When the Elephants Dance

“When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.”

Carlito’s maxim about the effects of war on civilians sums up the vulnerability and constant anxieties of those friends and family huddled in the cellar. 

“This one has honor. He not like rest.”

Honor, an individual code of moral integrity, defines heroism here. The Japanese soldiers are impressed by young Alejandro’s refusal to crack under pressure of torture. “Karangalan” is a Tagalog word for honor. 

“I merely give them freedom to be themselves. I encourage them to speak their deepest desires.”

Esmeralda, the central figure in the novel’s first extended story, is reputed to be a witch with great powers. However, she merely listens to the troubles and fears of her neighbors and mixes up harmless potions to help them believe such troubles can be vanquished. Honesty, trust, and communication not magic become the defining elements of the emerging Filipino culture.