The Elephant Vanishes
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Themes
All Themes Alienation, Connection, and Unity Order, Perception, and Imbalance Modernity Humans vs. Animals
Quotes
Characters
All Characters The Narrator The Elephant The Keeper/Noboru Watanabe The Woman at the Party The Mayor The Townspeople
Symbols
All Symbols The Shackle
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The Elephant Vanishes

by

Haruki Murakami

Upgrade to A+
Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Alienation, Connection, and Unity Theme Icon
    Alienation, Connection, and Unity
  • Order, Perception, and Imbalance Theme Icon
    Order, Perception, and Imbalance
  • Modernity Theme Icon
    Modernity
  • Humans vs. Animals Theme Icon
    Humans vs. Animals
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • The Narrator
  • The Elephant
  • The Keeper/Noboru Watanabe
  • The Woman at the Party
  • The Mayor
  • The Townspeople
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • The Shackle Symbol Icon
    The Shackle
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
Download this Chart (PDF)
Download the Teacher Edition
Download this Chart (PDF)
Previous
The Townspeople

The Elephant Vanishes Symbols

Next
The Shackle

The Shackle

Before the elephant vanishes, it is kept in a repurposed school gym that serves as the town’s makeshift elephant house. Whereas zoo animals are typically kept behind a barrier and given a relatively large area…

read analysis of The Shackle

The Shackle Symbol Icon
Previous
The Townspeople
Previous
The Townspeople
Next
The Shackle
Next
The Shackle

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