Gossamer (novel)

Infobox Book |
name = Gossamer


image_caption =
author = By Lois Lowry
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Fantasy novel
publisher = Walter Loraine Books
release_date = 2006
media_type = Print (Hardcover)
pages = 140 pp (Hardcover)
isbn = ISBN 978-0-618-68550-9
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Gossamer" (2006) is fantasy novel for young adults by Lois Lowry.

Plot summary

The book's protagonist, Littlest One, affectionately called Littlest, is out on a dark night. As she and her mentor, Fastidious, stealthily sneak into a woman and her dog's home, they lightly touch objects, collecting "fragments" of memories. She wonders whether she is a dog, and later whether she is a human being.

At their home, 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.

It is revealed that Littlest is part of a small subcolony of dream-givers. Through touching, they gather fragments such as colors, words, sounds, and scents. They then combine the fragments to become dreams, and give the dreams to humans, and sometimes pets. The giving of dreams is called the "bestowal". The woman and her dog, Toby, take a walk in daylight. She is lonely, but reflects that her life is to change.

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"; that is, not to touch too deeply, on the grounds that a dream-giver who picks up menacing fragments of the memory's "underside" becomes a "Sinisteed"; one who inflicts nightmares. Thin Elderly gladly discovers that Littlest has the "gossamer touch"; the ability to gather and bestow with great subtlety.

Littlest had not bestowed before, therefore Thin Elderly demonstrates and guides her through a bestowal.

The woman, in the morning, was to take an eight-year-old boy into her household. She describes him as "angry," as told by the social workers. He would arrive on Friday, and his name would be John.

While Littlest ponders of the wonderful fragments derived from plates would make, a young dream-giver named Strapping is also thinking about dishes. His home, assigned as a punishment, is a dilapidated and messy place. As he bestowed on a lonely woman a dream made of fragments derived from plates, she cried out, "John!" mournfully.

When John arrives at the woman's house on Friday, he displays the anger described as his by behaving contemptuously of his surroundings, including Toby and the woman who is now John's caretaker. 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.

John is furious that he has no electronic game systems with which to play. He threatens to run away, but the woman dissuades him. He constantly scowls and complains, which the woman seems to find slightly amusing.

That night, Littlest and Thin Elderly hear a Sinisteed breathe itself through the walls of the house. It inflicts a nightmare into the boy, John. He cries out in his sleep, whereupon the woman calms him by reminding him of a happy moment of his past. Thereafter, Littlest and Thin Elderly gather comforting fragments to reverse his weakening by the nightmare.

In the day, Strapping's assignment 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.

Meanwhile, John is doing the lady's housework and taking Toby out for walks. He attempts to frighten her, but fails when she does not believe his threats.

Littlest, at 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.

Strapping's assignment works at a school. She reflects on how bad she had been toward her son, John, and her husband, Duane. She has hope now of making friends, which she has not been allowed 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. He had previously been dull and drab, and he had no interest in dream-giving; therefore Dowager, another dream-giver, had assigned him to the woman as a punishment. 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 scowls at Toby, who was stealing his breakfast. He tells a story to the 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. When the mother protested, she was beaten The woman realizes that John is telling a story about himself, half-purposely explaining his own harsh behavior.

At night, Littlest and Thin Elderly discover that a Horde of Sinisteeds intend to inflict nightmares on John and his caretaker, thus weakening the integrity of both. 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.

Thereafter, John's mother, now a more trustworthy person overall, becomes her son's trustee and confidante. John himself enters school, leaving his treasured pink seashell with his mother. He has lost his former anger, and now views his caretaker much as he would a grandmother.

Littlest is commended 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 cherish, but is told that dream-givers are not permitted to generate human emotions, being that they are not human. It is revealed that the dream-givers are, in fact, natives of the imagination. A new Littlest One appears, where upon the former Littlest One is given the name "Gossamer".

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. Ever since he was little, he had been abused by his father. His mother did not agree with it, but could not stand up for him because she would get beat or screamed at too. He is eight years old. He is resentful at first, but softens towards the end of the book.

John's Mother: John's mother is not explicitly named in the book. She had led a hard life with John and her husband, Duane. 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.

Toby's Owner: Toby's owner is not named in the book. She is an old woman, being about sixty or seventy years old. She used to be a schoolteacher, but retired a while ago. She lives a happy life with her dog, Toby, and is sweet in every way. She had a sweetheart who died in a war that may be the First or Second World War.

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 offence. 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. Although he has a faltering memory, he is wise in many ways.

Strapping: Strapping is a young dream-giver from a different Heap than Gossamer's. 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. She was introduced as Littlest's mentor, but gave the task thereof to Thin Elderly. She is hinted to be quite old.

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 Theater 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.

External links

* [http://www.loislowry.com/ Lowry's website]
* [http://www.loislowry.com/books.html Complete list of books] by Lowry