Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main. If you havent read it, i highly recommend this book. I wanted to do some socks with an elephant on them. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center claim to have been a water boy for the elephants on a circus, jacob knows the man is lying because jacob himself once worked as a vet on a traveling. Ittells the story of jacob, a young man who joins the circus and ends up falling in love with both a woman and an elephant in different ways, thank goodness. All of the important quotes from water for elephants listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics we created on water for elephants and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes about other themes, symbols. Water for elephants is it too adult for an 11 year old. Charlie enters the book in the secondto last chapter and plays a small but. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Water for elephants, after being rejected by publishers initially, went on to become a new york bestseller and is available in 46 languages.
And attention could increase sales of homes in the new city. The major issue in understanding any story is that the characters act out to declaration and accomplishment issues of the needs of. A circus elephant, a love story, and a prohibitionera thriller. It was about an old man reliving his past through memories, even though hes old and now in a nursing home. The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you.
Theres something endearingly oldfashioned about a love story involving a beautiful bareback rider and a kid who runs off to join the circus. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. The footage, provided by animal defenders international adi, shows tai and other elephants being abused by trainers from the company have trunk will travel. On the outside the circus looks like a fun, exciting, and beautiful life, but behind it is suffering and pain. Water for elephants, published in 2006, is sara gruens third book and her most successful to date. When the elephants dance introduces us to the incandescent voice of tess uriza holthe, who sets her remarkable first novel in the waning days of world war ii, as the japanese and the americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the philippine islands. And then of course theres the confinement of the animals. Kelly, jennifer, sabrina and lizzy overall, i quite enjoyed water for elephants and would recommend it to others. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. He gets in an argument with a man who said he got water for the elephants on the circus he worked at. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel.
He may not like this new body, but it doesnt change anything inherent to his core. A 42yearold asian elephant named tai most recently known for the role of rosie in foxs water for elephants was abused by its trainers in 2005, according to. Love is a driving force in water for elephants, and its not limited to the love one. Water for elephants, 2007, sara gruen water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. The storys tension comes from their terse, barbed dialogue.
Complete summary of sara gruens water for elephants. Set in the 1930s, a former veterinary student takes a job in a travelling circus and falls in love with the ringmasters wife. He plays the circus owner, who is married to the bareback rider and keeps her. Set during the great depression, water for elephants tells the story of a young man who leaves his life as a cornell university veterinary student after losing both his parents in a car accident, and jumps onto a train that happens to house the benzini brothers most. The landscape surrounding the station is described as the valley of the ebro river, with long white hills on each side and brown dusty ground in between. Shmoop editorial team water for elephants setting shmoop editorial team. Jacobs participation in violence leaves permanent marks on his body. Shmoop editorial team water for elephants theme of suffering shmoop editorial team. The man is attempting to convince the woman to get an abortion, but the woman is ambivalent about it. So much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only under the big top, but into the protagonists heart. Water for elephants taught the lifechanging lesson, that in the end, everyone returns home. In these opening details the landscapes barren, hot, and shadeless nature is.
The fourth theme shown in the book, water for elephants is suffering. This disease recently claimed the life of 3 year old jp, the elephant nephew of tai, star of water for elephants auction included. It has 335 pages, and is classified as historical romance and fiction. Water for elephants is a 2011 american romantic drama film directed by francis lawrence and written by richard lagravenese, based on sara gruens 2006. Water for elephants animal abuse allegedly revealed in. 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 gets sent back to his room where he then talks about how his wife died of. 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 is an oldfashioned romance done with loving period detail. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in hills like white elephants, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Water for elephants original motion picture soundtrack licensed to youtube by adrev for a 3rd party, sme on behalf of t c f music publishing, inc, ascap fox music. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home.
I storngly suggest this novel to a mature audience who wants to be enchanted by rich memories of the circus, and an old mans fight to maintain dignity and sanity in a changing world. Water for elephants the novel water for elephants is written by the bestselling author sarah gruen. Water for elephants, published in 2006, is sara gruens third book. The denver post so compelling, so detailed and vivid, that i couldnt bear to be torn away from it for a single minute. A man referred to as the american and his girl, jig, sit at a table outside the stations bar drinking beer. 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. Hi, this morning when i was on my way to work, my daughter, who is in 6th grade and will be 12 in july, asked me if she could read like water for elephants. 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. In the movie water for elephants, the main characters in it provide the movie audience a journey that is very memory to human beings.
Water for elephants international elephant foundation. I normally dont write an authors note for my poetry pieces, but this poem was for a book i read once, called water for elephants. Tessa fontaines astonishing memoir of pushing past fear, the electric woman, follows the author on a lifeaffirming journey of loss and selfdiscovery through her time on the road with the last traveling american sideshow and her relationship with an adventurous, spirited mother. August feels the need to beat rosie to get her to walk on cue and august beats marlena so she does what he wants her to do.
Jacobs parents loved him deeply and sacrificed a great deal for. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and. Water for elephants elephant was abused in 2005, says. The karangalan family and their neighbors huddle for survival in the cellar of a.
The scene opens on a railway station in spain where the barcelonatomadrid express is expected in 40 minutes. It stars reese witherspoon, robert pattinson, and christoph waltz the film was released in the united states on april 22, 2011. Times, publishers weekly, san francisco chronicle, and washington post lists a usa today and wall street journal best seller an american book association indiebound best seller. A love for these animals wells up in me suddenly, a flash flood, and there it is, solid as an obelisk and viscous as water. Based on the acclaimed bestseller, water for elephants presents an unexpected romance in a uniquely compelling setting. Writing in a different gender role can be challenging, however, i did not find the male perspective in this novel. 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. Water for elephants trailer 20th century fox youtube. Water for elephants 2011 jacob jankowski robert pattinson, a veterinary student, is close to graduating when a terrible tragedy forces him to leave school. Ernest hemingways hills like white elephants tells the story of a man and woman drinking beer and anise liqueur while they wait at a train station in spain. First let me say this is one of my all time favorite books i would really suggest you reading it if you havent already. Her works have been translated into fortythree languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. When i needed a gift for my yoga instructor who had just come back from a 6 month trip to india i knew it was time to do my rosie elephant socks.
Water for elephants is a fascinating read, filled with danger, acts of evil, overwhelming kindness, and enduring love. Veterinary school student jacob meets and falls in love with marlena, a star. This is a huge controversy when talking about circuses, and although water for elephants doesnt address it correctly, there is a subtle discussion. The book was published on may 26, 2006, under algonquin books, in the united states of america. Sara gruen uses her talent as a writer to bring that world alive for the reader. The story opens with an extended description of a train station located in spains ebro valley.
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. Ktlas lu parker investigates undercover video documenting the alleged abuse of tai, the elephant featured in the reese witherspoonrobert pattinson film, water for elephants. A developer of miami beach knew that if an elephant gave children birthday party rides, pulled gondolas along the water, and planted coconut trees, those stunts would attract attention. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. June 23, 20 this movie doesnt have half the imagination of even the most. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and. When jacob overhears a man at the assistedliving center confess to having been a water boy for the elephants in a circus, jacob knows the man is lying because jacob himself once worked. Short stories of ernest hemingway hills like white. 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. What makes water for elephants more intriguing is a third character, reminding us why christoph waltz deserved his supporting actor oscar for inglourious basterds 2009.