Water for Elephants Literary Elements

A historical novel

The story happens in The Benzini Brothers' Circus of America in the 1930s. According to the novel this period is the most difficult, because it has a huge economic crisis. The Circus has financial problems too.

The narrator is a first person Jacob Jankowski. He is a main character, who narrates about his life and the Circus during the whole novel.

The sorrowful mood is the most prevalent in the novel. Many events can confirm it. For example, death of Jacob’s parents and Marlena’s white horse are the most tragic moments.

The protagonist is Jacob Jankowski. The antagonist is August.

The major conflict concerns August and his conception about the most precious things in his life. Money has a very significant role for August. That’s why he always tortures animals in the Circus and gives a small wage for the circus artistes. But he doesn’t suspect that his greediness can revenge upon him.

The climax happens, when Jacob and Marlena escape from the Circus, because they cannot endure August’s tortures and humiliation.

Readers can notice that the main character Jacob foreshadows that Marlena will lose her beautiful white horse because of the difficult disease. After a while the prediction happens.

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The novel alludes to books of the most famous authors. Kinko, who is a clown with the dog, has some books of Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and Wordsworth. Also he has a Bible.

Imagery is mostly used describing appearances of the characters and nature as a background for their decisions.

The main paradox of this novel is the fact that Jacob’s children leave their father at the nursing home. Jacob affirms that his children love him and they care about him, but devoted children would have never left old parents at the nursing home.

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August personifies evil, which destroys all wishes and hopes.