Summary Of Gorillas In The Mist

Dian Fossey was one of the most respected primatologists in the world before her assassination in 1985. Fossey was one of three prominent female scholars chosen by Dr. Louis Leaky to conduct a long term study primates. Fossey’s specialization was in gorillas, and in 1983 she published her book Gorillas in the Mist. The book follows Fossey’s personal story and the scientific research she conducted on mountain gorillas, at the Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda. Fossey combines her scientific research, strong personal narrative, and the vivid examples of her interactions with the mountain gorillas to enable the reader to share in the deep love she has for the gorillas. In my paper, I will examine the narrative, stories, and characters that

Because of this Fossey chooses to recount her observations and findings about the gorillas, the gorillas being the main characters of her research, in a story format. Fossey achieves this by the personification process that she often employees when speaking of the gorillas. One example of this is where Fossey states "if I was alone, he (gorilla named Digit) often invited play by flopping over on to his back, waving his stumpy legs in the air, and looking at me smilingly as if to say, 'How can you resist me?' At some times, I fear, my scientific detachment dissolved" (Fossey 182). This process of personification Fossey employs enables the reader to better understand and connect with the gorillas. Fossey uses this connection as her conduit into the reader’s heart in the hope of spreading her love for the gorillas and thus enlisting others into the conservation effort. This allows Fossey to better communicate with the reader the complexity, intelligence, curiosity, and social structure that she is observing in the gorillas. Another example of this personification is where Fossey states “at that moment, I could not think of any place in the world where I would rather be than sitting in the midst of Group 4, as satisfied with the

Overall Fossey’s work is primarily one of non-fiction with elements of fiction mixed in. The non-fictional aspect of the book is composed of Fossey’s scientific research, observations, data, and her personal story. The fictional aspect of the story is composed of Fossey’s personification of the gorillas, which includes her opinions on the gorilla’s thoughts and