Running with the Elephants
Author's Note: I wrote this for my spring DWA telling how and why I lied this story while using reasons why. I also gave you what two of the themes are and wrote about that.Elephant Run by Roland Smith is a marvelous book. He brings in war to the book, not the unreal laser war but cold brutal war. Smith describes what happens and how it looks so well it’s like a movie is playing in my head. Another theme that he really implies is about family. How they are always there for you and love you. Roland does a really good job of implying themes that are things that are happening and happen all around you.
War is a dreadful thing. It puts people through such ghastly things. For various wars there is a very high death toll. World War 2 has the highest death toll says Wikipedia. When I think about that I am so grateful for all the veterans that fought for us in that war. Another awful thing about war is the cost of it. You have to pay for ammunition, guns, transportation and a great deal more. Finally imagine if you were in a war. What would you say or do? Would you fight or be scared? I would fight for my country. In Elephant run the mahouts fight for Burma against the Japanese. They end up losing but finally get help from the American’s later on.
As war plays is big element in the book family does too. Family is such a great thing. It keeps people together. There is always someone for you to lean on… someone that you can trust. In Elephant Run family plays a huge role. For Mya there is someone to lean to and help her through life and for Nick there are his two parents that are divorced but still love him. It would be so terrible to have your parents split up. You would have to keep switching which house you are staying at if they both live close. Also if they ever came in contact they could be mad at each other which would be hard. Finally, if one of your divorced parents fell in love with someone else. I would be so sad. Just imagine you seeing your parents’ divorce then watch one fall in love with someone else.
I am very fond of how he uses war and family as some of his themes. They fit really well in the book and these things happen all around the world.
