Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals Who Helped Him Save Lives in World War II

How is Bandoola different from other elephants? Why is he special? Provide at least two examples of specific incidents where Bandoola’s behavior or personality singles him out.

How are Willie Harding and Williams alike? How are they different? Describe Harding’s character and his importance to Williams’s evolution as an “elephant wallah.”

How are Susan Rowland and Williams alike? How are they different? What about Susan makes her suitable as a wife and companion to Williams? What about her background prepares her for life in the jungle?

Williams emphasizes his ability to see elephants as individuals: describe two specific elephants that display unique personalities, other than Bandoola, and discuss how knowing their particular traits assists Williams in his training of or working with the elephant.

The colonial experience in Burma was quite different than the Burmese one: how do the colonial company men set themselves apart from the Burmese servants and workers? How does the author characterize the white colonists (Harding, Susan, “Uncle Pop,” Williams himself)? How does the author characterize the Burmese and Indian peoples? What’s at stake in the distinction between the two groups?

At various points in the book, events and locations are described as “sacred” or “holy”; the Williams’s honeymoon is described in Edenic terms; and when Williams makes it to safety in India, doves fly overhead. These are just a few examples of religious symbolism. How does the reader interpret all of the religious iconography in the book? From Buddhism to indigenous beliefs to Christianity, how do spiritual beliefs influence the characters and the narrative overall?

How would the reader describe the character of Po Toke? What is Williams’s relationship with him? How does that relationship change over time? Ultimately, how does Williams feel about Po Toke and his alleged actions?

The onset of war appears to bolster the growing movements for independence in the British colonies: what are the factors involved that connect the two? How is loyalty rendered in the face of a changing world order? How do these events and movements impact colonial industries, such as logging, and its workers, both British and indigenous?