The Magician's Elephant

The power of hope and its ability to inspire people to overcome challenges is a powerful theme in the novel. Throughout the story, DiCamillo shows that characters who sustain hope and have faith in their beliefs have the power to effect change: to do the seemingly impossible. These are characters willing to act on their dreams, their trust, and their optimism. Those who do not embrace possibility remain fixed in resigned acceptance, or even despair. DiCamillo illustrates that those who ask, seek, and knock on doors of opportunity are rewarded with what they desire most: social and familial belonging.

Leo Matienne’s questions, “What if? Why not? Could it be?” (36), reveal him as the shining example of one who believes in the impossible. Leo wonders about “questions that had no answers” (34), showing that he is both philosophical and creative. Because of his open heart and open mind, Leo is ever hopeful. He thinks it is still possible that he and Gloria will have a family, even though Gloria has been unable to conceive. Leo has faith that, as the fortuneteller decreed, what seems to be the truth in one’s life can change.