significant because it captures how Ivan comes to terms with the injustices of his confinement.
"No, Ruby," I say. "This is your prison."
After Ruby says she doesn't want to go to a zoo, and that she considers the mall her home, Ivan corrects her, saying this is her prison. This passage is significant because it marks the first time Ivan comes to terms with his domain being a prison: while he previously considered the mall his home too, Ivan is beginning to understand the conditions of his confinement.
"The lady comes again. She brings an animal doctor with an awful smell and a dangerous-looking bag."
After protesters bring increased public scrutiny to the mall circus, animal welfare officials arrive to assess what the animals will need in order to be re-homed. However, Ivan doesn't know who these strangers are; he simply detects that change is underway, and he is afraid of what those changes will mean. This passage is significant because it shows how Ivan's limited understanding of human behavior leads to stress. He detects that the animal doctor carries tranquilizers, and perceives them as a vague threat; Ivan is unaware that tranquilizers will be necessary to transport the animals in a way that doesn't traumatize them.
"How about you take one of me with the elephant?" Mack suggests. He drapes his arm around Ruby's back, grinning as the camera clicks.
In this passage, Mack is happy to have his photo taken by a newspaper photographer. Mack believes the media attention will bring more customers, but what he doesn't realize is that media attention will also bring animal rights protesters. Mack's willingness to pose for the photo is ironic: his greed will precipitate the downfall of his circus.
That animal is supposed to be me, but the artist made a mistake. I am never angry.
Early in the novel, Ivan comments on how the freeway billboard advertising the circus depicts Ivan as an angry gorilla, despite the fact that Ivan is never angry. The passage is significant because Ivan doesn't realize how he should, by nature, be angry, but his spirit has been broken by nearly thirty years of confinement. Later in the book, he will learn how to access his natural anger and regain his identity as a silverback.
