Faithful Elephant Figurative Language

FAITHFUL ELEPHANTS by Yukio Tsuchiya Reading Response

“Faithful Elephants” by Yukio Tsuchiya is the story of Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo during World War Two, at a time where the city was constantly bombarded. In fear of bombs hitting the zoo and freeing animals through the city, the Army orders the zoo to kill all its dangerous animals, including its elephants: John, Tonky, and Wanly. In the passage, the author uses figurative language to describe the elephants’ life, death, and pain. He further explains the sadness of the zoo’s staff and their hope to save the elephants. At first, the zoo keepers try to poison John. “John loved potatoes”. So the zoo keeper adds poison in John’s food. But John is “clever” and avoids the potatoes. As a result, the zoo keeper decides …show more content…
Yukio Tsuchiya describes them as “sweet and gentle hearted”. He adds that they are “like the trainer’s own children”. In the text, the author uses figurative language to illustrate the difficulty and pain that their trainer has in killing them. The author further describes how the elephants still perform their tricks in the hope of being fed. “Give us something to eat. Please, give us water!” beg the elephants. The use of descriptive language and personification of the elephants and their emotions in this passage makes the reader feel even sadder. The trainer eventually feeds Tonky and Wanly. The entire staff of the zoo witnesses it and does nothing to prevent it. “Everyone was hoping and praying that if the elephants could survive only one more day, the war might be over and the elephants would be saved”. In this part of the story, the author shows the emotional link that everybody has with the elephants. This affected the elephants’ lives because although they were fed, that just made them suffer more because they were given hope but in the end, their death was just