Jonathan Livingston Seagull

“‘Why, Jon, why?’ his mother asked. ‘Why is it so hard to be like the rest of the flock, Jon? Why can’t you leave low flying to the pelicans, the albatross? Why don’t you eat? Son, you’re bone and feathers!’” 

The Flock values conformity to such an extent that even Jonathan’s own mother chastises him for his love of flying, outright asking him to “be like the rest” of the seagulls. Her remark that Jonathan is “bone and feathers” is especially noteworthy. In context, it seems to be a comment about Jonathan’s weight—Jonathan, she implies, has neglected eating to pursue flying—but it’s also a broader statement about the nature of the self. To Jonathan’s mother (and likely the rest of the Flock), seagulls are physical beings made of “bone and feathers.” This is an idea Bach challenges in Parts 2 and 3, suggesting that the self is essentially spiritual and not limited by the physical body.

“It’s all so pointless, he thought, deliberately dropping a hard-won anchovy to a hungry old gull chasing him. I could be spending all this time learning to fly. There’s so much to learn!” 

Unlike the other seagulls, Jonathan is not content with a purely physical existence centered on fighting for small pieces of fish. Although he tries to obey his parents and fit in with the Flock, he’s unable to suppress his urge to fly, which is itself symbolic of his desire to learn and grow beyond his prior limits.