Water for Elephants - Chapters 17-25 (Personal Connection)

Water for Elephants is a historical fiction novel, so there are many connections to the world. The author, Sara Gruen, did a lot of extensive research on traveling circuses during the 1920s and 30s. Many events that happened in the book were actual events that occurred in American circuses.
Jacob and Marlena, the main characters in Water for Elephants, both deeply cared for the animals in the circus and would do almost anything to keep them safe. I feel like I made a personal connection to Jacob and Marlena, because I would have made some of the same decisions concerning the animals in the circus. Animals in circuses were repeatedly mistreated and abused by their trainers and being an animal lover I could not believe some of the things the trainers did to their animals.
Water for Elephants is a beautifully written book that pays tribute to a very extraordinary topic, American traveling circuses.

Water for Elephants - Chapters 9-16 (Summary Response)

Setting:
Water for Elephants has two main settings. One is set in present day in a nursing home. The other is set during the Great Depression on the Benzini Brothers traveling circus, either in the circus tents or on the train.

Main Characters:

• Jacob Jankowski: He is the main protagonist. Jacob is a "ninety or ninety-three" year old man who lives in a nursing home. During the book he reminisces about his life during the Great Depression as a veterinarian on the Benzini Brothers traveling circus.

• Marlena: Marlena is the star of the equestrian act in the circus. She is married to August, but is Jacob's main love interest.

• August: He is Marlena's husband and head animal trainer for the circus. He is a very charming man, but he has a very wide mean streak. Later in the book it is discovered that he is Paranoid Schizophrenic.

• Uncle Al: He is cruel, brutal and the violent owner of the Benzini Brothers traveling circus.

• Walter/Kinko: He is Jacob's roommate on the train. Only Walter's closest friends call him Walter, everybody else must call him Kinko.When Jacob and Walter first met they had a rough start, but eventually they become very close friends. Walter is a performer in the circus with his Jack Russell Terrier Queenie.

• Rosie: She is the elephant that brings together Jacob and Marlena. When Uncle Al buys her she is supposed to be the savior of the show, but is thought to be useless and stupid until Jacob discovers that she only understands Polish.

• Camel: He is one of the first people that Jacob met when he hopped the circus train. He plays a major role in getting Jacob a job on the circus. Towards the end of the book Camel gets sick with "Jake Leg" after drinking poisoned Jamaican Ginger. So Camel is not thrown off the train Jacob and Walter hide him in their cabin and take care of him since he is paralyzed from the Jamaican Ginger.

• Rosemary: She is Jacob's nurse at the nursing home. She is very sweet to Jacob and he becomes very fond of her.

Conflict and Conflict Resolution:
The main conflict in Water for Elephants is that Jacob has fallen in love with Marlena who is married to August. Marlena has also fallen in love with Jacob. The situation becomes very dangerous since August is schizophrenic.
The conflict is resolved when Rosie, who has been the subject of August's violent beatings, gets her revenge on August by killing him. Since August no longer posts a threat to Jacob and Marlena they happily run away from the Benzini Brothers Circus with their beloved animals in tow.

Water for Elephants - Chapters 1-8 (Introduction Response)

I am reading Water for elephants by Sara Gruen for this literary analysis. The genre of Water for Elephants is a historical romance novel. The book is set at the beginning of the great depression on the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth's circus train. Water for Elephants follows the story of Jacob Jankowski, presently a ninety something year old man, who in his twenties found himself on a circus train as their vet. While on the circus train Jacob meets Marlena, the star of the equestrian act who is married to the charming but cruel circus boss, August. The theme of this book is independence and self worth.