Preview

Book Summary: Water For Elephants

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
293 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Book Summary: Water For Elephants
Water for Elephants – Journal 1
In our discussion on Friday, no one else read the book so I was stuck trying to piece together what they knew, what happened in the book, and how to write a decent report on what has happened so far. So far in the book, we read about Jacob living in the retirement home and coming in contact with a fellow who claims he carried water for elephants. Elderly Jacob flashes back to when he was twenty-three. His parents had just died in a car accident; he skipped out on his veterinarian final exam, and hops a train out of Norwich in hopes of finding work somewhere new. The train is for the “Benzini Brother’s Most Spectacular Show on Earth”. He joins the circus, does a variety of petty jobs until he lands in the circus

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Scientists have been wondering if elephants could feel emotions. In the three articles, “Elephants Can Lend a Helping Trunk,” by Virginia Morell, “Elephants Know When They Need a Helping Trunk in a Cooperative Task” by Joshua Plotnik and, “Elephants Console Each Other,” by Virginia Morell. All of the authors used information to get their message across and to explain the author's purpose.…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Sarah Gruen’s Water for Elephants is an account of ninety-something year old Jacob Jankowski’s life, both in the present day, where he resides in a nursing home, unhappy with his living conditions and the old age that has robbed him of his freedom, and through flashbacks of when he was young, traveling with the circus. Just a few days away from getting his veterinary degree from Cornell University, Jacob’s mother and father were suddenly killed in an automobile accident, sending Jacob’s life spiraling out of control; with his parents’ debt having left him with no home and no money, he hops aboard a circus train for the “Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth,”…

    • 1350 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The book I choose to read is call The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water and the author is call Charles Fishman. Who is Charles Fishman? Well, Charles was born in Miami, Florida and went to Harvard University. He now lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with his wife who is also a journalist. They have two children and four pets in which two are Labradors and the other two are parakeets. Besides The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future, he also, has wrote The Wal-Mart Effect that is the bestseller and an Economist Book of the Year, The Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life that was also the bestselling collaboration with Hollywood producer…

    • 284 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sea Biscuit Book Report

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This story, one of my favorite tales, is about grit and willpower and how anything can be accomplished through perseverance. Around the midway point of the book you receive the depiction of America during World War II and are shown how a horse generated more news and popular than the president Roosevelt and Hitler himself. My feedback towards this book is positive everybody who wants to hear about how hard work really pays off should read this. It was not just the heart of the horse that achieved greatness, but also the heart of the three men who put everything they had into the animal. Very similar to the film, the book contained exactly what I was expecting to find. An amazing story about an underdog who fights the odds and overcomes the difficulty set in front of him to achieve greatness has always been a great type of story to read. This type of theme is used repeatedly and can be found with difficulty, but it is so interesting to me because of the time setting and…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Rosenbluth, that "he's a funny one, and [..] not funny ha-ha. He doesnt like [any] one questioning his authority. And he has his moments [...]."(p.87). Whether he is clothing, wining and dining his "best friend" or presenting him with a gold pocket watch (p. 233) Jacob, having very different values sees right past August's fake genourosity. He is an opportunist with very little moral fiber. Ironically, August is the equestrian director but has very little love and respect for animals, much like Al and much to the disgust of Jacob. For financial reasons he neglects the needs of his animals when the benzini brothers are trying to pick up new acts and he is incredibly rough on Rosie, the "pride" of the Benzini Brothers circus. More than once August takes out is uncontrolable rage on the poor Pachyerm, not understanding that it is an animal away from its habitat and will naturally act out of line from time to time, like when it stole lemonade or ran out of the big top during a performance. These instances largely contribute to why Jacob "[..] hate[s] the bastard." (p.171): " I return to the ring stock car and lie on my bedroll, sickened beyond belief by the thought of what is going on in the menagerie and even more sickened that I'm doing nothing to prevent it."…

    • 584 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The book Tears Of A Tiger is a great book about a high school basketball player Andy, and his friends. Andy had a fantastic life. He had three best friends named Robert, Tyrone, and B.J. Also he had a girl friend named Keisha. Andy's life then changed after one night out with his friends. After him and his closest friends won the basketball game at Hazelwood High, they went out for a drive. They had bought some beer as their reward for winning. Andy was driving and Robert was sitting in the passenger's seat. Tyrone and B.J were sitting in the back. Everyone got drunk except for B.J. In a blink of an eye there was a wall in front of Andy's car. They had just got into a terrible accident. Tyrone, Andy, and B.J jumped out of the car and started…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “The Color of Water”, written by James McBride, is a memoir. The book was introduced to us in 1995. The main narrator, James, born in the year of 1957 to an African-American father and a Jewish mother. James, at that time, was not to keen about the black power in the sense he had a white mother. During the Civil Rights, his stepfather had passed away. From this point on; James realizes the true responsibility of himself towards his friends and family. He unveils his true self to the world with his memoir entitled “The Color of Water”. His mother’s name was Ruth McBride. Her story was also compelling. Ruth, born in Poland in the year of 1921. Ruth was an immigrant to the United States. Later in her life, she met her black husband Andrew Dennis…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Apes- Water Study Guide

    • 1340 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Other chemical parameters that are influenced by DO organic waste and microscopic organisms that use oxygen to breakdown waste.…

    • 1340 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Use of elephants as war animals has been dated back to as early as 331 BC by the Persians. King Darius the 111 of Persia was the first to use elephants in the battle of Guagamela, against Alexander the Great of Mecedon. Kind Darius' army consisted of 15 well trained Indian elephants which was used to frighten the opposition. War elephants were used in elephantry which involves a parade of elephants with military troops mounted on top. These elephants were used to charge at the enemy, separate their forces and inculcate a sense of fear in them. The many different attributes possessed by elephants made them useful in battles. Firstly Male elephants were used in the battlefield due to their aggressive nature. Female elephants were used for other purposes such as transportation and carrying of heavy loads. The massive…

    • 441 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Water for Elephants

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I chose the book Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I chose this book because I had watched the movie a long time ago and everyone says the book is always better than the movie. I knew I was going to like it because I love animals and I have always wanted to be a veterinarian just like Jacob in this book. I thought it was very inspiring how even after Jacob learns that his parents have been killed in the car crash and their home has been mortgaged to pay for his tuition and the house is not to become his home, he leaves his college right before he has nearly graduated. He jumps on a train, not knowing it is a circus train belonging to the Benzini Brothers. Jacob is nearly kicked off of the train but when the owner of the circus, Uncle Al finds out about Jacob’s training as a vet, he hires Jacob to take care of his circus animals. I believe it is was a miracle. Jacob is hardworking and does whatever he can to protect what and who he loves. Unlike some people Jacob was aware that August was a mean man that abuses the animals and the people around him, but comes off as a charming man, he felt he had to develop a guarded relationship to protect Rosie and Marlena. Jacob was an all around caring person, he helped people as much as possible like when he helped Camel who became paralyzed and the circus had no need for him anymore, Jacob knew August would kick him off the train so he took care of Camel until the circus got to the providence, which is where Camel’s son was located. I think that the message in this book is that when there is no hope left in you that you need to just keep moving because whether you believe it or not things will get better. That is what happened to Jacob numerous times in this book, he had a lot of tough times but he got through them eventually. I like that you can imagine what is happening in your head the whole time you are reading this book, but for example “Rosie stretches out her trunk, reaching for…

    • 1144 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In the passage “The Night Circus”, Bailey was dared by his sister to sneak into the Circus when it was closed. This causes Bailey to show his emotions and reactions throughout the passage. Bailey is curious and determined to fulfill the dream that his sister set. When Bailey visits the Circus, he is very curious and amazed by all of the events and activities that were there. Sadly, when Bailey was six, his parents decided that he was too young to go to the circus.…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Water for Elephants

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen is about an old man recounting his experiences in the circus. As an old man, Jacob Jankowski makes a decision to leave his nursing home and join the circus that has come to his town. After Jacob’s parents’ death during Jacob’s college exams, Jacob decides to leave college and hop on a train. He hops on a train that happens to be the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. He makes many friends in the circus and marries his love, Marlena. They start a family in the Ringling Brothers circus after the Benzini Brothers circus collapses. In the circus he gains family, friends, and tons of stories. When Jacob is in the Nursing home, his son, Simon, forgets to take Jacob to the circus. Jacob then decides to walk there himself from the nursing home. Jacob anticipates a joyful circus day and his forgetful son is not going to stop Jacob from enjoying that day. All Jacob wants to do is relive his adventurous past for a day, and when an opportunity to relive that adventure for the rest of his life is offered to him, Jacob takes it. The manager of the circus offers Jacob the opportunity to join the circus. Anyone would give up boring nursing home living for the circus. Jacob makes a good decision at the end of the novel because it is justified by his life now and his past experiences in the circus.…

    • 1029 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Do elephants cry? Of course they do, because they care about each other. A mother elephant will shield her calf from vicious predators and the hot sun, guiding it underneath herself. If there’s an obstacle in their path, a mother will carry her child over it, when a dust storm hits, she will personally bathe her precious baby. Just like humans, elephants create deep emotional bonds between their families and herds. Except, humans are a little better at expressing their feelings. We care for our loved ones in many ways, but most everyone has different ways of showing it.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When I was younger, I compared my grandfather to that of an elephant, 13 feet tall, 15,400 pounds, and a heart weighing up to 46 pounds. A big, broad, vulnerable creature, towering over the rest of the family. Ten months of hairy cell leukemia, a rare strand of the already rare strand of chronic lymphotic leukemia claiming his body made him so small, just skin and bones. My best friend sat 205 miles away over Skype and asked: “How do you get rid of an elephant in a room?” I imagined an elephant squeezing itself like a balloon into my nine-foot-tall living room. “You have to eat it,” she said, “Do you know how eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Jungle: Book Review

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The main theme of The Jungle is the evil of capitalism. Every event, especially in the first twenty-seven chapters of the book, is chosen deliberately to portray a particular failure of capitalism in Sinclair’s view, inhuman and violent. The slow total destruction of Jurgis’s immigrant family at the hands of a cruel and unfair economic and social system shows the effect of capitalism on the working class as a whole. As the immigrants, who initially possess an idealistic faith in the American Dream of hard work leading to material success, are slowly used up and destroyed, the novel illustrates that capitalism is to blame for their troubles and emphasizes that the characters’ individual stories are the stories of millions of people. Sinclair suggests not to explore the psychology of capitalism; instead, he simply presents a long litany of the ugly effects of capitalism on the world.…

    • 279 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics