1. Short Story Group Assignment
“The Elephant” by: Slawomir Mrozek

2. When you have a choice between what is easy but may be wrong and the hard way that will be right, what do you choose?

3. Plot Summary - Erin Braun
The zoo director doesn’t care about his animals, only money
Employees are excited when they discover the zoo is adopting an elephant
Keeper purchases an inflatable elephant instead of a real one and writes to the officials, “‘Desirous of reducing our costs, I suggest that the elephant… should be replaced by one of our own procurement’” (Mrozek 103).
2 zookeepers blow up the elephant by their own oxygen but get exhausted after a little bit and they discover a gas pipe and think, “Could they not fill the elephant with gas?” (Mrozek 105).

4. Plot Summary - Erin Braun
Students come to visit the elephant the day of the “elephant’s” debut
Elephant blows away with the wind due to the gas filling the “animal”
Kids take the artificial elephant very harshly and “ It is reported that they drink liquor and break windows. And they no longer believe in elephants” (Mrozek 106).

5. 2. Three Literary Devices-Andjela
Symbol : A thing that represents or stands for something else.
Kids rebelling at the end symbolizes the reaction of not getting what they were promised
Situational irony : when the opposite of what is intended to happen, happens.
The zoo director intended to use the fake elephant as a easy way to success
Ended up making him less successful
Customers lost hope and interest after finding out the elephant is fake

6. Hamartia : A character flaw, especially one that leads to character downfall.
Selfishness lead to downfall
He did not care what he had to do to be successful
Turned back on him at the end

7. 3. Characters & Their Conflicts-Meaghan
Character Review:
The director of zoological gardens was played as a very selfish and self absorbed character.
“He regarded his animals simply as stepping stones on the road of his own career”(Mrozek 103).
The employees of the zoo were sluggish and lazy characters.
Person vs Society/Self:
The director versus self: His selfish motives.
The corporation versus society: Scammed customers with a fake elephant balloon.
“He was indifferent to the educational importance of his establishment”(Mrozek 103).

8. 4. Theme-Jordan Learn from your mistakes
Taking the easy way out will come back to bite you later
The values you're raised with are the values you live with and continue to use
You get what you put into it
When people are let down their actions reflect on it

9. 5. Other Important Information-All
“The school children who had witnessed the scene at the zoo soon started neglecting their studies and turned into hooligans. It is reported that they drink liquor and break windows. And they no longer believe in elephants” (Mrozek 106).
Question: If this paragraph were to be excluded what attribute of the story would be lost? (i.e. moral of the story, how we connect to it, learning opportunity)