Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Setting and Characters
Mira Syed
Water for Elephants has two different settings, one in the past and one in the present. One of the settings was during the early years of the Great Depression on the Benzini Brother’s Most Spectacular Show on Earth’s circus train. The other setting was in a present day nursing home. In both of the settings the story fallows Jacob Jankowski, presently a ninety-something year old man. In the nursing home Jacob feels like he has lost all of his independence and self worth. Jacob becomes a grouchy old man with a temper who is forced to eat “mush”. When Jacob was with the circus he felt much more alive and free, even though his life was in danger. The settings that Jacob was in had a lot of effect on how he looked at life, his attitude and his happiness.
When children are little they often say they want to run away and join the circus, but for Jacob that childhood dream became a reality when he was suddenly orphaned at age 23. Unable to handle the death of his parents, Jacobs runs away and unintentionally jumps on the Benzini Brother’s circus train. When the circus boss finds out that Jacob is a Cornell educated veterinarian he is hired as the circus’ vet. Jacob soon becomes very fond of the circus animals and goes to great lengths to get the proper care they deserve. When Jacob is with his animals he wants to do the right thing even if it means putting himself in harm’s way.
Jacob sees Marlena during his first night working in the circus and from then on he drawn to her. Jacob first meets Rosie when she is bought from another circus to be the star that saves the Benzini Brother’s circus. Rosie is soon found to be worthless until Jacob discovers the language barrier between them. Marlena also has a deep care for animals and develops a life long love for Rosie. The mutual care that Jacob and Marlena share for Rosie is essentially what brings them together. The relationship between these three has major consequences and threatens the lives of all of them. The love that Jacob feels for both Marlena and Rosie are greatly due to how the setting affects him and his actions.
Jacob spends 7 months on the Benzini Brother’s Circus before it collapsed. After the collapse Jacob and Marlena go join the Ringling Brother’s Circus with all of their animals in tow. Together, Jacob and Marlena spend the next seven years on the Ringling Brother’s Circus before they buy a house and raise their family. Jacob’s life after the circus was very happy and filled with a life time of memories, but it would not have been the same if it were not for the circus. The circus made Jacob who he was.
Jacob is a product of his experiences and a product of the settings in which he experienced his life. Jacob was formed from his time at the Benzini Brother’s Circus, his time at the Ringling Brother’s Circus and even this time at the nursing home. Jacob would have been a completely different man if he had not joined the circus. Circus life runs in Jacobs mind, body and soul, it is who he is and what he will always be. Like they always say you take a man away from the circus, but you can’t take the circus out of a man.