The Role Of Jacob In Sara Gruen's Water For Elephants

In many forms of literature developed throughout time, characters appear in many shapes and forms. Characters such as the hero, anti-hero, villain, and victim play an integral role in terms of the plot, and the expression of the author’s ideas. However, the hero is arguably the most significant character in any novel, as the hero is the protector/enforcer of what is good and just. Despite this, the hero is not immaculate, as his/her decisions can often times reveal flaws. In Sarah Gruen’s ‘Water For Elephants’, this is no different. Therefore, in Sara Gruen’s ‘Water For Elephants’, Jacob’s decisions and their consequences reveal the fact that Jacob is a flawed hero. This is seen in the fact that his decisions reveal his protectiveness, bravery,

and his main flaw; selfishness.

The first reason why Jacob could be considered a hero in ‘Water For Elephants’ is seen in the fact that his decisions to take certain actions reveal his protective nature, particularly of the circus’ animals and people he cares for. Firstly, Jacob displays his protectiveness in terms of protecting animals that are abused physically and psychologically. This is seen in his unparalleled defensiveness of Rosie, the circus’ elephant, particularly when he becomes her main line of defense from her abuser, August. An instance where this is displayed is when August attempts to punish Rosie for drinking the circus’ lemonade, as he declares “to go after him [August] if he touches her” (215). The significance of his declaration to protect of Rosie clearly highlights his protective nature, and any individual who is a protector of innocent creatures, is displaying heroism. Therefore, this makes Jacob a hero. The second way Jacob is protective of the animals is seen in his desire to increase the general standard of living for all of the animals within the circus in terms of their living conditions. An example which is illustrative of this point is when Jacob desires better treatment of the big cats in terms of the rotten meat they are forced to eat, especially when he addresses to August, “August, we can’t feed them [the cats] this, it’s gone off” (84). Jacob’s request clearly highlights the fact that he wants the animals to live in a better environment, as better meat for the cat will increase their quality of life. Also, since trying to improve the lives of others is an attribute displayed by a hero, it proves that Jacob is a hero. In conclusion, Jacob’s protectiveness of the circus animals in terms of protecting them from abuse, and attempting to improve their general quality of life, reveal Jacob’s position as a hero in ‘Water For Elephants”.

Jacob’s protectiveness is not limited to his protection of the animals. The second criterion within his protectiveness is seen in his defensiveness of people he cares for. To start, Jacob’s decisions reveal the fact that he is protective of those who are in mortal danger from the wraith of Uncle Al. This is expressed in his decision to protect his friend Camel (who is in danger from being redlighted), specifically when he hides Camel in his stock car to protect him from Blackie (the redlighter), because to Jacob, Camel is “an old man, and he is in bad shape” (192). This selfless and protective decision to accept Camel ultimately prolongs his survival, and since protecting others from tyranny is an attribute of heroism, it confirms the fact that Jacob is a hero. Another way Jacob is protective of people is seen in his protectiveness of those who suffer at the hands of their relationships. This is clearly illustrated in Jacob’s protection of Marlena from August (her spouse and abuser), which is especially apparent in his decision to “launch across the open space and tackle [August]” (246) because August “shoves her so violently that she crashes back into the overturned platters of food” (246). Therefore, Jacob’s decision to tackle August is indicative of his protectiveness of Marlena. Also, since this decision is essentially protecting the innocent (Marlena) from tyranny (August), and this is an attribute of heroism, it confirms the fact that Jacob is a hero. Overall, Jacob’s protective nature as revealed through his decision to protect those that are in danger from Uncle Al, and those who suffer at the hands of their spouse, reveal his role as a hero in ‘Water For Elephants’.

The second attribute of heroism derived from Jacob’s decisions is his bravery.

The first way Jacob’s decisions reveal his bravery is seen in his decision to oppose the high command of the circus in the name of justice. This is seen when he directly opposes Uncle Al’s demand to have Jacob to convince Marlena remarry August, despite August’s abusive nature towards Marlena. This is when he says to Uncle Al, “I’m not going to sit here and listen to you tell me [that] it’s okay for August to hit her” (266). The significance of this opposition is that Jacob knows that he is putting himself in danger by opposing Uncle Al, and since he braves this danger in the name of what is just, it reveals his bravery. Also, since Jacob in this case is the purveyor of justice (an attribute of heroism), it confirms his status as a hero. The second more subtle example of Jacob’s bravery is seen when in his older age, he expresses outrage over the treatment of himself and his peers at the hands of the nursing home. This is seen when he decided to bravely oppose the quality of food served to himself and his peers, where a specific example is when he addresses his peers regarding the food they are eating, as he asks: “doesn’t anyone else here want real food? Surely you can’t be happy with...this…pap?” (68). The significance of Jacob’s announcement is that it reveals his bravery, as he is not afraid to be the only individual in the home to address the quality of the food. And since this bravery is in

the name of the good of the whole, it can be seen as heroism, thereby proving that Jacob is a hero. To conclude, Jacob’s brave decisions in terms of opposing the high command of the circus and addressing the treatment of the residents of the nursing home prove that Jacob is a hero.

Since heroism is not an immaculate concept, a hero has at least one major flaw.

This is also the case for Jacob, as despite his protectiveness and bravery, he has an Achilles heel. This is of course his selfishness. Firstly, Jacob’s decisions are intrinsically motivated, which means that they often fail to comprehend potential consequences, and this can have disastrous effects on other people. An example where Jacob’s selfish decisions results in a catastrophic outcome is when he takes Walter’s knife with the intent of killing August, as he “[creeps] across the top of the stock can on [his] hand and knees, with Walter’s knife clenched between [his] teeth” (194). The catastrophe in this decision is that it indirectly resulted in Walter and Camel’s redlighting, as it left Walter defenseless against Blackie. Also, the fact that Jacob took the knife without reflecting on the potential effects on Walter reveals his selfishness, and ultimately his major flaw. The second way Jacob is selfish is seen in the fact that in his older years, he isolates himself from those that care for him. This is evident in his purposeful isolation from his family, as “he doesn’t know what’s going on in their lives” (109). This willful blindness of his family’s affairs proves his selfishness, as anyone who disregards their family in the name of isolation is partaking in a selfish act. Also, since this a part of selfishness, it helps confirm Jacob’s major flaw. In conclusion, Jacob’s selfishness in

terms of failing to consider the effects on his decisions on others, and his isolation of those who love him, reveal the major flaw in his heroism.

Overall, Jacob is an interestingly skewed hero, who despite his positive attributes, has an Achilles Heel. Therefore, in Sarah Gruen’s ‘Water For Elephants’, Jacob is a flawed hero, because his decisions reveal his protectiveness, bravery, and his crippling weakness; his selfishness. The study of flawed heroism is one which encompasses more than just the world of literature. If people can understand Jacob’s flaw, both expressed in the novel and this essay, they can know how to avoid expressing it. And if this can be done, more and more people will be true heroes, and this overtime will make the world a better place.