Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya

       In the story "Faithful Elephants" by Yukio Tsuchiya, the author tells the story of three elephants, John, Tonky and Wanly, in the Ueno Zoo in Toko, and how they all had to be killed during the war. it was during World War two, and bombs were dropping from the sky "like falling rain". The zoo keepers and elephant trainer were ordered by the army to kill the animals at the zoo. And with reluctance, the killed the three elephants.
       In this story, the repetition of the setting detail was very important to describing the mood of the story. For example, the author repeatedly mentioned the sky and the cherry blossoms. I think that throughout the story the sky describes the mood and the feeling of what is happening in the story.
       In the beginning the author describes the cherry blossoms at the Ueno zoo, "their petals are falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun." I think that this may be symbolizing happiness, spring and beauty. However, at the end of the story he says "the cherry blossoms fell on the grave, like snowflakes," which I think symbolizes a bitter-sweet moment, it's the beauty of the cherry blossoms, but the author also talks about the grave of the dead elephants, reminding readers and the zoo keeper about the elephant's terrible deaths. Also I think the cherry blossoms may represent being alive and dying, because in the beginning of the story the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and full of life. But in the end the petals are falling, the flowers falling apart, or dying. But after the petals of flowers fall, they grow new flowers in the springtime, so it may also symbol rebirth.
       The sky was used as a symbol, as well. Throughout the story the author describes what the sky looks like/ the weather. In the beginning Yukio Tsuchiya describes a beautiful day, "quiet and peaceful here, and the sun warms every corner", showing how the beginning of the story was happy, beautiful and calm. And even in the last few moments of Tonky and Wanly's lives, "They just lay on their sides, hardly able to see the white clouds were floating in the sky." This can be a symbol of beauty and freedom, but it also reminds the readers that the elephants aren't even able to see the sky clearly, and they're still locked up in a cage. After the deaths of Tonky and Wanly, the author mentions "in the bright blue sky, the angry roar of enemy planes returned. Bombs began to drop on Tokyo once more." Which shows that in the end, around the tim of the elephant's deaths the sky was filled with bombs, which symbolize, and are a part of, war and sorrow.
       "Faithful Elephants" was a story about a terrible war, and mainly, the deaths of the animals at the Ueno zoo, and the great sorrow of all the zoo keepers and elephant trainers. It's about death and beauty.