The story 'Faithful Elephants', by Yukio Tsuchiya, chronicles the story of three elephants in a zoo in Japan during WWII. The problem arises when the elephants must be put down to prevent them escaping into the city in the event of a bombing. The zookeepers decide to starve the elephants to death, but the elephants, devoted as the title suggests, remain hopeful that their caretakers will feed them and perform to the very end. In the end, the city rebuilds after the war and is home to three new elephants. The story was controversial at its time of publication for its explicit anti-war message, but it is rich in subtext as well. It tells a potent story of hardship and hope. 'Faithful Elephants' shows that even if one loses hope during times of hardship, things do get better and hope will return.
This theme is prevalent in the settings of the story. 'Faithful Elephants' has only one setting, Ueno zoo, but takes place in two different time periods, during WWII and post WWII. During the war, 'bombs dropped like rain' on Tokyo. The zoo is closed off and isolated, a death trap. Directly in the text, it says that '[the elephants] were doomed to be killed at the Ueno Zoo'. It's not just the zoo, though, it's all of Japan; the zookeepers thought of sending the elephants to a different zoo, but realized that their problems would occur no matter the setting. This shows the inescapable nature of war, and, on a larger scale, tragedy in general. But after the war, the zoo is an entirely different place. Cherry blossoms are blooming, a symbol of new beginnings, crowds are enjoying the pleasant weather, and the new elephants are performing tricks once again. It seems like a different universe, almost. The world remakes itself after the war like scar tissue knits over a wound and eventually fades. In this way the story shows the transitory nature of struggle, and conveys a powerful message of hope.
Another way the theme is displayed is through the actions of the zookeepers. The story of the zoo in wartime is told to the narrator in the words of a present day zookeeper, and by analyzing his word choice one can read into his character. He describes Tonky and Wanly, two of the zoo's past elephants, as "gazing at people with gentle eyes", and being "sweet and gentle-hearted". This shows that he had a great deal of affection for the elephants, and helps to put them in the reader's good graces. At one point, he tells of an elephant handler breaking under the burden of starving the elephants to death and throws food and water at their feet. He clings to their legs and begs them to eat their food and drink their water. This symbolizes the reluctance with which people let go of hope. Overall, the zookeepers serve as a medium through which the readers can view themselves in this situation. They are relatable characters because they lack discerning characteristics and instead define themselves through their actions. Since these actions are wrought with symbolism for the human condition, the reader cannot help but see themself performing them in the zookeeper's place.
The most obvious way the theme is conveyed is through the elephants, Tonky, Wanly and John. Throughout the story, they show a tenacity to live and a sense of hope so faithful that the reader can't help but love them. They are also rather obvious symbols of hope. The zookeepers fight as hard as they can, given the circumstances, to keep the elephants alive. 'Everyone was hoping that if the elephants could survive only one more day, the war might be over and the elephants would be saved.' In this excerpt from the text, it shows that the elephants are giving the zookeepers a reason to hope, against the odds, for an end to the war. When the elephants finally die, still reaching their trunks out for food in a display of their undying faith, bombs immediately begin to drop on Tokyo once more. This is a blatant reference to how when hope, the elephants, die, the situation seems even more catastrophic. But, going back to the story's idyllic beginning, the zookeeper tells the narrator that now there are three new elephants: new hope. And, in the surge of daily life, the visitors to the zoo hardly notice the memorial to the animals that were lost in the war. This shows that no matter how dire things may seem, life goes on and hope renews.
It's strange how effective the subject of war is for telling stories about hope and humanity. Yukio Tsuchiya does a wonderful job of contrasting protagonist and antagonist, the zoo and the war, the past and the present. By pointing out the differences between these so, he conveys a strong message that nothing can last forever; not hope, certainly, but not tragedy either. The last line of the story gives the image of cherry blossoms falling on the elephants tombstone, like snowflakes. If one has ever been around cherry trees around springtime, they'll know that the pink flowers only last for about four days before they're swept away by the wind. These blossoms, too, do not last forever, but when they fall it will be to make way for summertime. In this way Tonky and Wanly's death made way for change, and in this way life goes on.
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