Hi Everyone! I am so excited to start the blog and see all of your thoughts about the book Elephant Run. This blog can be used as your tool to discuss your thoughts, feelings, impressions and questions about the book. I am going to start us off with some questions today to get us started, but feel free to add additional information to your blog. Since you don't have a google account, please be sure to sign your name at the end of each post so that everyone knows who made the comment.
After reading section 1, please share your thoughts about the questions below.
1.) The setting of this book, plays an important role in the story. why is the setting significant? Remember that setting, includes location, but also time!
2.) Magwe is becoming an important character to the book. What are your thoughts and impressions about him so far? Be sure to include specific evidence from the story to support your thinking.
3.) Think about Nick's first encounter with Hannibal. What are the effects of this event over the next several chapters?
4.) Mya is not allowed to become a mahout. Do you think there are good reasons for this tradition? Mya is excited to have Nick around on the teak plantation, but having him there backfires on her. How?
I am looking forward to reading your posts. Remember that for this activity to be successful you need to be checking the blogs frequently and commenting about other student's posts. Happy Blogging.
Mrs. Heilmann
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ReplyDeleteJay
ReplyDelete1.)The setting of this book is in the forests of Burma, a place with very hot climate.In 1939-1945(the time of WWII)
Jay
Jay
ReplyDeleteThe setting of the story is signifacant to the book because both Nick and the Japanese are not used to the climate of Burma. I think that if Nick gets captured again by the Japanese and is taken away, that he will not escape so easily as his dad is going to.
Well you are very correct Jay but I also have something to say. I think the setting is important because the author puts and makes everything the way it is for a reason and if the setting wasn't the same the story could completly change.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
4. I think this is an unfair tradition. Girls can do things that guys can do to. Except I think a reason they did that was because that girls are important. While I was reading I noticed there weren't that many women or girls so then they need to keep all of the ones they have.
ReplyDeleteRebeccca
Rebecca, you are right about that. But in the book, they said that girls being mahouts bring bad luck to the village.
DeleteDan
I think the setting is significant because if the author did not include it, the story could change. If we didn't know the book took place in WWII,we could have thought that it took place in a very different time period. I think Jay and Rebbecca are correct because the climate of the area could be a problem. I did some research on Burma because I wanted to know a little more about the country I was reading about. I found out that Burma has hills, rivers, and mountains. I think Burma would be very hard to navigate, and this plays in with the story because the Japanese might not know very much about Burma.
ReplyDeleteSara
2. My impression of Magwe is that he is underestimated, he seems like he has a thirst to prove himself. I don't think that is a bad thing but it sounds like he thinks that he is better than all the other Mahouts. As I was reading I sensed some hostility between Magwe and Mr. Freestone. You can tell Magwe want's to be head Mahout. The reason I think this is because in chapter six he demands to know why Nick and Mya are in the training camp. I think this is because he thinks that he is the boss. In chapter ten Magwe comes out of the forest and for a second I thought he was going to save Mr. Freestone, Indaw, and Mya. Instead of saving them he just sits there on his elephant. In my opinion he betrayed Mr. Freestone because even though they aren't the best of friends he should have at least tried to save Mr. Freestone.
ReplyDeleteSara
3. The effects of Nick's first encounter with Hannibal are that Nick is physically weakened. He is physically weakened because his ribs are broken and he can't move without pain. But even when he hurts he still has a strong mental attitude. A strong mental attitude can help you with your survival. Sometimes he thinks so hard that he forgets the pain. I think his encounter with Hannibal also teaches him to be very careful around elephants. Hannibal is a dangerous elephant but I wonder why he didn't kill Nick when he had the chance. In the book it stated that Hannibal has killed people before. I wonder if Hannibal can tell Nick is Mr. Freestone's son?
ReplyDeleteSara
4. I think that the people will not allow women to be Mahouts because they think that women should not need to ride elephants. I think that the men think that the women are very delicate and the could get hurt by a elephant. So what I'm trying to say is that they are trying to keep the women safe. They also thought that if a women set foot in the training camp the nats would cause mischief.
ReplyDeleteSORRY that last comment was from Sara.
ReplyDelete1. The setting is basically what Jay said. It takes place, so far, in the jungles and forests of Burma. The tempratures are high all year 'round, and the time is the 1900's.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Rebecca if the setting was a lot different the story would totally change. There would be totally differnt problems and animals in the story.
Gerica
Sara I totally agree with you. He thinks he is so much better than everyone else and he doesn't have respect for anyone else either. I hate people like that! The part when he rode in on the elephant made me really upset, because so what is they don't like each other they should still help one another. This reminded me of another book I just read called 'Island of the Blue Dolphins' one of the things that happens in the book is the wild dogs kill the girls brother and she wants to kill the leader. She has the perfect chance at one point when he is lying there helpless and instead of hurting him, she took care of him and he became her pet. Why couldn't Magwe have done that? Why didn't he save them?
ReplyDeleteGerica
Jay
ReplyDelete2.) I think Magwe is a bad person. I don't know why, but I have this feeling every time I read about him that makes me think that he is bad.I am wondering if he was the one who told the Japanese where Nick, Mr. Freestone, Mya, and Indaw were. It's not likely, but it could be possible.
Nick is still a little skittish with elephants because he always goes back to thinking about that encounter he had with Hannibal.Also, I think that he didn't want people to know that he wasn't so good with elephants, because he told both Mya and his father that he fell, and not that he had some trouble with Hannibal.I think that Hannibal will be a big part in the story, because I think that Mr. Freestone will die, and Nick will only have Hannibal's bell, and the knife to remember him by.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Gerica about Magwe not helping them.He could have, and he should have, but he didn't anyways.If he had, this whole story would have been drastically changed.I really think that was a big part in the story.
ReplyDeleteJay
ReplyDeleteI think Mya should be able to be a Mahout because although she is a girl, in Burma, the men eat food from nature. That takes out her having to do the cooking. They wash themselves and their clothes in the river.No cleaning.All that would be left would be taking care of children, and she still has a few years before she needs to be worrying about kids.
ReplyDeleteNick is backfiring on her becoming a Mahout because now the viliage has a bot that can become a Mahout.So why do they need a girl?They don't.Then again, after his encounter with Hannibal, he is pretty much as far away from a Mahout as your going to get.I think that if Nick spends his time in Australia training with Miss Pretty, he may be able to become a Mahout. If not, Mya may actually end becoming a Mahout, especially if they move away from the villiage, because then there will be different traditions.
Jay
ReplyDeleteI think Magwe will end up becoming an enemy of the Freestone's, plus Mya, and Indaw.I don't know how yet, I just know he is a bad person.I just know it...
I believe that the auther chose the time to be in World War II because durring that time small villages in the forest like the one Nick lives in, are in as much danger as the big cities in England.
ReplyDeleteThe auther might have chosen Burma because you can add stuff in to the story that you can't in a big city in England, like elephants for example or mudd huts, stuff that is common to the area.
Edythe
While I was reading I noticed that Bukong is very old and when he asked Mya to marry him I thought he was insane. Mya might be pretty but I think he should leave her alone because he is not good for her. He betrayed his village and went with Japan and he betrayed them because he got hurt.
ReplyDeleteIn the story she doesn't want to marry Bukong because she thinks she can survive on her own and I think she got mad at him for telling her she needed someone to protect her.
rebecca
ReplyDeleteJay, you keep mentioning that you think Magwe is a bad person and will end up being an enemy of the Freestone's. You also mention that you don't know why you think this. The author does a very good job of giving us small examples or hints that lead us to not trust Magwe. Can anyone find some of these "hints" in the first section?
ReplyDeleteMrs. Heilmann
I think that Magwe lead the Japanese to Nick, Mr. Freestone, Mya, and Indaw, because if he hadn't lead the Japanese to them, and he was a good person, he definetely would have helped them.Also,Mr.Freestone talks to Nick about how if people knew about Hannibal, they would say that he "had gone on a rampage and tried to impale you with a broken tusk" Nick immediatly knew his father was talking about Magwe.Not a good sign.Also, Magwe is trying to take over the plantation, so he works hard, so that he won't get kicked off the plantation.Mark my words, Magwe is a bad person, and there are plenty of examples to show it.
ReplyDeleteJay
ReplyDeleteJay
ReplyDeleteMy prediction for the second part of the book is that Mr. Freestone will die. I also think that Indaw is working with Magwe. I think this because he is the one you would least excpect to be bad.When it comes to books, I have learned to excpect the unexcpected.I also think that Magwe will take Nick and Mya from Australia, and pretend that he is good while he tells them about how sad he is about Mr. Freestone's death, when realyy he isn't sad at all.
Another prediction I have would be that Hannibal kills all the Japanese soldiers, but the Colonel finally kills him when he is the last of the Japanese still alive.
ReplyDeleteJay
Jay/Wikipedia-Burma
ReplyDeleteBurma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in Indochina (mainland Southeast Asia). The country is bordered by China on the north-east, Laos on the east, Thailand on the south-east, Bangladesh on the west, India on the north-west and the Bay of Bengal to the south-west with the Andaman Sea defining its southern periphery. One-third of Burma's total perimeter, 1,930 kilometres (1,199 mi), forms an uninterrupted coastline.
The country's culture, heavily influenced by neighbors, is based on Theravada Buddhism intertwined with local elements. Burma's diverse population has played a major role in defining its politics, history and demographics in modern times, and the country continues to struggle to mend its ethnic tensions. The military has dominated government since General Ne Win led a coup in 1962 that toppled the civilian government of U Nu. Burma remains under the tight control of the military-led State Peace and Development Council.
My thoughts and impressions of Magwe are that he is not a very nice person. As Nick states in the book "Magwe is a bully." I agree with both Sara and Gerica, he thinks he is much better than everyone else.
ReplyDeleteAs I said before he is a bully, he's mean to everybody especially Mya and Nick. He's mean to Mya because, she wants to be a Mahout and he doesn't want a girl to be one. Magwe doesn't like Nick because he wants the plantation when Mr. Freestone retires. With Nick there it will probably get passed on to him. I DON'T LIKE MAGWE AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Taylor
Rebecca I'm glad you brought up Bukong and Mya getting married. I personally think Bukong is up to something. Mya is very strong and smart I don't think she would marry Bukong because first of all he is way to old for her, and secondly she doesn't really need a husband. She can take care of herself, plus she has Hilltop. Hilltop might be old but he is very wise. He could offer Mya advise. It seems like all the people in the village respect him. Mya seems like a nice person and Bukong is really mean. In the book Bukong beats Nick several times. It seems like Bukong gets enjoyment out of making Nick suffer. I wonder if someone is ordering Bukong to beat Nick.
ReplyDeleteSara
3. Nick was always aching in pain after the attack. The injuries were efecting what he was doing.And Sara you are totally right, a good mental attitude can help you get through a lot. His mental attitude was strong, because he had something to fight for, his loved ones 'friends and family.Sara I don't neccisarily think Hannibal knows that he is Mr.Freestones son, but maybe Hannibal realized that he felt safe around Nick and thats why he stopped when he did.In the book it stated that Nick screamed in times of pain, but like Sara said when there are other things more important you forget about the pain your in and start to care about other people.
ReplyDeleteGerica
4. I think that there are good reasons and bad reasons for having the tradition of not allowing women to become Mahouts. Some good reasons are that girls are more awwe than more of be on the look-out kind of thing and that the men are just worried about their safety. Another good reason is that, well men need these jobs because they need to take care of their families outside of their homes while the women have to take care of more of the in-house stuff because guys aren't always the greatest at it.
ReplyDeleteBad reasons are things like girls just aren't as good or girls aren't tough enough and those kinds of things are stupid. It is sexist and that is not right.
Mya is excited to be able to show Nick around so she can go and see the plantation, but it backfires on them because Nick and Mya bump into Magwe and he doesn't get along well with Mr. Freestone. Then Magwe scolds them and thank goodness the monk gets there in time otherwise Nick and Mya could have gotten into some trouble.
Gerica
I thought it was very interesting to find out that Magwe and Bukong are brothers. I think the author put this in the story because he wanted to add a interesting twist. They seem like they need each other. In part two Magwe didn't like the Colonel very much because he beats Bukong. I think that Bukong deserved to get beaten after all the bad things he did to Nick.
ReplyDeleteSara
2)I think that Magwe is a complex person. He seemed kind of sinister. He acted like he was up to something the first time Nick met him, when Nick and Mya went to see the elephants.
ReplyDeleteHe is greedy, he is willing to give up Nick's future at Hawks nest for his own good.
After reading section two I found out that he had a bonding relationship with his brother, they really depend on each other. That insight of his personal life, really made me kind of feel like deep down he might be a good person. He hasn't really been fisically mean to Nick. He just let the
Japanese come to Nick's home which kind of
ruined Nick's life.
Edythe
Jay
ReplyDeleteSara, you said that you think Bukong seens to enjoy beating Nick.Well, I think that Bukong beats Nick alot because he is nervous that Nick might marry Mya since they are the sane age, and they are friends.
While I was reading your comment Jay, I was thinking. Do you think Nick and Mya should be together? Why or why not?
ReplyDeleteRebecca
Well thank you, Jay for agreeing with me. I liked the way you used the word drastically it added pazzaz to your thought.
ReplyDeleteGerica
Rebecca's comment.) I don't really know if Nick and Mya should be together, but what I do know is that when they are together it brings adventure to the story. Now that I am writing about the subject I do think that they should be together. It is way more interesting.
ReplyDeleteGerica
I wonder why the Colonel has so many different moods. It might have something to do with the Colonel's son and wife. In part two the Colonel hears that his son is getting better. I thought it was odd that Nick's dad got ill at the same time the Colonel's son got better. There may not be a answer to this question but I want to read about your ideas and thoughts about the subject.
ReplyDeleteSORRY that last comment was from Sara!
ReplyDeleteWell it depends on what happens in your life. If someone hurts your then you might be mad or angry. If somethings good happens and your day is going the way you wanted you would be happy. You wouldn't be grumpy so that's why I think he has so many different moods.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
Sara and Rebecca I agree with both of you Mya doesn't need a husband eccpesially Bukong. Bukong is way to old for her.If it was someone else her age it wouldn't be that bad. I actually think that her and Nick will start to like each other because they are alone together and Nick already kind of likes Mya. They are friends to. I agree with Gerica also it would give the story more adventure. Jay I also agree with you Mya would have a stronger chance of marrying Nick because they are the same age, but Bukong has more power he could force Mya to marry him and there would be nothing Nick could do. In the end I don't think Bukong will end up marrying Mya because he doesn't know where she is. No one knows where she is.
ReplyDeleteI think in the end of the book Nick's mother will come back because his mother isn't that far away anymore I believe that Nick's mother is very worried and she is going to do all that she can. Do you think Nick's mom will come and get him?????
Sara of what you said I think the author added Bukong and Magwe as brothers in the book because maybe at the end they're both going to try and run the plantation together. those are my thoughts.
Taylor
I don't exactly know what will happen in the end but here are some of my theories. I think his mother and father will meet together and they will all live happy. Another is maybe finds his dad and he stays with him on the plantation. It doesn't always have to be happy maybe his father ends up dying and he goes to live with his mother but he will still have memories of him. So as you see there are lots of possibilitys. Sad or happy I like this book a lot.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
I have a question for anyone who wants to answer it. Why do you think the author wanted most of Mya's relatives or the ones she cared about die or be sent away from her?
ReplyDeleteRebecca
I think Mya's relatives died or got sent away because it shows how strong she is. When all her relatives were gone she never cried or complained. I know she is a strong person but to keep a strong mental attitude when all you loved ones are gone is really hard. Hilltop is still her relative but he is old and I think she thinks he will probably die soon. with that thought in her mind you think it would weaken her but it doesn't. Maybe the thought Indaw might still be alive carries her through the tough times.
ReplyDeleteSara
I'm kind of wondering why Bukong is so mean to Nick. When Nick shouts at the Colonel in Japanese, Bukong immediately rushes out beat him horribly, and the first few days Nick is prisoner in Hawk's Nest, Bukong feeds him awful food.
ReplyDeleteRebecca I think that in the story Mya's loved ones died so that she would become stronger as a character. I know that people dying would seem like it would make you weeker but in the perspective of Mya she would be stronger because she wants to fight for them, because she loves them. If I was in her situation I would do everything in my power to succeed for the people that I love.
ReplyDeleteGerica
Sara I agree with you on the mood thing with the Colonel. I also think it has to do with his family and I also think it has to do with his responsibilities and how he handles them. What I am saying is what if one day everything is going great with his son and he is so happy. Then he hears about someone trying to ascape from the camp or something going wrong with the elephants then he is angry again. If it were me I would definetly be stressed out in his position.
ReplyDeleteI kind of thought about it, but what if we didn't have any clue why he was always changing his attitude it kind of sounds funny. Try to picture yourself talking to someone who definetly woke up on the wrong side of the bed. They are so cranky and then all of a sudden they here whats for lunch and they are as happy as can be. The concept just sounds kind of funny to me. Ha ha!
Gerica
I also have a question for anyone who wants to answer it. "If you didn't know any better do tou think this book is fiction or non-fiction?". Please list reasons for your answer.
ReplyDeleteGerica
Taylor that's what scares me is the power that all the other people have, especially Bukong, because then they can force anyone to do anything that they want whenever they want and that can lead to some very dangerous situations. I mean it is different if it is someone who cares about you, like your parents or something because then they will only do what is right for you, because they love you. But if it was someone who did it for their own selfish reasons then that would lead to trouble. The only thing that really scares me though is that if she gets caught she will be held captive and have no choice.
ReplyDeleteGerica
I have started a new blog page for the second section. Please post your comments for that section on the correct page.
ReplyDelete-Mrs. Heilmann
I have a question for everybody why do you think Magwe let Nick, Mya, and Hilltop go??? Do you think somewhere deep down inside him he is a good person???
ReplyDeleteTaylor