The narrator of this story tells the readers about an elephant that has mysteriously vanished from its home, along with its keeper. The readers never understand why the narrator is so in to knowing about the elephant or why he keeps a scrap book with all of the articles about the elephant. Towards the end of the story, the narrator meets a girl and decides to tell her about the elephant. He doesn’t give her truthful answers in the beginning and he wonders if she notices. Once she does, he comes out and tells the truth about everything that happened.
‘I wouldn’t call it a ‘problem,’ exactly. It’s not that big of a deal. I’m not hiding anything. I’m just not sure I can talk about it very well, so I’m trying not to say anything at all. But you’re right–it’s very strange.’ (462)
This passage to be is misleading because he says that it’s not a big deal, but if it wasn’t, why would he be telling lies to get himself out of talking about it? I feel like the narrator had a hard time telling this story to the girl because it seems very personal to him. He grew affection towards the elephant and its keeper while they were still there. He would see them in a way that no one else would, he was let into a part of their lives that people aren’t. He noticed something wrong the day before the elephant and its keeper vanished, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to be the main suspect. He wanted to stay out of it, which only made him more of it.