Gossamer

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child abuse and domestic violence.

Touch serves as a motif representing The Healing Power of Happy Memories. The magical elements of Lowry’s novel revolve around dream-givers’ ability to gather humans’ memories by touching their belongings. Over the course of the novel, Littlest One’s teachers repeatedly stress the importance of handling objects as gently as possible. Her touch is so delicate that it doesn’t wake a dog, and it grants her deeper insights than other dream-givers obtain: “With my very gossamer touch I find [the memories] all together, waiting for a dream, and sometimes things are added in, things I didn’t even know about, or touch” (95). Her gossamer touch is such a significant and distinctive aspect of the protagonist’s identity that it gives the novel its title and becomes her namesake at the end of the text. In addition, Littlest One uses the memories she gathers with her delicate touch to give John happy, hopeful dreams that help him in his healing process.