Elephant (Animals) by D.H. Lawrence
ELEPHANT (ANIMALS) by D.H. Lawrence: A man and a woman are on a safari in Africa, where they encounter an elephant. The man is fascinated by the elephant's size and strength, while the woman is more interested in its intelligence and emotions. As they observe the elephant, they begin to see it as a symbol of their own desires and fears.
By D.H. Lawrence · First published 1930 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Nature Writing, Symbolism · 2,084 words
First lines
You go down shade to the river, where naked men sit on flat brown rocks, to / watch the ferry, in the sun; / And you cross the ferry with the naked people, go up the tropical lane / Through the palm-trees and past hollow paddy-fields where naked men are / threshing rice / And the monolithic water-buffaloes, like old, muddy stones with hair on / them, are being idle; / And through the shadow of bread-fruit trees, with their dark green, glossy, / fanged leaves / Very handsome, and some pure yellow fanged leaves; / Out into the open, where the path runs on the top of a dyke between paddy-fields: / And there, of course, you meet a huge and mud-grey elephant advancing his / frontal bone, his trunk curled round a log of wood: / So you step down the bank, to make way.
What this Textopian page supports
Elephant (Animals) is listed on Textopian as a short story by D.H. Lawrence, dated 1930 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: D.H. Lawrence
- Date: 1930 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Nature Writing, Symbolism, Travel Literature, Poetry
- Length: 2,084 words
- Structure: 1 section, 21 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Elephant (Animals) by D.H. Lawrence
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Literary Fiction — The work explores complex themes of royalty, identity, and cultural dynamics through rich, descriptive prose.
- Nature Writing — The vivid depiction of elephants and their environment highlights the connection between humans and nature.
- Symbolism — The elephants and the prince serve as symbols of power, submission, and cultural heritage.
- Travel Literature — The narrative captures the essence of a specific cultural and geographical setting, reflecting the author's experiences.
Tags
elephant · animals · nature · wildlife · literature · symbolism · human-animal relationship · environment · conservation · philosophy · emotion · identity