Zoo Symbolism

Novels can do many things to the reader, they can also make them feel countless different ways. Some books make one aware of a problem they did not know about before. Or they can make them aware of the severity of a problem that they did not know was very serious. Novels can also inspire and give readers hope about something they thought was hopeless. At the same time it can ignite a passion in the reader that they did not know existed. Novels like Zoo, this is a book that can do all of those flawlessly. Zoo by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge is a novel that shows the resilience of man through unexpected symbolism, characterization and evidence of realism. Zoo's use of symbolism is brilliant and definitely unexpected. One example of this is the protagonist, Jackson Oz's pet ape Atilla. In literature Apes are used to symbolize immaturity, This symbol is surprisingly easy to miss in a book about animals. A example of Atilla being used as a symbol …show more content…
For instance Oz matures when he starts to get booed off stages because he realizes he is obsessed with H.A.C and says '' I go to Africa. If its another dud, I pack up my End-Is-Nigh sandwich boards, hand in my Harlem Globetrotter ID card, and get a job where I have to wear pants '' (Patterson and Ledwidge 41). Oz also matures after buying Natalie's present because he learns that it is important to put time and effort into his relationship. This once again shows resilience because Oz comes around after his and Natalie's fight to strengthen their relationship. Natalie Matures after the fight as well because she learns that it is ethical to forgive people. This is when she goes back to the apartment to feed Attila even though she is still angry at Oz, and resilience because she overcame her anger to help improve their relationship. In Zoo the characters definitely mature in a realistic and relatable way, These authors show their talent in this area as