Do you really think that the book you have been reading is tremendous? The novel Water for Elephants by the award winning author Sara Gruen, is an exciting entrancing bestseller. The novel and the author received several awards that include: the 2007 Book Sense Book of the Year Award, the Book Browse Diamond Award for Most Popular book and the Friends of American Literature Adult Fiction Award. The novelist used point of view, used setting and used the following theme: in order to live a fulfilling life, individuals must take advantage of risky opportunities, even if the consequences are challenging which proves that it’s a wonderful book. If the book wasn’t a bestseller, it wouldn’t have received awards.
To begin with, Water for Elephants is a captivating bestseller due to the point of view used by the author which is first person. The narrative technique of Water of Elephants is more complicated than it might seem. It’s unquestionable, there’s just one narrator throughout, Jacob, who tells us his life story, but in fact he recites two life stories. His two life stories are when he is in his twenties throughout the Great Depression and in his nineties through the 1970’s. The narrator states: “He’s sitting opposite, a newcomer, an interloper-a retired barrister with a square jaw, pitted nose, and great floppy ears” (8). The reader is given the experience of being “inside” the central character’s head who is Jacob; therefore, there is a direct link among Jacob and the reader, getting the impression of how Jacob outlooks other people such as his new pal in the nursing home. First person includes the reader in the narration; hence the interpretation and the reading experience would be more connecting and real. “I don't in fac...
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...novel a tremendous one, as other novels don’t have the gears that this book has. You need fresh ingredients to make a succulent salad as well as good literary elements to make a great book. You will be happy as trees that swayed in the wind when spring was coming when you read this entrancing bestseller. If you don’t take my advice, you are going to miss out a lot.
Works Cited
Biography of Sara Gruen . Alvin Black 3, n.d. Web. 2 Nov 2013.
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“FATE.” The history of nursing homes. Foundation Aiding The Elderly, n.d. Web. 2 Nov 2013. .
“Goodreads .” Water for Elephants . Goodreads , n.d. Web. 2 Nov 2013. .
Gruen , Sara. Water for Elephants . 1st edition. 335. Chapel Hill : Algonquin Books , 2006. Print.
In Sara Gruen’s novel Water for Elephants, the theme of love being a driving force in the characters’ decision making is displayed through the use of characterization and conflict throughout the novel. Jacob’s love for Marlena causes him to make unexpected and often foolish decisions. When Jacob suddenly kissed Marlena, her reaction caused him to realize “‘[he] shouldn’t have done that,’” (Gruen, 2006, p. 153). Jacob was unable to conceal his love for Marlena, which, in turn, caused him to suddenly kiss her. Jacob’s character is extremely love driven, which is demonstrated by his romantic outbursts. Without thinking of the results, Jacob decided to keep Rosie because of his love for her. When Jacob told Marlena they were keeping Rosie, his reasoning was “‘I love that bull.
Being written with a third-person omniscient point of view, as reader it is easy to pick-up the thoughts and ideas of all characters. Originally it is thought that in the beginning of the book that Mud will be the only main/dynamic character, but upon reading further into the book, Tall-Time (closest thing to Mud’s love interest), Torrent (Tall-Time’s best friend), and Date Bed (Mud’s best friend), all will be discussed and their development into complex characters will be another focal point. The author is very creative in her way of developing characters. She almost tries to dedicate each chapter to one character, or another chapter to the relationship that certain elephants share with one another. The dictionary and family tree that she creates within the prologue also add a certain sense of knowledge for the reader; those tools make the reader feel as if they already know things about the characters and their situation. This makes the use of elephants as the main characters, not as farfetched as...
Overall, there is a strong sense of confinement in both novels, The Help, and Water for Elephants. The characters are confined through laws, bounds, expectations and silence. The authors state to the reader that, in order for humans to grow they must be free, and not confined. Subsequently, confinement leads to pain and suffering.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and believe it to be one of the best books I have ever read. It was extremely well written and challenging for me to understand at times. It conveys that dark side of human ambition very well, and it has given me much to think about.
My overall opinion of this book is good I really liked it and recommend it to anyone. It is a good book to read and it keep you interested throughout the whole book.
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 brought through both Jacob’s happy memories and ones that he wishes he could forget which shows its impact on the reader, a sense of catharsis and its social significance.
People always tell you settings that they were put in that helped mold them into the person they are today. The story of Jacob Jankowski is no different, and his story has many settings that we today could never even possibly imagine. Not only did his story take place in the separate world of a circus but also in the time of the 1920s which were riddled with depression and crime and many people looked for an escape. For many that's what the circus was, for the viewers and the performers. When we first see him, Jacob jumps the circus train as a young man and by the end of the story you see him step off the train as a man who is strong person who's sure of himself. As the story develops, you see Sara Gruen developing the character of Jacob Jankowski in Water for Elephants through settings such as the old folks home, the different train stops
One main similarity between the movie and novel, “Water for Elephants” is the conflict between August (one of the main protagonists) and three other main characters: Rosie the elephant, Marlena (August’s wife), and Jacob. In the novel, as soon as Jacob meets Marlena, he already knows that her relationship with August is violent. Even though her domestic abuse becomes out of control, Marlena keeps it a secret from Jacob and everyone else in the circus because she feels she feels like it is a sensitive subject to talk about. When Marlena and Jacob plan to throw a surprise get together for August, August intervenes thinking they are planning a “postcoital celebration” instead (Gruen, 244). After August catches them together, they yell, “Surprise!” to which August replies, “A surprise, yes...Or so you think” and then he “shoves Marlena so violently she crashes back onto the
book I was greatly troubled by its ending. I can see why it is an excellent novel, but at
The documentary of Gardeners of Eden released on Apr 24, 2015, film directed by Anneliese Vandenberg and Austin peck reveals the real life dilemma of Africa's elephants becoming extinct, due to the fact of the worldwide ivory trade. Poaching has become very common. This documentary is persuading the audience to help spread the word about the fact that Africa's elephant species are coming to extinction. In this documentary Daphne Sheldrick talks about the challenges these elephants are facing and the story behind helping these mammals through the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, raising orphaned elephant calves and reintroducing them into the wild. The film directors control what kind of rhetorical strategies, as well as dramatic aspects and
I found the book to be easy, exciting reading because the story line was very realistic and easily relatable. This book flowed for me to a point when, at times, it was difficult to put down. Several scenes pleasantly caught me off guard and some were extremely hilarious, namely, the visit to Martha Oldcrow. I found myself really fond of the char...
This book is a very interesting read, if you have some self discipline. I mean that you need some self discipline because this book didn’t really captivate me in the sense that I couldn’t put it down. But after reading it for a while, I started to appreciate the author’s way of describing the characters and actions in this book.
Elephants'." Studies in Short Fiction. 17.1 (Winter 1980): 75-77. Rpt. in Literature Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 75-77. Literature Resource Center. Gale.
Many years ago our society was filled with moral and ethical values, unfortunately they have all but disappeared. Hemingway captures a moment in history when the tides were turning from an ethical and ordered society to a less ordered and much less ethical society. Using his ability to manipulate the readers’ imagination, Hemingway creates a realistic setting that conveys powerful and raw-edged emotions. Through the use of various landscapes and structures he is able to give the reader insight into the human condition without actually telling what it is. A good example of this is the hot, dry atmospheric conditions that set the mood in the story and communicate a sense of tension to the reader. The expression "They look like white elephants"(23) is a metaphor used to imply the sacred...
Morally, I think this story clearly states that people would do anything to avoid being embarrassed. From my understanding, I think that this story teaches us that we should be open to hear people?s opinions but we should follow our instincts. We should not allow others to make the decisions for us. The police officers just shoot the elephant because people wanted him to do so. This essay is trying to help us to see that we should look at the pros and cons of an issue rather than making a quick decision that can affect someone. I cannot condemn the author for shooting the elephant, though he knew it was wrong. Nor can I condemn him for giving in to the natives and not sticking to his guns. He does not want to appear foolish to others like all of us do.