Elephant Run

How does Nick connect to his Freestone heritage? What does he inherit, and how does it shape his identity?

Both Nick and Mya are alienated in their own ways: Mya because of her gender, and Nick because of his upbringing on many continents. How does their shared alienation bond them, and in what ways does it cause conflict between them?

Hilltop is perhaps the most unique and powerful character in the novel. What does his power symbolize in the novel, and how does it contradict the war raging around him?

Mya is skeptical of Bukong's promises for her to become Queen of Hawk's Nest. How do his promises reflect a larger pattern of colonization, power, and marginalization of native communities?

In what ways do the protagonists of the novel both mentally and physically reject the violence and brutality of war? 

What do elephants symbolize in the novel? What do Mya, Hilltop, and Jackson's relationships to elephants indicate about their characters?

Hilltop says to his old friend Sonji, “The soul does not have a nationality” (287). What does this mean in the context of the novel? How does it relate to themes of colonialism and war?

Kya Lei refuses to be pinned down physically, emotionally, and politically. Why is it meaningful that he won't pick a side? What does it say about the nature of “sides” and the binaries of warfare?