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
It’s seldom that a movie is ever as good as the book, but after reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and seeing the film, I’d say they came pretty close. The book was filled with love, action, drama and the circus from the first page to the last. Of course, the movie couldn't possibly include all of the vivid descriptions and every little detail that the book does, or else it’d be seven hours long. But what I enjoyed about the movie was that it picked up on a lot of the great history of circuses
characteristic features of her writing in her novel Water for Elephants. The first characteristic that sets Sara Gruen’s novels apart from her colleagues’ is that she tends to write from different perspectives throughout her novels. Water for Elephants displays this feature, as the narrative switches time periods from the main character Jacob’s young adulthood to his old age. Next, uniqueness is constantly seen in Sara Gruen’s novels, including Water for Elephants through her use of sympathy and good versus
In Water for Elephants, the story is told through Jacob Jankowski at two different parts in his life: twenty-three year old Jacob who is out there exploring the world and, ninety-three year old Jacob who feels like he is wasting away his life in a nursing home. Water for Elephants is Gruen’s third book, it became one of the New York Times best sellers, it’s also available in forty-four different languages and it’s now a motion picture (Sara Gruen). Throughout the novel the reader is brought through
The motif of water is used as a symbol in the novel, The Elephant Vanishes, which is crucial to this work. Water symbolises different ideas in the stories Sleep and The Elephant Vanishes. In Sleep, water symbolises the fear of the protagonist and has caused effects on the protagonist. However, in the story - The Elephant Vanishes, water is used to reinforce the idea that people in the town are aware of the disappearance of the elephant and express the sense of desolation. In Sleep, water represents
Literary elements are what gives the work of an writer meaning, complexity as well as character. In the case of Sylvia Plath and Sara Gruen, the respective authors of novels The Bell Jar and Water for Elephants, three particular literary elements stood out for their success in strengthening the impact of each story; mood, symbolism as well as theme. Firstly, stirring up some of the most sensitive and desolate topics known to man as well as exposing a side of the human race hidden in the hopes of
Section 1: Chapters 1-8 Water for Elephants is set in two different worlds; the first being present day times in a modern nursing home, and the second being in the early 1930s on the moving cars of a travelling circus train. The story alternates between the perspectives of 93-year-old Jacob Jankowski and his younger, less experienced, 23-year-old self. The book lets the reader experience the brash and unforgiving atmosphere inside the big top of an American circus during the Great Depression. It
The Book and Movie Water For Elephants is Quite Moody Bernhard Schlink once said, “As an author, you hope for a director and a cast that will make something wonderful out of your book” The director, Francis Lawrence, did just this for the author, Sara Gruen, and her book, Water for Elephants. Water for Elephants is a thrilling romance about a man named Jacob Jankowski, who jumps on a train and joins the circus. He then falls in love with a girl who has a crazy husband. This plot that pulls on the
American and Canadian author, Sara Gruen, stated, “Life is the most spectacular show on earth,” in her novel Water for Elephants which follows Jacob Jankowski in two contrasting periods of his lifetime. Water for Elephants bounces between the 1930’s when Jacob is youthful and what the reader can assume to be present day when Jacob is aging. During the time when Jacob is older, he is in a home for the elderly, although he desperately wants to be anywhere but there and refuses all the help offered
In 2015 there was a ban on the use of wild animals in the circus in England. However, Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen takes place in a circus during the dirty thirties therefore; there has not yet been a ban for the use of wild animals. The poor economic conditions at the time everyone was going broke and few had jobs. Due to Jacob Jankowski receiving life changing information leaving him with absolutely nothing. Jacob then decides to run away and hop on a circus train going past him. This circus
non-fiction historical texts and books categorized as historical fiction similar? The two books I’ll be discussing are Water for Elephants, an historical History is a vast never-ending story, to which new experiences are added to every day. It’s important to recognize that not everyone is able to learn history a certain way, nor does everyone have the resources to. While Water for Elephants and The Great Depression both expose the reader to the hardships of the Great Depression era, they choose approach
to Tolerate Oppression “Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities […] because it is the quality that guarantees all others” (Winston Churchill). This quote attests to the importance of the courage portrayed in The Help and Water for Elephants and emphasizes why courage is a defining trait of the characters. In both novels, the characters are confined and put through pain and suffering but in the end demonstrate tremendous amounts of courage in order to overcome their oppression
Jacob Jankowski tells his story through his eyes as an elderly adult in the book Water For Elephants. Jacob went through a very tough time in his life in a matter of months, which changed his life in many ways. Jacob loses his parents at the end of his college career, and because of this he just happens to stumble upon a circus by jumping a train. Jacob's life has gone from completely perfect to upside down in a matter of 24 hours. Jacob receives the job as the circus vet, but has to work hard to
One main similarity between the movie and novel, “Water for Elephants” is the conflict between August (one of the main protagonists) and three other main characters: Rosie the elephant, Marlena (August’s wife), and Jacob. In the novel, as soon as Jacob meets Marlena, he already knows that her relationship with August is violent. Even though her domestic abuse becomes out of control, Marlena keeps it a secret from Jacob and everyone else in the circus because she feels she feels like it is a sensitive
Settings Along the Tracks: The Places That Molded Jacob Jankowski in Water For Elephants People always tell you settings that they were put in that helped mold them into the person they are today. The story of Jacob Jankowski is no different, and his story has many settings that we today could never even possibly imagine. Not only did his story take place in the separate world of a circus but also in the time of the 1920s which were riddled with depression and crime and many people looked for an
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,
“August strikes her with the bull hook. This sends her flying through the back end of the big top,” (Gruen #) The quote in the story Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen, portrays how an elephant, named Rosie, gets abused by the ringmaster of the circus, August. This story is in the point of view of one of the workers in the circus, Jacob, who sees the aggressive side of the ring master. August does not trust people easily which causes him to act out. He takes his anger out on the animals as well as
the novel “Water for Elephants” and the play “Hamlet”, although differing in several aspects, the theme of suffering is thematically similar in these two works. Both pieces of literature portray this theme, a theme that adds much power to both of the plots. Although they both have this theme in common, each work treats the topic in a fairly different manner. In “Water for Elephants” they are suffering from emotional and physical pain whereas in “Hamlet” he is suffering internally. In “Water for Elephants”
utilizing human power, creature control, water control, wind control and even steam control go back to the vestige. Human power was engaged by the utilization of basic motors, for example, the capstan, windlass or treadmill, and with ropes, pulleys, and piece and handle courses of action; this power was transmitted as a rule with the powers duplicated and the speed lessened. These were utilized as a part of cranes and on board sends in Old Greece, and also in mines, water pumps and attack motors in Old Rome
Love is a very powerful emotion which is achieved by overcoming many hurdles and acting with courage. This bravery can be shown towards anything and anyone, including humans and animals. In Sara Gruen’s Water For Elephants, courage is a key aspect for characters that portray their love for other individuals and the animals. The characters, Jacob and Marlena love each other bravely, despite knowing the consequences for their actions. Not only does Marlena love Jacob, she also portrays affection for