Despite the fact that it takes place during the depression, it makes you almost wish you lived during the 30s. Sep 07, 2016 author, sara gruen is an excellent novelist. All 63 characters in water for elephants are listed by chapter with character descriptions included. It tells a story of a love between two people that overcomes incredible odds in a world in which even love is a luxury that few can afford. He is currently 93 years old and has a flaming passion for adventure. Veterinary school student jacob meets and falls in love with marlena, a star. Jacob jankowski marlena rosie the elephant august uncle al rosemary the nurse walter camel. Character analysis of water for elephant 995 words. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 335 pages and is available in paperback format. It stars reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, and christoph waltz. This study guide consists of approximately 58 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of water for elephants.
The two men fight with one another any chance they got, no matter what topic they disagree on. Jacob jankowski is the main character in the book, water for elephants. I read water for elephants a few years ago and from time to time, i reread my favorite novels. Water for elephants questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on water for elephants.
Jacobs story begins at cornell university where he is studying to come a vet. Their two, completely separate personalities clash and collide. Water for elephants study guide contains a biography of sara gruen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The main characters of this fiction, historical story are jacob jankowski, rosemary. Water for elephants original motion picture soundtrack licensed to youtube by adrev for a 3rd party, sme on behalf of t. Water for elephants is a historical fiction romance novel written by sara gruen as a part of national novel writing month about circus life in depressionera america. August can be very friendly and sweet on the surface, but deep down he is a cruel and cold man. Channing tatum, kyle gallner, anthony fitzgerald, andrew garfield, and emile hirsch auditioned for the role of jacob jankowski. The film was released in the united states on april 22, 2011. Marlena marlena is a dazzling show girl on the circus and jacobs major love interest. The first edition of the novel was published in may 26th 2006, and was written by sara gruen. Dec 11, 2011 water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. By the end of the novel, marlena is a distinguished dynamic character, knowing that independence and self beliefs are a great deal of who she is.
August august is the owner of the circus, married to marlena, and a paranoid schizophrenic. Then came rosie, the abused circus elephant that stars in gruens third novel, water for elephants, about the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth and set in the 1920s. To pay for his tuition, his parents had to take out a morgage on the house, causing him to have no home. When the book opens, jacob jankowski is an angry old man who has been living in an assistedliving center. Events lead him to joining the circus as their vet, working under their unstable boss august whose violent tendencies give everyone reason to be cautious around him, including his beautiful and quiet wife marlena, whom august is very possessive of and who jacob finds himself soon falling in love with. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center claim to have been a water boy for the elephants on. Water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. Jacob jankowski is a main personage and protagonist of this novel. Set in a travelling circus touring the backblocks of america during the great depression of the early 1930s, this is a story of love and hate, trains and circuses, dwarves and fat ladies, horses and elephantsor to be more specific, one elephant, rosie, star of benzini bros most spectacular show on earth. Water for elephants character descriptions for teachers. Although it is only april, i predict that water for elephants by sara gruen will be one of the best books i read this year.
Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. Marlena rosenbluth from water for elephants charactour. Water for elephants original motion picture soundtrack licensed to youtube by adrev for a 3rd party, sme on behalf of t c. August is an antagonist and jacob is a protagonist. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, water for elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. While reading water for elephants i found the plot hyperbolic and excessively melodramatic and the characters little developed beyond their names. Jul 23, 2018 water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. This underexplored slice of americana captured the publics fascination, driving the novel to the no.
The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. I was also astonished at the number of readers who found the novel purient and cruel. According to his life story he appears as an honorable and sensual.
After his parents death, jacob jankowski is left penniless and homeless. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and christoph waltz in 2011. The theme of age the theme of age if the fifth theme in the novel. For the best answers, search on this site although i dont have a hard copy on hand, i do recall the main character who was also the narrator if i remember correctly was clearly the means of the stories propulsion. Im not sure if jacob jankowski is a parallel to jacob, son of isaac. Do remember, however, that characters can change during the course of. May 26, 2006 water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. While i enjoyed the movie with robert pattinson and reese witherspoon, the novel is far better. Jacob jankowski is the main character of water for elephants. Water for elephants book by sara gruen thriftbooks. Manages the traveling circus that sets up across from the nursing home.
Water for elephants is the touching story of jacob jankowski, a ninetythreeyearold man, who is reminded of his colorful past when a circus sets up next door to his assistedliving center. Character analysis of water for elephant 980 words 4 pages. This character has a dog that means a great deal to him. In a later flashback to jacobs younger years, jacob is brought to uncle al, the manager of the circus, who taunts him with you want to carry water for elephants, i suppose. Jun, 2011 for the best answers, search on this site although i dont have a hard copy on hand, i do recall the main characterwho was also the narrator if i remember correctly was clearly the means of the stories propulsion. Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmasters wife. Character analysis of water for elephant 995 words 4 pages. Feb 25, 2020 water for elephants film on air magazine. Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes. This character is hidden on the train to protect him until. With its spotlight on elephants, gruens romantic pageturner hinges on the humananimal bonds that drove her debut and its sequel riding lessons and flying changesbut without the mass appeal. No, im not talking about robert pattinsonthough he looks as gorgeous as ever.
To conclude, the title of the novel is a symbol of a joke created by sara gruen, because of statistics about the amount of water which elephants can consume. Jacob, out of his love for marlena and rosie drove him to carry this gigantic secret, a feat nearly as impossible as carrying water for elephants. Younger jacob and older jacob each gets to have his say. Jacob is studying at cornell when he learns of his parents accident and that all their belongings have been possessed by the bank. Marlena is married to august, but it is a bad marriage. Water for elephants symbols, allegory and motifs gradesaver. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. While he was at dinner, one of the new comers to the nursing home was saying how he gave water to the elephants. See our topranked characters and read their profiles. At only age 17, marlena ran away from her family and eloped with august, the main animal trainer and started her life with him on the benzini brothers most spectacular show on earth. With lines of startling beauty, haunting and evocative scenes and finelydrawn characters who dance off the page, readers can dip in and out of the novel, immersing themselves in jacobs memories.
The story is dark and violent and follows a storyline seen in so many films. Written by sara gruen, it stars in the movie robert pattinson and reese witherspoon water for elephonts is a bestselling book and a major motion picture. His parents, on his final day of his cornell academy of veteranary science exams, get killed. She is an animal, but she is very clever and she even. Elephants characters these animals are scientifically classified as elephants.
Pdf water for elephants book by sara gruen free download. These massive land animals are known for their size, their ivory tusks, and their long trunks. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. To carry water for elephants would be such a strenuous, nearly impossible task. Water for elephants summary supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. But if you were to be on his bad side, he will be downright cruel. Jacob is the main conflict in the book, water for elephants. Oct 06, 2015 water for elephants 2011 bdrip 1080p rus. Studied veterinary science at cornell with the protagonist. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel. Jacob jankowski the protagonist, a 93yearold nursing home resident reminiscing on the time he spent as a circus. If youre on his good side, august is sure to treat you royally and be charismatic as well.
Analysis essay 9th novemember 2011 water for elephants in a recent interview for, robert pattinson, a household young actor, revealed that he was offered with various movie characters that he could choose from as his next role after starring in the twilight series. Water for elephants film on air magazine in 2020 water. Water for elephants 2011 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. In water for elephants, the characters marlena and jacob are drawn together. Cast in credits order complete, awaiting verification. She lives in western north carolina with her husband and three sons, along with their dogs, cats, horses, birds, and the worlds fussiest goat. Kelly, jennifer, sabrina and lizzy overall, i quite enjoyed water for elephants and would recommend it to others. Water for elephants wikimili, the free encyclopedia. The denver post so compelling, so detailed and vivid, that i couldnt bear to be torn away from it for a single minute.
Water for elephants characters listed with descriptions. Water for elephants a depressionera circus provides the backdrop for sara gruens latest novel, water for elephants. Jacob jankowski from water for elephants charactour. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Take charactours quiz to get recommendations for thousands of characters, movies. Praise for water for elephants lively with historical detail and unexpected turns. In the beginning of water for elephants jacob jankowski tells us that he is ninety or ninetythree. Water for elephants 2011 fandom apps take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Water for elephants is written as a firstperson account and closely follows the life of jacob jankowski as flashbacks of his 20s, as he spends his old age in a nursing home. Writing in a different gender role can be challenging, however, i did not find the male perspective in this novel. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Water for elephants is told in the first person but from two different perspectivesjacob jankowski at 23 years of age and again, at 93 years old. Water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home.
The theme of love love is the most evident theme throughout the novel. Beautifully written, water for elephants is illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and answers. Also, joseph cannot be distinguished as a character since he was not a part of jacobs past. To emphasize this, the whole book is written in the present tense. Water for elephants is a 2011 american romantic drama film directed by francis lawrence and written by richard lagravenese, based on sara gruens 2006 novel of the same name.
But when he seen that the circus was in town, he hobbled to the window to see the circus tent. Jacob is working overtime as the narrator of water for elephants. With robert pattinson, reese witherspoon, christoph waltz, paul schneider. Mar 18, 2008 in water for elephants, deception runs quite rampant, especially from uncle al, who would constantly swindle his own crew and performers. Jacob is ninetythree year old and is looking back on his adventures in life while he spends his days in a nursing home. Mar 04, 2011 based on the acclaimed numberone bestseller, water for elephants presents an epic tale of forbidden love in a magical place filled with adventure, wonder and great danger. The significance of the title is that carrying water for elephants is a circus myth that people tell and this story actually tells the truth about circus life back then. You might like to consider the following adjectives as suitable traits for jacob jankowski. Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on moving trains and fighting for the women he loves. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. Mood the mood of the story has an impact throughout the entire novel. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends.
Of course, that is part of the story and life in a circus at the time was no joy for animals or humans. While august treats them akin to slaves, his wife tries to ensure that rosie and the horses live as comfortable as possible. Set in a travelling circus touring the backblocks of america during the great depression of the early 1930s, this is a story of love and hate, trains and circuses, dwarves and fat ladies, horses and elephants or to be more specific, one elephant, rosie, star. Water for elephants is a rich surprise, a delightful gem springing from a fascinating footnote to history that absolutely deserved to be mined. Water for elephants can be an unnerving view for animal lovers. There is a great deal of animal abuse and even if it is simulated, it feels real. Apr 22, 2011 8 big differences between water for elephants book and movie apr.