Loyalty can be perceived in many different ways. Loyalty may be shown by an individual as repayment, sympathy, or it may just be a part of one’s character and personality. Ultimately, loyalty is an act of faithfulness, reliability, and commitment. The opposite, disloyalty, is an act of dishonesty. In the novel: “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen, the main character, Jacob Jankowski, portrays elements of, both, loyalty and disloyalty. Jacob is deceiving and disloyal in many aspects of this novel; however, once he learns lessons of loyalty from other characters, he embraces loyalty in return – it becomes evident that Jacob’s actions were acts of repayment towards his peers.
The relationship between Jacob and August was quite hazy. It seemed as though Jacob had befriended August for the wrong reason; to steal his wife. However, there was definitely more to it than just that. It became obvious that Jacob treated people how they would treat him. In this case, August was not too fond of Jacob, especially after he suspected Jacob of having an affair with his wife, Marlena. The cruelty of August’s personality had shown an increased amount of disloyalty. He gained pleasure in convincing Jacob to enter a cage with a lion: “He’s just a widdle kitty cat.” (85) This evilness and betrayal of Jacob’s trust was an evident case of disloyalty from August. This caused Jacob to stay distant from August and also become more cautious of August’s actions. Once again, the reader is quickly able to see that Jacob would result to repayment. Jacob learns not to trust August and unknowingly returns the same disloyal actions by slowly taking away Marlena, August’s wife. If August had been a true friend to Jacob, the reader could definitely doubt this situati...
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...ms to get along with, is leaving the nursing home, he begins to realize how grateful he was of her presence in his life.
In novel Water for Elephants, the author, Sara Gruen, was able to present many different acts of loyalty and disloyalty within the story. Acts of kind, honesty, faithfulness or hatred from characters throughout the novel towards Jacob, resulted in the same acts from Jacob. Seemingly, Jacob was a deceiving and disloyal character to some characters, such as August. However, as the novel progressed, it became obvious that Jacob would learn his lessons of loyalty from others before he has showed it himself. Jacob showed utmost respect for the ones whom truly cared about him. He continued to grow, and show characteristics of a man as he learned different lessons. Ultimately, it became evident that Jacob Jankowski’s actions were solely acts of repayment.
“Look out for the people who look out for you. Loyalty is everything.” In the book, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher, Ms. Lemry is loyal. Ms.Lemry is a teacher and a swim coach for a school. She is a teacher who stays loyal to her students. She is loyal because she cares for her students who are in her class. Ms. Lemry stands by Sarah at all times and is there for her. Sarah is a girl who got abused by her dad when she was younger. Sarah’s father when she was younger out her face on the stove. Sarah was always scared of her father and she still is because she is afraid of her dad coming back and killing her. Sarah was about to go on the train and Lemry was there to inform her to not get on the train. Her class is called CAT known
With the exception of some small problems with Sarah’s strong will, MacLachlan makes the relationship between Sarah and Jacob seem easy. However in the movie, Jacob also has a hard time letting Sarah get close to him because of his love for his dead wife, Katherine. For example, in the movie when they fight about putting Katherine’s possessions in the house and going to visit the grave Sarah says “I cannot make a difference until you make peace with Katherine’s death”. Jacob does not make that peace until Sarah goes to help Maggie deliver her baby. The delivery brings back memories of Katherine’s death since she died giving birth to Caleb. It is here that Jacob realizes “I never stopped long enough to tell her that I missed her”. Once Jacob realizes this he has room to love Sarah.
Loyalty is one of the ethics that is instilled in a person at a young age. Loyalty can range from loyalty to a family member, friend, teammate, ect. In Larry Watson's, Montana 1948, the summer of 1948 tests the loyalty of each character and is told through the eyes of a young boy, David. The picture was clear to David when Marie was Murdered. Through this tragic event David was able to read each family member determining whether they were loyal or whether they would betray.
Examples of loyalty can be found in many pieces of classic literature such as _Don Quixote_, _The Odyssey_, and _Sir Gawain and the Green Knight_. Many characters in the stories profess their loyalty to other characters. Some of them fail in their loyalty tests while others prevail. I found loyalty to be an underlying theme in all three pieces of literature covered in this paper. The examples provided should prove the theme of loyalty.
A very obvious example of loyalty is, Penelope. She is faithful to Odysseus for over 20 years and does not give up for long time. Even when the suitors came to her house and ate her food and overstayed their welcome she did not budge and still stayed faithful to Odysseus for the whole time he was gone. She told the suitors that when she finished her tapestry she would choose who she wants to marry, but every night she would undo a piece of the tapestry just so it would take longer and it would give Odysseus more time to come back just so she would not have to choose one of the suitors.
A motivation is a reason someone has for doing something a certain way. The Tiger’s Heart is a story written by Jim Kjelgaard in which the protagonist, Pepe Garcia has been making decisions based on forces within him. These forces all contributed in their own ways for Pepe’s decision making and outcomes in the story. These forces have helped define what Pepe is as a human being within the story. The forces motivating Pepe are security, fear and courage, greed and exploitation, and power. These forces motivated Pepe.
Jacob's name means "deceiver" and he lives up to his name. His deceitfulness began with stealing his brother's birthright. One day, Esau came in from the fields famished and found Jacob cooking a meal. Jacob offered his half-starved brother, "Give me the birthright and I'll give you some soup." Esau being starved, sold his birthright to Jacob. (Genesis 25: 29-34). Sometime later when Isaac thought he was going to die, he called Esau into his tent and told him to kill an animal and make him some soup. Isaac's wife overheard this and connived a plan with Jacob to deceive Isaac. Jacob disguised himself as Esau and obtained his blind and dying father's blessing (Genesis 27).
“I shan’t mind being a slave all my life, if I can only see you and the children free.” Her family and friends stayed strong with her and many of them did anything in their power to see her and her children safe and free. Jacobs always gave thanks and mentioned how much gratitude she had for the people that helped in getting her and her children’s freedom. “She said she would sacrifice her house, and all she had in the world, for the sake of having me safe with my children in any part of the world.” They were willing to make sacrifices and risk their lives to help Jacobs and her
Throughout the book, Gruen portrays that Jacob and Marlena have a deep affection towards each another, for which they act with courage. Initially, Jacob loves Marlena immensely but has yet to admit it. However, Marlena’s husband, August, is starting to have doubts about the relationship that his wife and Jacob share. Due to this reason August is overwhelmed with anger and abuses both, Marlena and Jacob. As much as he can, Jacob tries to fight back and protect Marlena. As he struggles to pull himself away from the two men holding him back, he pleads, “For Christ’s sake, let me go! He’s nuts! He’ll kill her!” (Gruen.247). At this point Jacob does not care for his own well being. He knows that August is crazy and may even kill Marlena for just a simple misunderstanding. He courageously puts his life at stake despite knowing the fact that his actions are going to cost him. Through his behaviour it is easy to see Jacob’s love for Marlena. This evidently shows how Jacob has to act with bravery to fight for the love of his life. Next, after being abused by August, M...
Unlike Mary’s first 3 children, Jacob was not quiet and respectful like the rest, he was quite the flibbertigibbet.
Peace Like a River, by Leif Enger, carries its theme that people must accept the consequences of their actions throughout the whole story. This theme is developed through the character of Jeremiah, the conflict between Davy and the law, and the symbolism in the title of the novel. By giving this message, the author is able to show that it is important to take responsibility for the choices made because they will define the individual’s future and if wise decisions are made, then a peaceful life will ensue.
...d labor, had made herself a comfortable home, was obliged to sacrifice her furniture, bid a hurried farewell to friends, and seek her fortune among strangers in Canada. Many a wife discovered a secret she never known before-that her husband was a fugitive, and must leave her to insure his own safety. Worse still, many a husband discovered that his wife had fled from slavery years ago, and as “the child follows the condition of its mother,” the children of his love were liable to be seized and carried into slavery” (155) Extremely pity, sorrow, and shame is projected throughout Jacob’s book which covers not only her life, but also the common misfortune of many victims of slavery. Undoubtedly the women slaves were repeatedly abused, discriminated, and harassed not only by the society but also by the sadistic masters becoming the most mistreated of a slavery society.
During the era of Jacob’s life, women are seen as moral superior beings, being deemed pure, pious, and caring and representing a God like figure. With these moral expectations in mind, women find the most fulfillment in life by caring for their home and their children. For black women in this era, they are deprived from these fulfillments in life due to their lack of human rights and legal protection. This deprivation can be seen clearly in the psychological suffering from sexual abuse.
In the novel, Defending Jacob by William Landay, the reader can never be certain of many things. Jacob never admits and the reader is never told whether or not he actually
Jacob Vaark is introduced to the reader at the beginning of the novel as an orphan who has fled England in order to escape from the poverty and destitution that would have been his lot in a country characterized by a strict social hierarchy and laws which saught to increase poverty for the poor and wealth for the rich. His past has been one of rejection, dispossesion and marginalization. Consequently this marginalized ‘‘ratty orphan’’ has now come to seek a better life, ‘‘to make a place out of no place’’ in the New World, that is in 1680’s Maryland (Morrison12). Understandably, as critic Valerie Babb points out (154), Jacob’s experiences as an outcast in England have induced in him a sense of empathy for underpriviledged people. As he travels through Virginia to the slave plantation of the portuguese richman, D’Ortega, who ows him a debt, he reflects upon the injust nature of the newly implemented laws following the uprise of Bac...