Analyse af Sara Gruens 'Water for Elephants'

Water for Elephants is a book written by Sara Gruen. The story is told by a ninety-three-year-old man called Jacob Jankowski. Jacob is living in a nursing home where his family never comes to visit. One day he starts to tell about his memories of when he was twenty-three years old.

It all begins when he finds out about his parent’s deaths and he decides to leave college.

By fate, he ends up in a circus, where he meets the love of his life Marlena, who is married to the equestrian director August. Jacob fights for his love for Marlena and decides to kill August so he can protect himself and Marlena. Throughout the story, Jacob also finds a friend in the elephants Rosie, who is also new to the circus.

The Main character of this story is Jacob Jankowski. Reader witness a few days in his nineties, and three months in his twenties. Jacob is a lovable person, who takes care of people, and especially animals, which he shows by the way he protects Rosie.”I look after those who look after me.´He smacks his lips, stares at me, and adds, “I also look after those who don't." However, as he gets older he keeps more to himself, but his love for Marlena never ends, “Although there are times I'd give anything to have her back, I'm glad she went first. Losing her was like being cleft down the middle. It was the moment it all ended for me, and I wouldn't have wanted her to go through that. Being the survivor stinks.” (p. 1.99) Jacob Loves Marlena so much that he wants to protect her, now that he knows the pain he had been through after losing her, he didn't want her to feel so much pain.