This paper provides an overview and character analysis of Sara Gruen's novel Water for Elephants. It identifies the major characters — including Jacob Jankowski, Rosie the elephant, Marlena, August, and Uncle Al — and traces the plot from Jacob's loss of his parents during the Great Depression to his life with a traveling circus. The paper draws on several critical and reader reviews to evaluate Gruen's storytelling, the novel's title, its historical setting, and the reliability of its elderly narrator. It concludes with a brief bibliography of primary and secondary sources.
Sara Gruen is a Canadian citizen who moved to the United States in 1999 for a technical writing job. After being laid off, she decided to pursue a career as a novelist. An animal lover, she is known for her novels Riding Lessons, Flying Changes, Ape House, and Water for Elephants.
Jacob Jankowski — The novel's protagonist. He is a ninety- or ninety-three-year-old nursing home resident who spent his younger life as a veterinarian with a circus during the Great Depression.
Rosie — An elephant that Uncle Al purchased from another circus. She understands commands only in Polish and becomes the frequent target of August's rage.
Marlena — The beautiful star performer of the circus, who falls in love with Jacob Jankowski.
August — Head animal trainer and husband of Marlena. He is charming yet brutal toward both the humans and animals in his care.
Uncle Al — The violent and abusive owner of the circus.
Camel — One of the first people Jacob meets when he jumps the train. Camel is instrumental in helping Jacob secure a job with the circus.
Water for Elephants is the story of Jacob Jankowski, a ninety- or ninety-three-year-old man who is unhappy with his advanced age and is living in an assisted-living center because none of his children are willing to care for him. He is dissatisfied with the facility, feeling that the staff does not treat him with respect, which makes him tense and irritable. The death of his wife has also contributed to his unhappiness, as it was a deeply traumatic event in his life.
When a circus begins setting up its tent next to the assisted-living center, Jacob overhears someone tell a woman at the facility that he was once a water boy for elephants. Jacob corrects the man, explaining that no one can truly carry water for elephants because they drink far too much — and this exchange triggers memories of a vivid and colorful past.
When Jacob was twenty-three years old and studying veterinary medicine, he lost both his parents in a car accident. Unable to continue his education due to financial hardship — his father had been an animal lover who treated animals without charging fees, leaving the family in debt — Jacob also lost his home, which had been mortgaged to fund his education. He was left without emotional or financial grounding at the height of the Great Depression, unable to find work or shelter.
One day, he jumps aboard a passing train, which turns out to be a traveling circus train. He befriends one of the workmen and takes on odd jobs until he gets the opportunity to speak with the owner, Uncle Al. When Uncle Al learns that Jacob studied veterinary medicine, he asks him to diagnose one of the circus horses. Satisfied with Jacob's work, Uncle Al gives him a job as caretaker for the animals.
Jacob becomes friends with August, the circus's animal trainer, and August's wife Marlena, a beautiful circus performer. Before long, Jacob realizes that Marlena is unhappy in her marriage, and he finds himself falling in love with her. Marlena returns his feelings but is afraid to act on them because of August.
The circus owner acquires Rosie, an elephant, from another circus. The sellers warn that Rosie is too stupid to learn performing tricks. August struggles to manage her and resorts to beating her in an attempt to force obedience. Jacob is troubled by August's cruelty toward Rosie but feels powerless to stop it; he offers her treats and speaks to her in Polish. Through this interaction, he discovers that Rosie responds only to Polish commands — which is why August's training had been so ineffective.
With Jacob's help, August and Marlena develop an elephant act that thrills the crowds. However, August soon accuses Jacob of having an affair with Marlena. The two men fight and both are injured. Although Uncle Al is aware of the conflict, he pressures Jacob to reconcile the relationship between Marlena and August. Meanwhile, Jacob learns that August suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. Eventually, Jacob and Marlena leave the circus to build a life together. They later join the Ringling Brothers' Circus and live happily until Marlena's death.
"Multiple critics assess the novel"
"Primary and secondary sources listed"
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