Gossamer (novel)
Encyclopedia
Gossamer is a novel with elements of both fantasy and realism for young adults by Lois Lowry
.
, Fastidious, stealthily sneak into a woman and her dog
's home and collect memories.
At their home, the Heap, Fastidious complains about her curious student to Most Ancient. Thin Elderly and Fastidious decide that Thin Elderly will become Littlest's mentor, while Fastidious is assigned to a modern house.
Littlest is part of a small sub-colony of dream-givers. Through touching, they gather fragments such as color
s, word
s, sound
s, and scents. They then combine the fragments to become dreams, and give the dream
s to humans, and sometimes pets. The giving of dreams is called the bestowal.
The next night
, Thin Elderly and Littlest go back to the woman's house. On the way, Thin Elderly explains to be gentle in the touching, and not to delve, on the grounds that a dream-giver who picks up menacing fragments of the memory's "underside" becomes a Sinisteed. These are transformed dream-givers who inflicts nightmares. Thin Elderly gladly discovers that Littlest has the "gossamer touch"; the ability to gather and bestow with great subtlety.
The woman reveals that she is to take an 8-year-old boy named John into her household and must learn to deal with the troubles in his life.
A young dream-giver named Strapping is introduced. His home, assigned as a punishment, is a dilapidated and messy apartment. As he bestows a dream on a lonely woman and cries out her son's name. She is John's mother.
When John arrives at the woman's home, he displays his anger
by acting contempt
uous of his surrounding. The caretaker, for her part, displays only kindness
.
At the dream-givers' Heap, Most Ancient reports that the Sinisteeds are gathering, intent on a particular victim.
That night
, Littlest and Thin Elderly experience a Sinisteed at work. It inflicts John with a nightmare. He cries out in his sleep, whereupon the woman calms him by reminding him of a happy moment of his past. Littlest and Thin Elderly then gather comforting fragments to help strengthen him after the nightmare.
During the day, Strapping's assignment, the young woman, speaks on a telephone
, asking to have a receptionist's job and salary. She tells the listener to tell her son that he will be back home soon; that she loved him; and that she dreamed of him last night.
Littlest, that night, decides she must touch the dog, seeking to derive fragments from him. Thin Elderly protests, as they are advised not to touch living creatures, but allows her to do so. Littlest notices how tender John was to a pink
seashell, to Toby, and to a chrysalis he had found, in which is growing a butterfly
. She gathers fragments from Toby, and bestows them as part of a dream.
The young woman (Strapping's assignment) begins working in a school
. She reflects on how bad her old life was for her son, John, because of her abusive husband, Duane. She has hope
now of making friends, which Duane had not allowed her to do.
Thin Elderly is proud of Littlest's bestowal, because John is happy in his dreams. Littlest explains that the fragments she collected had a bit of a story in each one, which she put together in her mind
.
Strapping is satisfied with his work. Strapping discovers he has a liking and a hope for the woman. Accordingly he gives her dreams of hope, and of a future with her son.
John tells a story to the old woman about a young boy who ate dog food, having been ordered to do so by his father, who had seen the boy run naked through the house and urinate on the floor. The father had accused the son of behaving like a dog, and so given him dog food for all his meals. The woman realizes that John is telling a story about himself, explaining his past abuse and his own harsh behavior
.
That night, Littlest and Thin Elderly discover that a Horde of Sinisteeds intend to inflict nightmares on John and his caretaker. The two dream-givers respond by bestowing strengthening dreams. They are nearly killed in the stampede of the Horde, but are able to counteract the nightmares and strengthen the humans. This is the story's climax.
John enters school, and has become a much happier child. Littlest's dreams and the old woman's care have helped him begin to heal.
Littlest is commendeded for her work. She learns that she is to be reassigned; a possibility
not hitherto considered. She wishes to remain assigned to John, whom she has come to love and cherish, but is told that dream-givers are not permitted to generate human emotion
s. Littlest One's experience with the boy have helped her grow more mature, and as a result she is given the name
Gossamer
and given a new dream-giver, New Littlest One, to train.
John: John is the young boy that Littlest and Thin Elderly receive as their assignment. He and his mother were both verbally, and physically abused by John's father, Duane. John is eight years old.
John's Mother: John's mother is not explicitly named in the book. She was an intelligent woman, but was forbidden to participate in social and intellectual events by Duane. After her divorce
, she becomes a secretary at John's school.
Thin Elderly: Thin Elderly is the dream-giver that is Littlest/Gossamer's instructor. He is quite experienced, and patiently answers Littlest's questions without taking offense. He takes care in his dream-giving, and is quite happy with it.
Most Ancient: Most Ancient is the eldest dream-giver of Gossamer's Heap. He is wise in many ways, and advises the dream-givers in many aspects of life.
Strapping: Strapping is a young dream-giver from a different Heap. He was careless in his dream-giving; however, after he was assigned to John's mother as punishment, he becomes more affectionate and caring.
Fastidious: Fastidious is another dream-giver of the Heap. She is extremely irritable and impatient; hence her name Fastidious. She was introduced as Littlest's mentor, but gave the task thereof to Thin Elderly an older dream-giver.
of Milwaukee are collaborating to create a stage adaptation of the book. The collaboration includes a co-commission of Lois Lowry to adapt her book by the same name for the stage, play development and associated educational programming. The play be workshopped at First Stage in April, 2007.
Adventure stage Chicago is also putting on an adaptation from November 7 - December 17, 2008 http://www.adventurestage.org/pages/gossamer/142.php
crime/dark comedy film Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen.
Lois Lowry
Lois Lowry is an American author of children's literature. She began her career as a photographer and a freelance journalist during the early 1970s...
.
Plot summary
The book's omniscient point of view, Littlest One, affectionately called Littlest, is out on a dark night. As she and her mentorMentor
In Greek mythology, Mentor was the son of Alcimus or Anchialus. In his old age Mentor was a friend of Odysseus who placed Mentor and Odysseus' foster-brother Eumaeus in charge of his son Telemachus, and of Odysseus' palace, when Odysseus left for the Trojan War.When Athena visited Telemachus she...
, Fastidious, stealthily sneak into a woman and her dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
's home and collect memories.
At their home, the Heap, Fastidious complains about her curious student to Most Ancient. Thin Elderly and Fastidious decide that Thin Elderly will become Littlest's mentor, while Fastidious is assigned to a modern house.
Littlest is part of a small sub-colony of dream-givers. Through touching, they gather fragments such as color
Color
Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories called red, green, blue and others. Color derives from the spectrum of light interacting in the eye with the spectral sensitivities of the light receptors...
s, word
Word
In language, a word is the smallest free form that may be uttered in isolation with semantic or pragmatic content . This contrasts with a morpheme, which is the smallest unit of meaning but will not necessarily stand on its own...
s, sound
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
s, and scents. They then combine the fragments to become dreams, and give the dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s to humans, and sometimes pets. The giving of dreams is called the bestowal.
The next night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
, Thin Elderly and Littlest go back to the woman's house. On the way, Thin Elderly explains to be gentle in the touching, and not to delve, on the grounds that a dream-giver who picks up menacing fragments of the memory's "underside" becomes a Sinisteed. These are transformed dream-givers who inflicts nightmares. Thin Elderly gladly discovers that Littlest has the "gossamer touch"; the ability to gather and bestow with great subtlety.
The woman reveals that she is to take an 8-year-old boy named John into her household and must learn to deal with the troubles in his life.
A young dream-giver named Strapping is introduced. His home, assigned as a punishment, is a dilapidated and messy apartment. As he bestows a dream on a lonely woman and cries out her son's name. She is John's mother.
When John arrives at the woman's home, he displays his anger
Anger
Anger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
by acting contempt
Contempt
Contempt is an intensely negative emotion regarding a person or group of people as inferior, base, or worthless—it is similar to scorn. It is also used when people are being sarcastic. Contempt is also defined as the state of being despised or dishonored; disgrace, and an open disrespect or willful...
uous of his surrounding. The caretaker, for her part, displays only kindness
Kindness
Kindness is the act or the state of being kind, being marked by good and charitable behaviour, pleasant disposition, and concern for others. It is known as a virtue, and recognized as a value in many cultures and religions ....
.
At the dream-givers' Heap, Most Ancient reports that the Sinisteeds are gathering, intent on a particular victim.
That night
Night
Night or nighttime is the period of time when the sun is below the horizon. This occurs after dusk. The opposite of night is day...
, Littlest and Thin Elderly experience a Sinisteed at work. It inflicts John with a nightmare. He cries out in his sleep, whereupon the woman calms him by reminding him of a happy moment of his past. Littlest and Thin Elderly then gather comforting fragments to help strengthen him after the nightmare.
During the day, Strapping's assignment, the young woman, speaks on a telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
, asking to have a receptionist's job and salary. She tells the listener to tell her son that he will be back home soon; that she loved him; and that she dreamed of him last night.
Littlest, that night, decides she must touch the dog, seeking to derive fragments from him. Thin Elderly protests, as they are advised not to touch living creatures, but allows her to do so. Littlest notices how tender John was to a pink
Pink
Pink is a mixture of red and white. Commonly used for Valentine's Day and Easter, pink is sometimes referred to as "the color of love." The use of the word for the color known today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century....
seashell, to Toby, and to a chrysalis he had found, in which is growing a butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
. She gathers fragments from Toby, and bestows them as part of a dream.
The young woman (Strapping's assignment) begins working in a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
. She reflects on how bad her old life was for her son, John, because of her abusive husband, Duane. She has hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
now of making friends, which Duane had not allowed her to do.
Thin Elderly is proud of Littlest's bestowal, because John is happy in his dreams. Littlest explains that the fragments she collected had a bit of a story in each one, which she put together in her mind
Mind
The concept of mind is understood in many different ways by many different traditions, ranging from panpsychism and animism to traditional and organized religious views, as well as secular and materialist philosophies. Most agree that minds are constituted by conscious experience and intelligent...
.
Strapping is satisfied with his work. Strapping discovers he has a liking and a hope for the woman. Accordingly he gives her dreams of hope, and of a future with her son.
John tells a story to the old woman about a young boy who ate dog food, having been ordered to do so by his father, who had seen the boy run naked through the house and urinate on the floor. The father had accused the son of behaving like a dog, and so given him dog food for all his meals. The woman realizes that John is telling a story about himself, explaining his past abuse and his own harsh behavior
Behavior
Behavior or behaviour refers to the actions and mannerisms made by organisms, systems, or artificial entities in conjunction with its environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the physical environment...
.
That night, Littlest and Thin Elderly discover that a Horde of Sinisteeds intend to inflict nightmares on John and his caretaker. The two dream-givers respond by bestowing strengthening dreams. They are nearly killed in the stampede of the Horde, but are able to counteract the nightmares and strengthen the humans. This is the story's climax.
John enters school, and has become a much happier child. Littlest's dreams and the old woman's care have helped him begin to heal.
Littlest is commendeded for her work. She learns that she is to be reassigned; a possibility
Possibility
Possibility is the condition or fact of being possible. The Latin origins of the word hint at ability. Possibility also refers to something that "could happen", that is not precluded by the facts, but usually not probable...
not hitherto considered. She wishes to remain assigned to John, whom she has come to love and cherish, but is told that dream-givers are not permitted to generate human emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s. Littlest One's experience with the boy have helped her grow more mature, and as a result she is given the name
Name
A name is a word or term used for identification. Names can identify a class or category of things, or a single thing, either uniquely, or within a given context. A personal name identifies a specific unique and identifiable individual person, and may or may not include a middle name...
Gossamer
Gossamer
Gossamer commonly refers to:* Gossamer , very fine spider silk used for ballooning or kiting by various species of spiders* Gossamer , very light, sheer, gauze-like fabricGossamer may also refer to:- Technology :...
and given a new dream-giver, New Littlest One, to train.
Characters
Littlest/Gossamer: Littlest is the name of the young dream-giver at the beginning of the book. She is quite carefree, and is curious about everything. She gains the name Gossamer for her gossamer touch.John: John is the young boy that Littlest and Thin Elderly receive as their assignment. He and his mother were both verbally, and physically abused by John's father, Duane. John is eight years old.
John's Mother: John's mother is not explicitly named in the book. She was an intelligent woman, but was forbidden to participate in social and intellectual events by Duane. After her divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
, she becomes a secretary at John's school.
Thin Elderly: Thin Elderly is the dream-giver that is Littlest/Gossamer's instructor. He is quite experienced, and patiently answers Littlest's questions without taking offense. He takes care in his dream-giving, and is quite happy with it.
Most Ancient: Most Ancient is the eldest dream-giver of Gossamer's Heap. He is wise in many ways, and advises the dream-givers in many aspects of life.
Strapping: Strapping is a young dream-giver from a different Heap. He was careless in his dream-giving; however, after he was assigned to John's mother as punishment, he becomes more affectionate and caring.
Fastidious: Fastidious is another dream-giver of the Heap. She is extremely irritable and impatient; hence her name Fastidious. She was introduced as Littlest's mentor, but gave the task thereof to Thin Elderly an older dream-giver.
Publication details
- 2006, USA, Walter Lorriane Books (ISBN 978-0-618-68550-9), pub date ? ? 2006, hardback (First edition)
Stage Adaptation
Oregon Children's Theater of Portland and First Stage Children's TheaterFirst Stage Children's Theater
The First Stage Children's Theater is a professional American children's theater based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin founded in 1987. Its season consists of six mainstage plays and a touring production....
of Milwaukee are collaborating to create a stage adaptation of the book. The collaboration includes a co-commission of Lois Lowry to adapt her book by the same name for the stage, play development and associated educational programming. The play be workshopped at First Stage in April, 2007.
Adventure stage Chicago is also putting on an adaptation from November 7 - December 17, 2008 http://www.adventurestage.org/pages/gossamer/142.php
Pop Culture
The Books and a fictional movie based on it was the arch of the story of the 2005 Kiss Kiss Bang BangKiss Kiss Bang Bang
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a 2005 crime/dark comedy film, which engages many conventions of the classic film noir genre in a tongue-in-cheek fashion. It is based, in part, on the novel Bodies Are Where You Find Them by Brett Halliday. The cast includes Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan...
crime/dark comedy film Starring Robert Downey, Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan and Corbin Bernsen.