In his story, The Elephant And The Rope, A.M. Marcus tells of the elephants who could break free from their bonds anytime, but they would not because they believed they could not. A slender rope took away their confidence in themselves over time. As a result, they were stuck right where they were. The story presents a question from the main character about why an elephant in a camp does not escape even without extra security, such as a cage or chains.