Table of Contents
Who this is for: readers of “The One and Only Ivan,” students studying the novel, and anyone curious about fictional locations in literature.
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Exit 8 Big Top Mall: A Fictional Location from “The One and Only Ivan”
Exit 8 Big Top Mall is a fictional shopping center that serves as the primary setting in Katherine Applegate’s award-winning novel “The One and Only Ivan.” This mall isn’t a real place you can visit, but rather a carefully crafted literary location that plays a crucial role in the story.
The Mall’s Role in the Story
In the novel, Exit 8 Big Top Mall houses a circus-themed attraction where Ivan the gorilla lives in captivity. The mall represents a commercial space where entertainment and shopping intersect, creating a backdrop that highlights themes of captivity, freedom, and human-animal relationships.
Physical Description and Layout
Applegate describes the mall as a typical suburban shopping center with:
- A video arcade that attracts families and children
- Various retail stores and shops
- The Big Top circus area where Ivan and other animals perform
- Food courts and common areas where visitors gather
The mall’s design reflects the kind of entertainment complexes that were popular in American suburbs, combining shopping with family-friendly attractions.
Literary Significance
The choice of a mall as the setting isn’t accidental. Malls represent consumer culture and the commercialization of entertainment, which directly relates to the novel’s critique of keeping wild animals in captivity for profit. The “Exit 8” name suggests both a highway exit and a metaphorical exit from Ivan’s confined life.
Inspiration Behind the Location
While Exit 8 Big Top Mall is fictional, Applegate drew inspiration from real situations involving animals in commercial settings. The story was partly inspired by the true story of Ivan, a gorilla who lived at a shopping mall in Washington state for many years.
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TL;DR
Exit 8 Big Top Mall is a fictional shopping center from Katherine Applegate’s novel “The One and Only Ivan,” serving as the setting where the gorilla Ivan lives in captivity.
