My reaction to the book water for elephants

Sarah Elgohary                                                

Water for Elephants

    The story Water for Elephants takes place during the Great Depression. The protagonist Jacob Jankowski tells his life story about his experience living and working in the circus from his nursing home. Jacob is a ninety three year old man who is very bitter and pessimistic because he sees no point to life anymore. He is only happy when he is reminiscing about his love Marlena and circus life. Jacob was an upper class citizen who went to Connell to become a veterinarian.`  An ironic twist of fate occurred when his parents died in a car accident which forced him to seek refuge in the circus.   

Jacob hates the aging process. The process of aging makes him feel vulnerable. He feels like a burden to the nursing home and his family, and nobody cares about him. People think he is helpless   because of his old age and his hip injury. He often tries to be independent with his walker, but the staff refuses to allow him his freedom. Jacob feels as if no one sees him as a person, but as an obligation. He is afraid of losing control of his mind, which is why he gets so upset when he calls Rosemary Rosie.  In addition, he is afraid of losing people he cares about. He feels as if he has no purpose in life, that is why he is trying to revive his life at the circus by reminiscing about his circus life. The circus is very important and sentimental to Jacob because it was everything he had after his parents died. The circus gave Jacob opportunity and a new beginning to his life. In addition, he made friends with Walter, Camel and he got to bond with an elephant named Rosie. Jacob also falls in love and marries Marlena. The circus becomes Jacob’s family.   

Jacob is neglected by his family.  He has five children who were seventy years old and grandchildren.  Jacob’s family only visits him once a month. In addition, sometimes Jacob’s immediate family does not come. They send their children. There are different groups of people who come every couple of months.  As a result Jacob does not remember who came to visit. When Jacob’s family does come to visit, they just look at the clock counting the time till they have to leave because they have no desire to be there in the first place. Jacob gets more upset when his son Simon does not come to take him to the circus. Jacob gets angry at Simon because he feels abandoned by his son since Simon lived in the circus for the first six years of his life.

The staff does not treat Jacob well. He has no freedom. Most nurses refuse his requests. An example is when he asks for ‘’real food “(roast beef and corn) instead of the nursing home food. The nurses force him to take medication because he is frustrated with a normal routine. The nurses do not care about him. The nurses constantly argue with Jacob because they do not want him to be independent. They force him to take a medication just because he is frustrated with normal routine and wants something different. The only nurse who is nice person and cares for Jacob is Rosemary. She is very kind, and compassionate towards Jacob. She comes to his defense when the other nurses bother Jacob.  She talks and treats Jacob like he is a real person and lets him voice his opinion. Rosemary helps him get dressed for the circus. She supports Jacob when Simon does not come to take him to the circus. Jacob develops a bond with Rosemary since she is always there when he needs her.

Jacob’s decision to go back to the circus and get a job as a ticket seller was fueled by many reasons. One reason is that he knows his family has no time for him anymore, they see him as an obligation rather than a father.   Secondly, when Jacob finds out that Rosemary is leaving the nursing home to take care of her mother- in- law, he realizes he has nothing left at the nursing home. Rosemary is the only nurse who is nice person and cares for Jacob.  She is the only companion that Jacob has left. Therefore, Jacob feels that living in the nursing home will be unbearable without her. Thirdly, Jacob‘s decision was most impacted by the fact that his son Simon does not come to take him to the circus. As a result, Jacob gets so upset because Simon had lived in the circus for the first six years of his life. This proves that Simon does not care about the circus as much as Jacob thought he did, considering it was such a big part of his life when he was young.   Jacob realizes that Simon has forgotten about him, also he realizes the circus is the only thing that gives him purpose in life. Finally, I think Jacob goes back to the circus because he wants to live the remainder of his life reviving circus memories. He also wanted to be closer to Marlena, but when Marlena passed away, he had no one left.

When Jacob grew old he did not want to talk about the circus Jacob does not want anyone to know he was an upper class citizen who went to Connell to become a veterinarian.  An ironic twist of fate occurred when his parents died in a car accident which forced him to seek refuge in the circus. In addition, he does not want anyone to know the circus is his life and he is nothing without it.  Jacob is embarrassed of living in the nursing home. I think Jacob is attempting to hide the fact that he use to work at the Ringling Brothers Circus giving “water for elephants”. He wants to live in the circus again so badly that he is jealous and denies the fact that Mr. Mcguinty used to deliver water to the elephants as well. In addition, Jacob is also hiding the fact that he knows Rosie killed August to protect Marlena and Rosie. Jacob is not ashamed of his past, in fact he embraces it. Jacob loves the circus it is part of who he is.  That is why he decides to go back to the circus and gets a job as a ticket seller.

I think Jacob trusts Charlie O Brien even though he is a complete stranger   because he is the manger of the Ringling Brothers circus. In addition, Charlie O Brien job as a the manager of the circus reminds Jacob  of Uncle Al because they were both generous enough to give Jacob a job and take him in as family when he had nothing left without any hesitation or judgment about him as a person. Charlie O Brien and Uncle Al are the only people who do not see Jacob as a burden or obligation but as a valuable human being. They both give Jacob‘s life meaning and purpose without making him feel ashamed of who his is. This is why Jacob trusts Charlie O Brien and tells him his life story. This proves that the culture of a traveling circus is very humble, sincere, honest, generous, willing to give opportunity to those in need. The circus is also very traditional and family orientated.  The circus can create a new path of purpose to life to any person who has lost everything.

The protagonist Jacob Jankowski tells his life story about his experience living and working in the circus from his nursing home. Jacob talks of his procession from his experience living,  and working in the circus from his nursing home that is why Sara Gruen writes the Water for Elephants  by flashing black and fourth from younger Jacob to older  Jacob so that the reader is able to understand how Jacob’s  character grows and develops into the person he is now. If she only wrote Water  for Elephants   using only younger Jacob the story would have been a typical love story, but I do not think that was Sara Gruen’s  purpose in the story the way she did. I think her purpose in writing this novel was to show that even in times of adversity, a  small opportunity can transform a person life and a give him purpose in life then the negative situation into a positive one This I  why I love Water for Elephants.