"Elephants' Next Act" Time Magazine Article-- Summary and Analysis

The Time Magazine Article Elephants' Next Act by Zachary Humenik could bring positive or negative feelings towards the audience. This article shares that elephants will no longer be a part of The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

For those who are "concerned about the negative effect captivity has on these highly intelligent animals", the removal of elephants from the act will be an answer to this potential problem. According to this article, the public opinion about elephants being part of the act has changed. Now many people "aren't comfortable" with the idea. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has definitely responded to the public, and their elephants will find a new, safe home at The Elephant Conservation Center in Florida.

For people who aren't concerned with the elephants' safety while traveling with the circus, this change may bring negative feelings. It's definitely a major shift. After all, "the elephant has been a symbol of the Ringling Bros. circus act since it began 145 years ago". Clearly elephants have had a generous role in the production of the circus if they have been with it for almost a century and a half, and they are the symbol. One of the first things several people would think about involved with a circus is elephants.

Although this is a huge change, it won't happen overnight. There's still thirteen elephants performing with The Ringling Bros. and they will do so until 2018. I give these circuses credit for doing what they think the public would want. Also, they are keeping animal safety in mind. Hopefully the show will be as successful without them.

Time Magazine Article-- A Sense of the Past-- Summary and Analysis

In the TFK article A Sense of the Past, TFK interviews the author of the book Listen, Slowly. The author, Thanhha Lai, describes the book and its characters as well as how it relates to her own life. To sum it up, the novel is about a Vietnamese girl--Mia-- who lives in America and could care less about her culture. During break, her parents send her to Vietnam to visit her grandmother and connect with where she came from. The rest of the story determines if Mia will end up having an interest in her heritage or resist learning about it.

Lai describes Mia as "sarcastic, but she’s basically an obedient child". The sarcasm will be an interesting trait. It may add some entertainment to the book. However, when Mia is in Vietnam, the language barrier might become an issue for Mia. Lai says, "Mia can’t be sarcastic in Vietnam because she doesn’t have the language to do it". This new environment could show a contrast in Mia's behavior. Think of how you would act being surrounded by people speaking a different language. Definitely different. The uncertainty of words can definitely be a obstacle. This makes the book even more intriguing, seeing how Mia will adjust to the new situation.

Also in the interview, Lai spoke about how the novel relates to her own life. She mentioned, "The grandmother character in the novel is very much my own mother.  I am the age of Mia’s parents so I understand them". The fact that Lai has a real connection with the characters may add authenticity to the book. Lai understands how they would react. This may make the events seem more real. Plus, Lai might be more passionate writing about something she is familiar with. This could make the book more exiting to read. It gives the novel more emotion. Lai's connection with the characters could really enhance the novel.

After reading this article, it is very evident how much work and thought was put into this novel. With an interesting and unique plot and an author who connects well to the characters and the situations, it seems like an excellent read.