Chapter 27 'Twenty-Five': Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

⚠️ This summary and analysis contains plot details from Chapter 27 of The Elephant Girl. If you haven't read this chapter yet, you may want to do so first.

Summary

The chapter opens with Jama in a state of profound shock. The world around her blurs into a swirl of sky, river, people, elephants, and blood. She squeezes her eyes shut, unable to face the horror of what has just happened. Time passes without her awareness until she feels a warm palm wiping tears from her face. It is Busara Kandenge, sitting crumpled beside her, speaking in a way that sounds like gibberish punctuated by the name Aluna.

Busara rises to her knees, unties her shuka, and lays it over Momma's body—a gesture of respect and care. Suddenly the crowd backs away as Shaba, the elephant, moves slightly closer. Shaba lifts her head high and throws it down dramatically. Panic grips Busara, who scrambles to her feet and screams at Jama to get up or be trampled. Jama's legs are like jelly, so Busara offers both hands and helps her stand.

As Jama struggles to her feet, the roar of an engine approaches. A Kenya Wildlife Service Land Rover rumbles to a halt. Two men stand through the open roof—the same two who had been with Solo Mungu when he addressed the village the previous day. The driver asks what's happening. The second man is bald and wears a green bandana; both wear bright yellow vests.

Someone from the crowd shouts angrily, demanding that the elephant be shot because it has killed a person. Busara rushes to the Land Rover, reporting that Aluna is dead and that an elephant is stampeding, though she doesn't know why. She pats her chest as if to soothe the pain inside.

The man with the bandana assesses Shaba and declares her clearly out of control. He grips his tranquilizer gun. The driver hesitates, suggesting they give the elephant a chance to calm down, but the bandana man insists her posture is too aggressive and calls the shot. He fires, and within seconds Shaba crashes to the ground with an earthshaking thud. Jama winces and retreats into Busara's arms. She looks up to see that Lulu has run away, but Mbegu has stayed right by her mother's body, quaking in fear.

The driver claims the elephant is tranquilized, but Jama thinks it sounded like a bullet, not a dart. The men jump out, pull out a stretcher, and approach Momma's body. Jama hollers, kicking and screaming against Busara's arms, but the men gently lift Momma onto the stretcher and place it in the back of the Land Rover. The man with the bandana then walks over to Shaba, who lies as still as Momma had been, but he confirms she is only tranquilized and will get back up. Unlike Momma.

Key Events

Busara wipes Jama's tears and covers Momma's body with her shuka.
Shaba moves closer, causing panic; Busara pulls Jama to safety.
A Kenya Wildlife Service Land Rover arrives with two men from the previous day.
The crowd demands the elephant be shot; Busara reports Aluna's death and the stampede.
The bandana-wearing man decides Shaba is too aggressive and fires a tranquilizer gun.
Shaba crashes to the ground; Lulu flees, but Mbegu stays by her mother.
The driver insists it was a tranquilizer, but Jama suspects a bullet.
The men load Momma's body onto a stretcher and into the Land Rover.
The bandana man checks Shaba, confirming she is only tranquilized and will recover.

Character Development

Jama is overwhelmed by trauma. Her inability to move, her blurred perception, and her desperate cries show a child shattered by loss. She is entirely dependent on Busara for physical and emotional support, highlighting her vulnerability and the sudden rupture of her world.

Busara Kandenge emerges as a protector. Despite her own grief over Aluna's death, she takes charge—wiping Jama's tears, covering Momma's body, pulling Jama from danger, and holding her back as the men take Momma away. Her actions reveal strength and compassion in the face of tragedy.

The Kenya Wildlife Service men are portrayed as pragmatic but hasty. The bandana man makes a quick judgment to shoot Shaba, overriding the driver's caution. Their focus on removing Momma's body and checking Shaba shows a clinical approach to a deeply emotional situation.

Shaba is a tragic figure—a mother elephant whose aggressive posture leads to her being shot. Her collapse and stillness contrast with Mbegu's loyalty, emphasizing the bond between mother and child even in crisis.

Mbegu stays by her mother's side, trembling, a powerful image of devotion and fear.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Grief and Loss dominate the chapter. Busara's shuka over Momma's body is a symbolic act of respect and mourning, while Jama's screams and tears express raw, unprocessed grief.

Human-Wildlife Conflict is central. The crowd's demand to shoot Shaba and the rangers' decision to tranquilize her illustrate the tension between human safety and animal life. The chapter questions whether violence is ever justified.

Mother-Child Bond appears in multiple forms: Jama's loss of Momma, Shaba's protective (though misinterpreted) behavior, and Mbegu's refusal to leave her mother. This motif underscores the universality of maternal love.

Trauma and Shock are depicted through Jama's sensory distortion and physical paralysis. Her inability to process events mirrors the psychological impact of sudden violence.

Mortality is starkly present—Aluna's death, Momma's body, and Shaba's collapse all confront the reader with death's finality.

Violence vs. Mercy is explored through the tranquilizer gun. The rangers claim mercy, but Jama suspects a bullet, blurring the line between humane intervention and lethal force.

Respect for the Dead is shown through Busara's covering of Momma's body and the men's careful handling of the stretcher, suggesting that even in conflict, dignity matters.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point in the novel. It marks the death of Jama's mother, a devastating loss that will shape her journey. The arrival of the Kenya Wildlife Service introduces institutional conflict, while the shooting of Shaba—whether tranquilizer or bullet—raises moral questions about how humans treat wildlife. The image of Mbegu staying by her mother's side foreshadows themes of loyalty and survival. The chapter also deepens Jama's trauma, setting the stage for her emotional and physical struggles ahead.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Busara cover Momma's body with her shuka, and what does this action reveal about her character?

Busara covers Momma's body as a gesture of respect and care, ensuring the dead are treated with dignity even in chaos. This action reveals her compassion and strength—she is grieving Aluna's death yet still finds the presence of mind to honor another's loss. It shows her as a protector and a person who values humanity in the midst of tragedy.

2. How does Jama's perception of the tranquilizer gun differ from the driver's claim, and what does this suggest about the reliability of official narratives?

Jama hears a loud crack and thinks it sounds like a bullet, not a tranquilizer dart. The driver insists it was a tranquilizer, but Jama's suspicion suggests that official accounts may not always match reality. This discrepancy highlights the theme of violence vs. mercy and questions whether the rangers are truly acting in the elephants' best interest or simply using force to control the situation.

3. What does Mbegu's decision to stay by Shaba's body symbolize in the context of the chapter?

Mbegu's refusal to flee from her mother's side symbolizes the powerful bond between mother and child, a theme that echoes Jama's own loss. It also represents loyalty and courage in the face of danger. While Lulu runs away, Mbegu's presence underscores the emotional depth of elephants and serves as a mirror to Jama's own clinging to her mother's memory.