50 pages • 1 hour read
Dave EggersWhat Is The What
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2006A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
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BetaSymbols & Motifs
Clay Cows
The little clay cows made by the children of Sudan are fragile, and easily damaged by outside forces. This is a metaphor for the lost boys themselves, who are also worn down by the rain, wind, and heat as they march:
The rain weakened us all. It was very much like what the rain would do to the cattle we would make from clay—under the relentless rain, the clay would soften and give, and soon the clay would not be a cow anymore, but would break apart. The rain did this to the suffering people of Pochalla, especially the boys who had no mothers: they broke under the force of the rain, they melted back into the earth (344).
The Blue Dog
In Chapter 12, the boys are on their death march, and have lost their leader after having to scatter when confronted by villagers about a theft. They try to guide themselves, but end up moving in a large circle, and return to their point of origin. When they first left the village, there was a skinny blue dog. On their return, the first thing they see is the same blue dog, now fattened from eating the dead. The animal functions as a symbol for the futility of their march.
The Yellow Dress
Deng remembers his mother and her yellow dress, employing a simile that compares the garment to a falling sun. The sun represents warmth and life, so it’s no mistake that he uses this language to describe his mother and how he thinks of her. When he closes his eyes and thinks of home (534), he does not even mention his mother’s name or title; however, we know immediately of whom he speaks based on his language choices.
The Elephant
When the rebels bring down an elephant, the starving lost boys descend on the dead animal and tear it to pieces. Their hunger is such that all other concerns are forgotten, and they eat the elephant meat raw. Ultimately though, as large as the beast is, their situation is not improved and in fact the next morning, Deng dies. The elephant is symbolic of a large gesture of aid that does little to alleviate the suffering of the refugees.
The What
The “what” is the central question of the novel, and represents the unknown. In the Dinka creation story, the Dinka were given the best land and cattle, while the Arabs were given the “what,” which was uncertain, and represented the worse of the two choices. Deng has a lot of ambiguity in his life, which is why he is so obsessed with what the “what” is.
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