Elephant Song

A psychiatrist at an asylum whose professional detachment is tested by Michael’s manipulative mind games. He is haunted by the drowning death of his daughter, which strains his personal life and judgment. As the plot unfolds, his boundaries blur and he ultimately resigns under the weight of the case.

The head nurse who tries to keep distance from Michael’s manipulations and warns Greene about the danger of crossing lines. She is Greene’s ex-wife, carrying the burden of their daughter Rachel’s death. Her professional steadiness clashes with the patient’s mounting influence and she becomes central to the story’s emotional arc.

A disturbed yet charming young man who uses rational-sounding stories to draw Greene into a personal plot. He reveals troubled family history, manipulating relationships and pushing toward the release he seeks. His ultimate manipulation ends in tragedy when he dies after an allergic reaction.

Greene’s colleague who disappears amid hints of misappropriation and complicated professional boundaries. He is depicted as capable of love, but the nature of his relationship with Michael remains ambiguous. His absence and the later revelations drive the investigation and the emotional fallout.

Greene’s relative whose exact relation is unclear in the summary; she appears at the hospital with Amy, creating tension around Greene’s personal life. Her presence brings a mixture of familiarity and unresolved conflict to the storyline.

Amy is a child with Down’s syndrome who appears as Michael’s niece and a focal point of family dynamics. Her presence intensifies the emotional stakes and interacts with Greene’s sense of duty and guilt. Her role highlights the fragility and vulnerability within the family.

Michael’s father, implicated in a traumatic memory when he kills an elephant in front of his son. The elephant incident anchors Michael’s childhood trauma and helps explain his later manipulations. His actions reverberate through Michael’s perception of power and care.

A fellow physician in the hospital who participates in the fraught medical environment that surrounds Greene’s work. He represents the institutional perspective and the pressure of professional norms within the asylum setting.