Summary Of When The Elephants Dance By Tess Uriza Holthe
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When the Elephants Dance When the Elephants Dance, is a fiction novel based in Manila, Philippines. Tess Uriza Holthe illustrates the struggles of many families sheltered in the same cellar during World War II. In this analysis, I will focus on the main points of the novel, the three different perspectives in which the story was told, and the unique ways the author illustrated the war. The families lived a few miles from Manila when it had just been occupied by the Japanese. The families faced various troubles of the war as the Japanese captured the many civilians of Manila. They tried their best to shelter one another in the cellar so everyone would remain out of harm’s way. Unfortunately, when something was needed someone had to venture out of the cellar in hopes to remain safe. When the person who was sent out did not return, everyone began to worry. The families tried to keep each other in high spirits by sharing stories and folktales. In the cellar, there were many different families but they were all either neighbors or very good friends. The biggest concern the adults of the cellar had were the children. No one wanted to send the…show more content… Holthe included storytelling by many of the characters throughout the book, the book was told in three different perspectives to make it easier for the reader to understand what was taking place, and also included the Tagalog language as many phrases were stated and translated throughout the chapters of the book. With these strategies used by the author, it is very easy to understand what is taking place in the novel. The many different aspects used made the book very interesting. Holthe also gave a very visual picture of what the war was like as she described the many tragedies the people of Manila faced. It was also so breathtaking how fast someone could be captured by the