The destruction of their habitats is also a common theme. As humans expand into their lands, elephants are left with less space to live. They may face food shortages and have to struggle to find a new place to call home. This displacement and the resulting struggle for survival are very sad aspects often found in stories about elephants.
Loss is a main theme. Elephants can lose their family members to poaching or natural disasters, like a baby elephant losing its mother. This causes great sadness.
Another theme is captivity. When elephants are taken from the wild and put in zoos or used in circuses, they lose their freedom. They can't roam and behave as they would in the wild, which often leads to a sad existence for them. For instance, elephants in circuses are sometimes trained with cruel methods, and they are restricted in small enclosures when not performing. This is a really sad situation for such large and intelligent animals.
The main idea might be the suffering of the elephant. For example, if it was in a circus, it had to endure harsh training and perform in uncomfortable conditions. This made its life full of pain and sadness. Elephants are intelligent and social animals, so being forced into such a situation goes against their nature. They should be in the wild, living freely with their herds, but instead, they are made to do things they don't want to in the name of human entertainment.
In sad elephant poaching stories, the herds are often disrupted. For example, when the main protector of the herd is killed, the young and vulnerable elephants are left without proper guidance. Also, it can lead to the overall decline of the elephant population in the area, which has a negative impact on the ecosystem. Elephants play important roles in maintaining the balance of their habitats, like creating water holes and spreading seeds. When they are poached, this ecological balance is at risk.
One possible theme could be the charm of elephants. Tim Conway might have focused on their large, yet gentle nature in his stories.
The most significant event in Topsy's sad story is her electrocution. However, leading up to that, she was likely subject to abuse and neglect. She was in captivity at Coney Island, and her living conditions were probably not good at all. These factors all contributed to her tragic end.
The primary character is the sad elephant. Depending on the nature of the story, there might be other supporting characters. If it's a story set in a zoo, the zookeepers could be characters. They might be either trying to help the sad elephant or be the cause of its sadness if they are not taking good care of it.
In a sad elephant poaching story, one consequence is the death of individual elephants. For example, when an elephant is poached for its tusks, it's a direct loss of that beautiful and intelligent life.
The sad elephant story could revolve around an elephant that has been injured, perhaps by a trap set by humans for other animals. The pain from the injury makes it sad. It might also be sad because it can't move freely as it used to. Elephants love to roam around in large areas, and being restricted due to an injury would be a very sad situation for it. Also, it may be sad because it can't participate in the normal activities like playing with other elephants or taking part in the herd's daily routines.
Maybe it's about an elephant being separated from its herd. Elephants are social animals, and separation can cause great sadness.
In 'the elephant man novel', the main themes are appearance vs. reality. His outward appearance is so different from who he really is inside. It also has a theme of suffering. The Elephant Man endures a great deal of physical and emotional pain. And finally, there's the theme of dignity. He tries to maintain his dignity in the face of all the mistreatment and stares. It makes the readers think about how important dignity is for every human being, regardless of their appearance.
Love and loss are common themes. Like in the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, their love was strong but they were ultimately separated by fate. Another theme is hubris. In the story of Icarus, his excessive pride in flying too close to the sun led to his downfall.