post 6

The show is now stopped in oregon looking for new animals and acts. The old show there has many animals that are desired by the cirucs. Big Al is mostly desiring an elephant. In oregon there is an elephant named Rosie, They purchase her for a small sum because they think she is a dumb bull. Rosie is very smart and people friendly.They think she is dumb because she doesn't follow commands, and she is resistatn to her trainers. The show picks up with rosie and they move into Chicago. The animal director August has anger problems, so he continuously beats rosie. Jacob speaks out against his boss, and August becomes less violent. As a present August takes Jacob and Marlena to a night club, thsi is during the Prohibition era, so this club is underground and secret. While there Jthe club gets raided by police, and the gang is split up. Jacob and Marlena go into an alleyway, with no sight of August. They begin to dance, and then Jacob kisses her. She is frozen, because she is married to August. The two make an unspoken pact to keep this secret. Then next day they are unpacking, and rosie is set for the show. Marlena rides her into the set, but rosie uncontrobally starts running. In desperation Marlena graps onto a support over hang and gets off the elephant. Marlena is on the pole about 15 feet in the air. She begins swinging on it getteing ready for a dismount. She flips off and lands on her feet. She bruises her ankles,a nd she is hurt for a month. Rosie goes into a lady's garden and eats all of her vegetables. I think Jacob will form a special bond with rosie, because he feels bad for its miss treatment. I think Jacob will help solve Rosies troubles.

post #5

Jacob attends a dinner party with the upper echelon of the circus. He is given new clothes, along with a new status in the circus. He makes friends with the animal manager August, and the main horse rider Marlena. He gets very drunk and wakes up with a massive sickness in his body. He is faced right away with the toughest decision of his life. The Main attraction horse silver star's foot is to the point of no recovery, and it is in great pain. Even though Jacob's job is on the line he must decide what to do with it. He ends up putting down the horse and he goes into a depressed state of mind. The circus keeps on moving from town to town and jacob is still feeling blue. Marlena backs his decision, and that is how Jacob has kept his job. Jacob has fallen in love with Marlena. As a prank August makes Jacob feed the tigers. One of the tigers bites Jacob's hand. He is in pure shock to find that his hand is still there. He then sees August laughing and he finds that the tiger has no teeth. Jacob is well known in the circus now, and has gained a new family.

outside reading #4

Jacob is assigned the position of vetrenary, and his job is already on the line. The main show horse is injured, with a broken foot. This foot is very swollen and infected. The show has been wondering why the horse hasn't been performing well, and this is the reason. Big Al tells Jacob to have the horse better in one month, if not he is fired. The healing of this injury is very hard, becasue this is a delicate bone on the horse. Thsi ailment is life threatning, and Jacob is confused on how to treat it in the short time. He assigns a new diet for the horse, and has it lay down for this time instead of standing. Marlena, the show's horse rider, is very impressed with jacob's expertise in the vetrenary field. Jacob likes marlena a lot, and is almost in love. The show travels from stop to stop scrounging up new Freaks, and supplies. When one of the main circuses closes down the show adopts many of the Talents from the old show. Jacob's life in the circus is hanging in the balance of his medical skill, and the horses's recovery speed.

outside reading #3

Because of Jacob's previous performances in work he was asked to see the owner of the show. He was very nervous to see big Al, because he is notoriously known for being mean. Big Al fiercly questions the intent of Jacob being on this circus. Big Al is making fun of the fact that Jacob is a college boy, who ended up on a circus. Whe Al asks Jacob what college, and Jaconb says Cornell, Al is shocked in disbelief. When he asks Jacob what he was studying, and Jacob says to become a vet, a twinkle shines is Al's eye. Jacob is immediatley placed on the animal care staff, and punched in as a fulltime wage earning worker for the circus. Jacob is told to sleep down with the horses. To his suprise, one of the performers is living down there. The performer is a midget, who has red hair, and many freckels. The midget is very angry when the men tell him jacob must room with him. Jacob finally can rest in peace knowing that he has a job now. He sleeps very well, having no nightmares about his parents, and starts his new life in the circus. I believe Jacob will be very successful in this position, because this is what he has prepared himself to do.

outside reading #2

Jacob is moving up the ranks in the circus from where i left off. In the previous chapters he was a maitenence man, but now he is on staff for a certain venue. Before the show jacob peeks into the big tent, and sees large show animals. He sees tigers, horses,monkies, and girafees. He is perplexed at the reason why there is no elephant in the show. He then sees the horse trainer, who he is immediatley attracted to.when his exhibit starts it is pure chaos. His exhibit is the bearded lady exhibit, and jacob leads the people to it and helps keep order. When men and women want their refundsa fight breaks out between jacob's boss, and a man who is angry. Jacob jumps in to defend hsi boss and puts the man in a headlock, drags him away from the exhibit, and throws him on the ground. Seconds later the circus security takes the man away for his actions. Jacob gained positive recognition from his boss for defending his life. He promises Jacob a more secure position in the show. I believe Jacob will gain a tight relationship with the horse trainer, and she will help Jacob succeed in the circus. Jacob is gaining an identity in the circus and will become a large part in the future shows hopefully.

chapters 1-3

I just started water for elephants and it is already a page turner. A 90 year old man named Jacob Jankowski has a flashback on his past life in the circus. It starts when he is around 20 and is attending Cornell in order to become a vet. During preperation for his finals Jacob is notified that his parents had both died in a car accident. Jacob is so shaken by this news that he can't prepare for his test. On the day of the final Jacob sits and looks at his test for forty five minutes and then turns it in. He is basically blinded by his parents death and he just needs to get away. He walks for a few hours down the train tracks just looking to get away. He finds a train, and he has no money so he jumps on it. He finally gets in the car, only to find strange looking men who are work crew on the ringling Brothers circus. Jacob is shoked by this and is welcomed in. He starts his work as a muscle man who packs and un-packs the cars. Jacob was so overwhelmed by his parents deaths that he needed to get away. This blind movement led Jacon to this life in the circus. I think he will find sanctuary in the circus becasue they are closely knit, and it is a job to distract him. Hopefully Jacob's ivy league education will give him a higher status in teh circus world.
Gruen, Sara " Water for Elephants" Algonwuin books. 2007. April 21 2009.

Outside reading

I chose to read the book water for elephants because of the great reviews i have heard about it. My friends have requested it to me becasue it is supposed to be a fast read. The book is by Sarah Gruen, who is supposed to be a great author. I read the inside of the cover and I became instantly intrested in the book. I mainly chose to read this because of my friends around me telling me to read it. I am very excited to read the book.