The Magician's Elephant

At the beginning of the novel, the fortuneteller tells Peter that “the truth is forever changing (7), and Thomas the beggar sings that “things are not what they seem” (8). What do you think they mean? How do things that appear true at the beginning of the novel change by the end? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Dreams play a large role in the novel. Why do you think DiCamillo has so many characters experience dreams? Why are dreams important? Pick three different characters who experience dreams and discuss how their dream affects their actions or reflects their beliefs.

Keeping hope and faith that one can achieve the impossible is one of the novel’s central themes. Consider Peter, Adele, and the elephant. Explain how they maintain their hope and overcome doubt and despair.

Peter faces many challenges over the course of the novel as he strives to find Adele and send the elephant home. Discuss ways in which Peter changes from the person he is at the start of the novel to who he is at the end. Support your answer.

In the countess Quintet’s ballroom, the elephant repeats her name to herself. Why does she do this? Relatedly, Sister Marie has faith that all living creatures are named. Why are names important in the novel?

“What if?” is a question Leo Matienne frequently asks. What does this question reveal about Leo Matienne’s personality and his beliefs? What does Gloria think of Leo’s questioning nature, and what does it reveal about her attitude toward life? Which character do you think has the right approach to life, and why?

Why does Hans Ickman tell Madam LaVaughn and the magician that “time is too short. You must speak words that matter” (49)? What does he mean? How do Madam LaVaughn and the magician communicate at the start of the novel? How does their interaction change at the novel’s end, and in what ways does this change affect them?

DiCamillo uses many symbolic elements in the novel, such as light and darkness, doors, and snow. Select two of these symbols and discuss how they support important themes in the novel. Use evidence from the text to support your answer.