"Faithful Elephants"

          In the short story, "Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People and War" by Yukio Tsuchiya there are many symbols. Symbols are in the setting. Symbols are hidden throughout the story. The author does a great job with symbols as in making them meaningful and leaving the reader thinking if a tiny detail means something more. The symbols in the book are The Cherry Blossoms and when Tonky and Wanly daze at the sky.
         "Faithful Elephants" is about there elephants named John, Tonky and Wanly. This is the time of World War II in Japan. Bombs were dropped in Tokyo everyday. Zoo keepers get orders from the military to kill the zoo animals in fear of bombs destroying the animal's cages, and dangerous animals running free. The zoo keepers have a hard time, but they kill John. Then they kill Tonky and Wanly. The zoo keepers are upset and curse the war.
          Towards the middle of the passage it says "They just lay on their sides, hardly able to see the white clouds floating in the sky over the zoo. However, their eyes appeared to be clearer and more beautiful than ever." I think that this sentence signifies that Tonky and Wanly are going to heaven or a better place. Before this sentence the elephants are suffering because they are being starved to death. So this signifies no more suffering, no more sadness, it's all over. Usually when people suffer they want it to be over. I know I would like to be shot rather than suffer for so long. Them looking up at the sky and their eyes being more beautiful than ever means they're done going away no more suffering.
           Another symbol is found in the beginning of the passage and in the end. In the beginning it says "The cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the Ueno Zoo." This sentence means happiness and warmth. The cherry blossoms represents hope. They are in full bloom which represents spring. When flowers blossom it's in the spring and their in new life. The cherry blossom represents something that is new life and joyfulness. Sticking with the cherry blossom another place we see it is in the end of the passage.
           The end of the passage says " He was still patting the tombstone tenderly as the cherry blossoms fell on the grave like snowflakes." This sentence signifies death. When the cherry blossoms fall or an flower falls its because they're dead and they are making room for new flowers. In this case instead of signifying happiness, the cherry blossoms signify sorrow and sadness. The second part of the sentence, "like snowflakes" represents winter. In winter we think about death and resentment.
           All in all, symbols can be found throughout  the story. Two of them are the cherry blossom and a better place. " Faithful Elephants" is an amazingly written story that will make you cry.