Chapter I Summary

The story begins when the author is six-years-old. He draws a picture of a boa constrictor who has just swallowed an elephant. He shows his drawing to a group of adults all of whom believe it to be a drawing of a hat. The author then draws a second picture of a boa constrictor who has eaten an elephant. This time he shows the elephant, clearly, inside the boa constrictor. When he shows his second drawing to the adults they tell him to stop drawing and focus on important subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic. Thus, the author's career as an artist both begins and ends.

Chapter I Analysis

The action of the story begins with the scene described above, but the foundation is laid with the author's dedication. It is here we discover the true nature of what we are...