Tafura Taslima 805 10-3-13
         In the story “Faithful Elephants,” by Yukio Tsuchiya the author’s message to us readers is that the death of our loved ones is always a tragedy no matter what species they are. The author uses the setting of the story to manipulate us to have strong emotions with the characters and narrator. The author begins the story with vivid settings that make you feel cheerful but he ends the story at a similar setting but instead makes us, readers feel heart-broken and sorrowful. It’s very interesting how in the same setting in two different parts of the story can make you feel.
         To begin with, the beginning of the story starts with how cherry blossoms are in full bloom. This leads you to think its spring, calm, and totally peaceful. The Yukio states how in the zoo “-petals are falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun”, this relates to how peaceful it is and also makes you feel happy. He also includes that many people are entering the zoo, while others are watching a performance with two elephants. The author describes the audience as lively and the elephants were playing with toy trumpets. Then abruptly the setting is changed to a tombstone behind the crowd where animals are buried at the zoo. An observation of the narrator is that “’it’s quiet and peaceful here, and the sun warms every corner.” This shows how the author is manipulating you to feel calm and relaxed right now.
        In addition, right after Yukio makes you feel calm he throws you into another setting which include war, murder, and bombs. We are suddenly introduced with the conflict which is that years ago the animals in the Ueno had to be killed during the Japan war because if a bomb does fall in the zoo and the cages break the animals don’t create catastrophe. The setting is sort of frightening and puts you on alert. Also, the climax and falling action both take place in the zoo and how their “conflict” is resolved because the elephants are finally dead. The trainer really loved the elephants so when they die we felt his pain while reading the story. Furthermore, as Yukio wraps up the story he refers to the cherry blossoms again the ones he started the story with. While reading this you expect the author to sot of comfort you after the traumatic events but instead he ends the story with “-still patting the tombstone tenderly as the cherry blossoms fell on the grave, like snowflakes.” This leads you to feel depressed because he referred to the once “sparkling” petals to snowflakes. Snowflakes lead you to think of winter a gloomy, depressing, and cod season. The author drastically changes the setting by implying seasons that either makes you feel either cheerful or gloomy.
         As you can see, after reading this story I learned you can emotionally connected with readers by making them feel powerful emotions through settings.