Water For Elephants, By Sara Gruen - 1376 Words

Throughout time, distinguished authors have succeeded in the goal of portraying the human journey. There has been an innumerable amount of literature published over the years; however what separates the extraordinary books from the appalling books, is the author’s ability to visually and emotionally move their readers. In order to establish a connection to the audience, an author must understand human experience. In Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, two narratives are used, one of an older Jacob, and one of a younger Jacob. This choice is made by the author to help the reader fully comprehend the circle of life. Everyone succumbs to age sooner or later, and while many books conclude with the narrator finding contentment at an early age, this is not the case in reality. In the real world, most struggle to achieve fulfillment, by creating an elderly Jacob, in this case it does not necessarily mean that a live has been fulfilled. The old aged are sometimes just as clueless as th e young. Sara Gruen discloses that the old are not very different from the young; in many cases the old are still playing the game against the formidable opponent of life. We are introduced to an eager and naà ¯ve Jacob in the initial stages of the novel. However, Jacob is introduced to the cruelties of the world all too suddenly, when the death of his parents is abruptly thrust upon him. It states, â€Å"I snap out of my stupor. There are people on that train. It matters not a whit where it’s going becauseShow MoreRelatedLove with Courage in Sara Gruen ´s Water for Elephants Essay1392 Words   |  6 PagesLove is a very powerful emotion which is achieved by overcoming many hurdles and acting with courage. This bravery can be shown towards anything and anyone, including humans and animals. In Sara Gruen’s Water For Elephants, courage is a key aspect for characters that portray their love for other individuals and the animals. The characters, Jacob and Marlena love each other bravely, despite knowing the consequences for their actions. Not only does Marlena love Jacob, she also portrays affection forRead MoreWater for Elephants1072 Wo rds   |  5 Pages In Water for Elephants, the story is told through Jacob Jankowski at two different parts in his life: twenty-three year old Jacob who is out there exploring the world and, ninety-three year old Jacob who feels like he is wasting away his life in a nursing home. Water for Elephants is Gruen’s third book, it became one of the New York Times best sellers, it’s also available in forty-four different languages and it’s now a motion picture (Sara Gruen). Throughout the novel the reader is broughtRead MoreTheme Of Greed In Water For Elephants852 Words   |  4 Pagespredominant role throughout Water For Elephants. Many characters seemed to have embodied a very greedy nature during this time. Although, one cannot blame such characters for their nature because if you take into account the era they lived in, they quite possibly had no other choice but to be greedy. Although, when I think of greed I don’t just think of it as a physical way desire for money and materialistic needs but also as a selfish mindset. I also think that the author, Sara Gruen, made a comprehensibleRead MoreEssay on Water for Elephants1427 Words   |  6 PagesNovel Study Annotated Bibliography Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill: Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 2006. The story follows Jacob Jankowski who was an old man living in a nursing home, as he looks back about a time that defined his life. In the 1930’s, 23-year-old Jacob’s life changed drastically. One minute he was finishing his Veterinarian degree at Cornell and planning to follow his father in the family business. The next his parents passed away in a carRead MoreA Brief Look at Richard LaGrevenese853 Words   |  3 Pageslife journey that Gerry has planned for her, helping her to discover who she is without him and reminding her - p.s. I Love You. On Sunday, July 17, LaGravenese will bring his most recent film to the Ridgefield Playhouse. Water for Elephants, based on the novel by Sara Gruen, is a love triangle set in a second-rate traveling circus in 1931. It stars Reese Witherspoon as equestrian performer Marlena; Christoph Waltz as her husband, the ringmaster August; Robert Pattinson as her lover, the veterinarianRead MoreEssay on Proposed Solutions to Extreme Cases of Animal Abuse2118 Words   |  9 Pagesanimal—and take his frustrations out on it. For example, in Sara Gruen’s novel, Water for Elephants, the circus’s animal supervisor, August, discovers that he is in trouble. August is being blamed as a consequence of the actions of the circus’s elephant, Rosie. As Gruen writes, August feels the need to release this anger, and, â€Å"[†¦] distraught listeners could still make out the hollow thud of bull hook hitting flash, again and again and again† (Gruen, 223). August compulsivel y feels the need to take outRead MorePersonal Project4460 Words   |  18 PagesBooks for Young Readers, 2003. * Picoult, Jodi. My Sister’s Keeper. Washington Square Press, 2004. * Boyne, John. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. Atria Books, 2006. * Sparks, Nicholas, Dear John. Warner Books, 2006. * Gruen, Sara. Water For Elephants. Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2006. * Picoult, Jodi. The Pact. Avon, 1998. * Paterson. Katherine. Bridge To Terabithia. Harper Collins Publishers, 1977. * Heller, Joseph. Catch-22. Simon amp; Schuster, 1961. *