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    Leaving Time

    by

    Picoult, Jodi

    “Leaving Time” by Jodi Picoult is a gripping novel that intertwines mystery, grief, and the bond between humans and elephants. The story follows Jenna Metcalf, a 13-year-old girl searching for her mother, Alice, a renowned elephant researcher who disappeared a decade earlier under mysterious circumstances. With the help of a skeptical psychic and a disgraced detective, Jenna uncovers buried secrets about her mother’s work and the tragic events at an elephant sanctuary. The novel explores themes of memory, loss, and maternal love, while weaving in fascinating insights into elephant behavior and emotions. Picoult blends emotional depth with suspense, culminating in a surprising twist that redefines the narrative.

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    Leaving Time

    Chapter 38: Alice

    by

    Picoult, Jodi

    The chap­ter opens with Alice reflect­ing on the dis­ap­pear­ance of her daugh­ter Jen­na, whose body was nev­er found despite Alice hav­ing wit­nessed her lying in an enclo­sure. Unable to con­tact the police with­out reveal­ing her own where­abouts, Alice obses­sive­ly mon­i­tors news from afar while grap­pling with over­whelm­ing grief. She describes seek­ing ther­a­py under a false iden­ti­ty, ques­tion­ing whether her per­sis­tent hal­lu­ci­na­tions of Jenna’s cries are nor­mal. The therapist’s ambigu­ous response—“It is nor­mal for you”—prompts Alice to end the ses­sions, under­scor­ing her real­iza­tion that life will nev­er return to nor­mal­cy after such a loss.

    Alice then shifts to recount­ing her ear­li­er trau­ma: the death of her moth­er to can­cer and her sub­se­quent dis­cov­ery of a dying ele­phant calf in the bush. These events marked the begin­ning of her immer­sion in ele­phant behav­ior, par­tic­u­lar­ly their griev­ing process­es. She con­trasts ele­phants’ prag­mat­ic accep­tance of death with her own spi­ral­ing guilt over unre­solved con­flicts with her moth­er. This per­son­al anguish leads her to study ele­phant grief aca­d­e­m­i­cal­ly, though her true moti­va­tion is to learn how to cope with loss from these ani­mals, who nav­i­gate it with appar­ent ease.

    The nar­ra­tive tran­si­tions to Alice’s work in South Africa dur­ing a surge in poach­ing, where she estab­lish­es an ele­phant orphan­age mod­eled after Dame Daphne Sheldrick’s facil­i­ty. She details the metic­u­lous care required for orphaned calves, includ­ing round-the-clock human com­pan­ion­ship, spe­cial­ized nutri­tion, and grad­ual inte­gra­tion into wild herds. Alice empha­sizes the emo­tion­al intel­li­gence of ele­phants, not­ing their need for con­sis­tent affec­tion and their capac­i­ty to remem­ber both kind­ness and dis­ci­pline. The facility’s suc­cess is evi­dent when for­mer­ly res­cued ele­phants return for help, demon­strat­ing selec­tive trust in humans despite past trau­ma.

    Con­clud­ing the chap­ter, Alice reflects on the par­al­lels between rais­ing orphaned ele­phants and par­ent­ing her own child. The locals dub her “Ms. Ali,” a name that even­tu­al­ly labels the orphan­age itself. Her mission—to pre­pare ele­phants for independence—mirrors the uni­ver­sal parental goal of rais­ing chil­dren to thrive with­out them. Yet, the chap­ter ends on a poignant note: when sep­a­ra­tion hap­pens pre­ma­ture­ly, as with Jen­na, the nat­ur­al order frac­tures, leav­ing Alice adrift in unre­solved sor­row.

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    FAQs

    • 1. How does Alice’s personal grief shape her approach to elephant conservation?

      Answer:
      Alice’s profound personal losses—first her mother’s death and later her daughter Jenna’s disappearance—directly influence her compassionate approach to elephant conservation. After her mother’s passing, she observes how elephants handle grief more gracefully than humans, which inspires her to study elephant mourning behaviors. When establishing her rescue center, she applies these lessons by creating surrogate family structures for orphaned calves, emphasizing constant care and emotional support. The text reveals that Alice sees parallels between human and elephant grief, stating “we raise our own children to live without us,” highlighting how her personal trauma informs her mission to prevent premature loss in elephants.

      2. What are the key components of Alice’s elephant orphanage program, and why are they effective?

      Answer:
      Alice’s orphanage program has three core components: 24⁄7 human caregivers who rotate to prevent overattachment, gradual socialization with older elephants, and eventual reintegration into wild herds. The system works because it mimics natural elephant family structures—calves receive consistent affection (including nighttime companionship) but learn to bond with multiple caregivers to avoid devastating separation anxiety. The text notes that elephants “remember everything,” so caregivers balance discipline with reassurance. The phased approach (from nursery to wild herds) allows orphans to develop under the guidance of adoptive matriarchs, mirroring how elephant societies naturally mentor young members. Successful reintegration proves the program’s effectiveness, as seen when former orphans return for help but maintain selective trust in humans.

      3. Analyze the symbolic connection between Alice’s pseudonym “Hannah” and her emotional state.

      Answer:
      The choice of “Hannah”—a palindrome that “means the same thing even if you turn it inside out”—symbolizes Alice’s fractured identity and suspended grief. Like the name, she appears functionally intact to her therapist (discussing generic “car accident” trauma) but is internally shattered by Jenna’s loss. The palindrome reflects her static existence: outwardly moving forward while psychologically trapped in cyclical pain (“hearing her crying in the night”). This mirrors her later work with elephants—outwardly focused on their healing while avoiding her own unresolved trauma. The name also hints at her duality as both a grieving mother (“Alice”) and a rescuer (“Ms. Ali”), identities that remain constant yet inverted depending on context.

      4. How does the chapter contrast human and elephant responses to grief?

      Answer:
      The chapter contrasts humans’ self-destructive guilt (“spiraling thoughts… sinking me into quicksand”) with elephants’ pragmatic mourning. While Alice agonizes over unresolved conflicts with her mother (missed holidays, unspoken admiration), elephants accept death “matter-of-factly” without dwelling on hypotheticals. However, elephants demonstrate profound communal care—orphans instinctively seek surrogate families, and wild herds later assist rehabilitated individuals. This suggests elephants channel grief into social bonding, whereas Alice initially isolates herself (“all alone in the world”). The parallel between orphaned elephants and Alice’s loss of Jenna (“they leave us too soon”) underscores that both species experience deep attachment, but elephants’ social structures provide clearer pathways through grief.

      5. Why does Alice’s observation about poachers targeting young elephants deepen the chapter’s themes?

      Answer:
      The poachers’ strategy—killing calves to destabilize herds—mirrors Alice’s trauma of losing a child, reinforcing the chapter’s exploration of unnatural loss. This tactic exploits elephants’ familial bonds, just as Alice’s life is upended by severed connections (Jenna’s disappearance, her mother’s death). The detail that calves drink their dying mothers’ urine to survive parallels Alice’s desperate attempts to preserve remnants of her past (journaling, therapy). By highlighting how poachers weaponize grief, the text underscores that both elephants and Alice are victims of violence that fractures families prematurely. This observation also foreshadows Alice’s redemption through rescuing orphans—saving calves becomes her way to counteract the “nothing makes sense” void left by Jenna’s absence.

    Quotes

    • 1. “I worried that by the time I reached the end of the book, the canyon between who I used to be and who I was now would be so broad that I wouldn’t be able to see the far side.”

      This poignant reflection captures Alice’s profound grief and transformation after losing her child. It illustrates how trauma can create an irreconcilable divide between one’s past and present selves.

      2. “He said, It is normal for you, and that’s when I stopped seeing him. What he should have said is: Nothing will ever be normal again.”

      This powerful rejection of therapeutic platitudes reveals Alice’s raw emotional truth about child loss. The quote underscores how profound grief defies conventional notions of “normal” recovery.

      3. “Almost by accident, I began to study the grief of elephants. I told myself all sorts of excuses about why this was of visceral academic importance. But really, all I wanted to do was learn from the animals, which made it look so easy.”

      This insight reveals Alice’s personal motivation behind her scientific work - her attempt to understand and emulate elephants’ seemingly graceful approach to grief and loss.

      4. “Elephants remember everything, though, so it is important to always provide a little extra warmth later, lest the elephant think that it has been punished not for being naughty but because it is unlovable.”

      This observation about elephant psychology doubles as a profound metaphor for human relationships, highlighting how lasting emotional impressions are formed through care and correction.

      5. “After all, we raise our own children to live without us, one day. It’s when they leave us too soon that nothing makes sense.”

      This concluding statement powerfully connects Alice’s work with elephants to her personal tragedy, articulating the unnatural pain of losing a child versus the natural process of letting children grow independent.

    Quotes

    1. “I worried that by the time I reached the end of the book, the canyon between who I used to be and who I was now would be so broad that I wouldn’t be able to see the far side.”

    This poignant reflection captures Alice’s profound grief and transformation after losing her child. It illustrates how trauma can create an irreconcilable divide between one’s past and present selves.

    2. “He said, It is normal for you, and that’s when I stopped seeing him. What he should have said is: Nothing will ever be normal again.”

    This powerful rejection of therapeutic platitudes reveals Alice’s raw emotional truth about child loss. The quote underscores how profound grief defies conventional notions of “normal” recovery.

    3. “Almost by accident, I began to study the grief of elephants. I told myself all sorts of excuses about why this was of visceral academic importance. But really, all I wanted to do was learn from the animals, which made it look so easy.”

    This insight reveals Alice’s personal motivation behind her scientific work - her attempt to understand and emulate elephants’ seemingly graceful approach to grief and loss.

    4. “Elephants remember everything, though, so it is important to always provide a little extra warmth later, lest the elephant think that it has been punished not for being naughty but because it is unlovable.”

    This observation about elephant psychology doubles as a profound metaphor for human relationships, highlighting how lasting emotional impressions are formed through care and correction.

    5. “After all, we raise our own children to live without us, one day. It’s when they leave us too soon that nothing makes sense.”

    This concluding statement powerfully connects Alice’s work with elephants to her personal tragedy, articulating the unnatural pain of losing a child versus the natural process of letting children grow independent.

    FAQs

    1. How does Alice’s personal grief shape her approach to elephant conservation?

    Answer:
    Alice’s profound personal losses—first her mother’s death and later her daughter Jenna’s disappearance—directly influence her compassionate approach to elephant conservation. After her mother’s passing, she observes how elephants handle grief more gracefully than humans, which inspires her to study elephant mourning behaviors. When establishing her rescue center, she applies these lessons by creating surrogate family structures for orphaned calves, emphasizing constant care and emotional support. The text reveals that Alice sees parallels between human and elephant grief, stating “we raise our own children to live without us,” highlighting how her personal trauma informs her mission to prevent premature loss in elephants.

    2. What are the key components of Alice’s elephant orphanage program, and why are they effective?

    Answer:
    Alice’s orphanage program has three core components: 24⁄7 human caregivers who rotate to prevent overattachment, gradual socialization with older elephants, and eventual reintegration into wild herds. The system works because it mimics natural elephant family structures—calves receive consistent affection (including nighttime companionship) but learn to bond with multiple caregivers to avoid devastating separation anxiety. The text notes that elephants “remember everything,” so caregivers balance discipline with reassurance. The phased approach (from nursery to wild herds) allows orphans to develop under the guidance of adoptive matriarchs, mirroring how elephant societies naturally mentor young members. Successful reintegration proves the program’s effectiveness, as seen when former orphans return for help but maintain selective trust in humans.

    3. Analyze the symbolic connection between Alice’s pseudonym “Hannah” and her emotional state.

    Answer:
    The choice of “Hannah”—a palindrome that “means the same thing even if you turn it inside out”—symbolizes Alice’s fractured identity and suspended grief. Like the name, she appears functionally intact to her therapist (discussing generic “car accident” trauma) but is internally shattered by Jenna’s loss. The palindrome reflects her static existence: outwardly moving forward while psychologically trapped in cyclical pain (“hearing her crying in the night”). This mirrors her later work with elephants—outwardly focused on their healing while avoiding her own unresolved trauma. The name also hints at her duality as both a grieving mother (“Alice”) and a rescuer (“Ms. Ali”), identities that remain constant yet inverted depending on context.

    4. How does the chapter contrast human and elephant responses to grief?

    Answer:
    The chapter contrasts humans’ self-destructive guilt (“spiraling thoughts… sinking me into quicksand”) with elephants’ pragmatic mourning. While Alice agonizes over unresolved conflicts with her mother (missed holidays, unspoken admiration), elephants accept death “matter-of-factly” without dwelling on hypotheticals. However, elephants demonstrate profound communal care—orphans instinctively seek surrogate families, and wild herds later assist rehabilitated individuals. This suggests elephants channel grief into social bonding, whereas Alice initially isolates herself (“all alone in the world”). The parallel between orphaned elephants and Alice’s loss of Jenna (“they leave us too soon”) underscores that both species experience deep attachment, but elephants’ social structures provide clearer pathways through grief.

    5. Why does Alice’s observation about poachers targeting young elephants deepen the chapter’s themes?

    Answer:
    The poachers’ strategy—killing calves to destabilize herds—mirrors Alice’s trauma of losing a child, reinforcing the chapter’s exploration of unnatural loss. This tactic exploits elephants’ familial bonds, just as Alice’s life is upended by severed connections (Jenna’s disappearance, her mother’s death). The detail that calves drink their dying mothers’ urine to survive parallels Alice’s desperate attempts to preserve remnants of her past (journaling, therapy). By highlighting how poachers weaponize grief, the text underscores that both elephants and Alice are victims of violence that fractures families prematurely. This observation also foreshadows Alice’s redemption through rescuing orphans—saving calves becomes her way to counteract the “nothing makes sense” void left by Jenna’s absence.

    Note