Analyse af Polly Clarks novelle 'Elephant'

Having a life that’s boring, unexciting and continues the same way every day, isn’t something that people dream of having. Dreams, as well as having goals and the will to change your life in a direction that’s worth living, are important. William, who is the main character in “Elephant” by Polly Clark is in a quite meaningless period of his life, he needs to do and have the things listed above to move in a more positive direction.

“Elephant” is told by a third person narrator. In the beginning of the story we are as readers introduced to a typical day in the life of William. We are also introduced to his inner thoughts, as he has an off day in terms of writing, which is what he does for a living. He writes small biographies about pop singers, which he isn’t very fond of, and his work is never really taken seriously. – “No one ever described William’s writing as creative or important.” (p. 2. line 11). His mind is empty, uninspired and he thinks that all the girls seem exactly the same, although he has some kind of relationship with them, especially a girl called Christine, who is his favourite. …”More a sensation of something physically on it, a weight, a something, that had – when, he thought about it – the colour of haze over a lake on a cool morning.” (p. 2. line 15). This is the feeling he has inside, which could also be used as a description of his whole life.