Faithful Elephants Theme Essay

By Isobel Weiner 813

 

 

   The picture book 'Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and War' by Yukio Tsuchiya is a story about the suffering of the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan at the end of World War II. The story focuses on the tale of three Elephants, John, Tonky, and Wanly, who are sentenced to death by the Japanese Army for fear that bombs will drop and set them loose. The zookeepers murder the Elephants for the safety of the Japanese people, showing how sacrifice for the common good is a central theme of the passage.



   An example of how sacrifice plays an important role in the story can be found in paragraph six. "What would happen if bombs hit the zoo? If the cages were broken and dangerous animals escaped to run wild through the city, it would be terrible!" The zookeepers sacrificed all the lions, tigers, leopards, bears, big snakes, and eventually, the three elephants. By doing this, they protected the people from potential carnage that the bombs could cause.

  A second example of sacrifice being a central theme of the story is  in the seventh paragraph. The author describes how the zookeepers did everything in their power to make John's death quick and painless, which is a true example of love and sacrifice. "John loved potatoes, so the elephant keepers mixed poisoned potatoes with the good ones when it was time to feed him". When that didn't work, the keepers tried to inject poison into his body. That method didn't work either, so eventually they were forced to starve him, even though it clearly pained them to see the elephants die in such a cruel way.

   A final example of how the theme of sacrifice is included in the book is from the quote "The zookeepers wanted so much to keep Tonky and Wanly alive that they thought of sending them to the zoo in Sendai, far north of Tokyo. But what if bombs fell on Sendai? What if the elephants got loose and ran wild there? What would happen then?" Sacrifice means giving up something you love for the benefit of others or for the greater good. This quote shows how much the zookeepers adore Tonky and Wanly, but deep inside they know that killing them is the best option for the Japanese people, so they sacrifice their beloved elephants.

   In conclusion, a main idea of 'Faithful Elephants' is sacrifice, shown through the decision to kill the elephants for the Japanese people, the attempted painless deaths, and the way the zookeepers frantically searched for another option besides murder. Tsuchiya wants the reader to understand how war can affect everyone and make them do things they never imagined themselves doing, like sacrificing something they love.