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Is the world such a pragmatic place?

The editor speaks these words during the rising action of the story, as the editor and narrator are just getting to know each other. With this simple question, the editor upends the narrator’s entire worldview. The narrator’s whole life is governed by logic, order, and practicality. For the narrator, it is an obvious fact that human society is essentially pragmatic, and he takes for granted that everyone thinks so. But that is not so, and the editor is there to show it. It does not change the narrator’s opinion, but the editor’s question challenges the notion that the way the narrator thinks is the way everyone thinks. Her question shows her to be a person who is open to many possibilities and knows that not everything has a purpose.

“I’m finding this a little hard to grasp,” she said softly. “You were carrying on a perfectly normal conversation with me until a couple of minutes ago—at least until the subject of the elephant came up. Then something funny happened. I can’t understand you anymore. Something’s wrong. Is it the elephant? Or are my ears playing tricks on me?”

This quote occurs just before the climax of the story, after the subject of the elephant comes up between the narrator and the editor. This quote is the editor’s longest bit of dialogue and reveals a lot about her. For one, she has perceived something off with the narrator, which indicates she is an astute listener with a strong sense of empathy. She articulates her confusion well and shows she is clearly intelligent. She does not become offended or mock the narrator for his strange behavior, but politely asks what is wrong. Finally, she shows a humility in her willingness to admit she could just be imagining it.

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