1. Water for Elephants By
Sara Gruen

2. Conflict Conflict: a struggle between two opposing forces Types:
Man v. man
Man v. society
Man v. self

3. Jacob Old Jacob Characteristics/Qualities
Cranky because he didn’t want to eat the nursing home’s food, independent because he likes to be alone
Important/Surprising Fact:
Ran away to join the circus.
His wife died.
Major Conflict:
Man vs man, Mr. McGinty claims to have brought water to the elephant but Jacob knew he was lying.
Young Jacob
Characteristics/Qualities
Romantic because he has a relationship with Marlena. He’s smart and he knows how to care for animals.
After his parents died he felt lonely.
Important/Surprising Fact:
His parents died in a car accident. He helps Marlena escape August. She wants to go back to the circus but not her husband.
Major Conflict:
Man vs society,He wasn’t allowed to come back to the circus, but he does to get back Marlena.

4. Marlena Characteristics/Qualities
Takes charge, flexible, star of the circus. Stands up for what she believes in, beauty.
Important/Surprising Fact:
She ran away from her family and married August. Cheats on August with Jacob.
Major Conflict:
Her horse dies, man vs self she allows the horse to be put out of suffering.
Man vs man, her husband beats her
Man vs society, breaks society’s rule about marriage by cheating on her husband

5. August Important/Surprising Fact: Straight up villain
He’s the antagonist
Major Conflict:
Man vs. self he gets drunk and hits his wife and abuses animals.
Characteristics/Qualities:
Wife beater, animal abuser, cruel individual, paranoid schizophrenic.

6. Uncle Al Characteristics/Qualities
He’s the owner of the circus. He’s cruel because he cares more about money than his employees.
Important/Surprising Fact:
He was jealous of the ringling brothers circus.
He was proud that he had a elephant on the show.
Major Conflict:
Man vs man/society, He didn’t have enough money or space for his workers. He had them red lighted (killed).

7. Walter/Kinko & his dog, Queenie
Characteristics/Qualities
Little person, stubborn and mean, short tempered.
Important/Surprising Fact:
He loves to read and loves porn. Walter and Jacob become good friends when he saves Queennie and calls kinko by his real name.
major Conflict:
Man vs man/ society , does not get along with Jacob at first because the rules of the circus say that performers and laborers do not share sleeping space.

8. CAMEL Important/Surprising Fact:
Camel can barely survive without liquor and he ends up buying bad liquor called Jake and gets a disease called Jake Leg. Jacob looks out for him when he gets sick.
Major Conflict:
Man vs self, he feels like he’s useless to the circus and he feels like he let his family down because of his alcohol problem.
Characteristics/Qualities
Old, alcoholic, friendly he helps Jacob get a job.

9. Rosie
Major Conflict:
Rosie is abused by August and doesn’t understand English.
Language barrier
Characteristics/Qualities
Good natured, intelligent, holds serious grudges
Important/Surprising Fact:
Rosie kills August

10. Settings: time/place of action
Nursing Home (present day)
The circus (present day)
Cornell University (the past)
Under the Traveling Big Top-1930's

11. Structure Prologue: the past Alternating chapters:
A murder takes place.
Who is killed?
How?
We have a mystery.
What is the mystery?
Alternating chapters:
Old Jacob in the nursing home
&
Young Jacob in college and in the circus

12. Themes Theme: author’s message or
the central idea in a work (book, essay, movie, song).
How do I figure out what the themes
are?
Ask yourself, “What does the author want
me to know (or understand) about life or
people when I have completed the story?

13. Themes: Love What does the author want me to know about love?
Theme 1 about love: We can’t always help whom we fall in love with.
Evidence: Marlena falls in love with Jacob and cheats on her husband, August.

14. Themes: Courage What does the author want me to know about courage?
Theme 1 about courage: Anyone can show courage if he or she believes in something strongly enough
Evidence: Walter/Kinko allowing
Camel to hide in his room, knowing
That if they are caught, he will be
red-lighted, which is what happens.

15. Themes: Old Age What does the author want me to know about old age?
Theme 1 about old age: Aging is painful and causes people to lose their dignity.
Evidence: Jacob has difficulty walking and can’t shower without a nurse.