Free quiz characters objectsplaces themes style quotes topics for discussion. Its one of the few books that everyone has come back to me saying, water for elephants was so good. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. I didnt really feel the love between the characters because they were so two dimensional. An elephants trunk has over forty thousand muscles and tendons. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of water for elephants by sara gruen. I understand that the elephants are brutally beaten. T time with elephants by guy belleranti three interesting things about an elephant begin with the letter t trunk, tusk and teeth. A meticulously researched, fastpaced, engaging and ultimately very satisfying novel set mostly ina depression era travelling circus. Trust us, water for elephants is going to be one of the surprise hits of 2011. There is so much to love about sara gruens water for elephants, from the lush and magical setting of a 1930s circus, to the sweeping forbidden romance, to the heartbreaking recollections of narrator jacob jankowski but besides offering a sweepyouoffyourfeet reading experience and a highlyanticipated movie adaptation late this month, there are plenty of opportunities to study the. Water for elephants has two plots going on, both starring the same main character, jacob.
The setting of the story changes throughout the book. Water for elephants questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on water for elephants. The distinguished setting of the novel is a circus. Water for elephants book discussion questions water for elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. Water for elephants is a historical novel by sara gruen, written as part of national novel writing month. Vocabulary from water for elephants flashcards quizlet.
Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and. Read water for elephants absolutely for free at readanybook. Jacob, the books narrator and protagonist, worked as a vet and trainer of sorts at a circus. The alternating glamour and squalor of the circus world gruen expertly conjures may truly be one of the greatest shows. The story is told as a series of memories by jacob jankowski, a 93yearold man who lives in a nursing home. Students read the text and then answer the study questions. In fact it was because of watching the movie that i was induced to. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse award for most popular book. Its from this nursing home that jacob tells his story, like he is looking back at all the adventures at the circus.
Her works have been translated into fortythree languages and have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. In what ways and to what extent do the words pathetic grandeur describe the world that gruen creates in her novel. But it also teaches us that this lesson shouldnt be abandoned in old age. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Young jacob is able to do whatever his heart desires including, jumping on moving trains and fighting for the women he loves. Water for elephants water for elephants is a romantic period drama that takes place in the depression era with a struggling circus full of misfits as its background. It is a book i have recommended to everyone who has asked me what book i would recommend. In one plot, jacob is a young guy just starting out in the world. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932, by the bestselling author of riding lessons.
I have to admit, when our book club picked this book, i thought it was going to be long and tedious. The author, sara gruen allows readers to read the book from two perspectives, one from young jacob and the other from older presentday jacob. An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of starcrossed lovers, set in the circus world circa. There are hints of the effect of the great depression on people in the cities the circus visits, thus expanding the setting to capture the history around the characters. Water for elephants is the new york times bestselling debut novel. In fact it was because of watching the movie that i was induced to read the book. Because the police escorted jacob out of the testing room he was never able to finish his schooling at. Death of parentsthe death of jacobs parents was the first main event that happened in the book. Life lesson one of the characters in this movie is rosie the elephant and no one saw her potential except jacob jankowski robert pattinson. Water for elephants by sara gruen, 9781565125605, available at book. Water for elephants, published in 2006, is sara gruens third book and her most. Water for elephants book club discussion questions and. Elephants is it true that elephants never forget anything.
Elephants read the questions and answers about elephants from a nature website. In striving to enrich the lives of all readers, teachingbooks supports the first amendment and celebrates the right to read. How do the chapters about the older jacob enrich the story about jacobs adventure with the circus. Setting the setting of the novel has a great impact in the plot and development of the story itself. The grand rapids press you need this elephant in your life. The last notes of water for elephants linger long after the book ends. Water for elephants is a story about an elderly man, jacob, who recalls an adventure in his younger years. Water for elephants life lessons from movies and literature. Take our free water for elephants quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Robert olen butler so much more than a tale about a circus, water for elephants is a compelling journey not only under the big top, but into the protagonists heart. Water for elephants questions and answers the question and answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature. These book club discussion questions reveal important details about water for elephants by sara gruen. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
In water for elephants, jacob jankowski recalls the great benzini brothers circus disaster. The novel also takes place during the 1930s, so the circus provides life and entertainment for those coming from near and far. Water for elephants is a book that can be read and reread, recommended and handed off between friends. The water for elephants community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and. Start studying vocabulary from water for elephants. The title, water for elephants, is almost a little inside joke with the reader once weve finished the book, that is.
I decided to not watch the movie when i heard it was coming out simply because i didnt want to possibly ruin the experience id had with the book if the movie wasnt uptopar. Some say dont judge a book by its cover and others say dont judge a film by the book. This book was influenced by very important literary movements, such as romanticism, realism, regionalism, and naturalism. The book, water for elephants, starts off in the present day, in a nursing home where the main character, jacob jankowski, lives. I hate being so enamored with a book and then a crappy movie version comes along and tarnishes it. Water for elephants memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion. This worksheet includes interesting facts about elephants.
Books, stories, and novels like water for elephants by sara gruen. Sara gruens very readable novel is a story of impossible love set in the circus world during the 1930s and is set to be made into a blockbuster film starring robert pattinson and reese witherspoon. Winner of the 2007 bookbrowse diamond award for most popular book. There is so much to love about sara gruens water for elephants, from the lush and magical setting of a 1930s circus, to the sweeping. Your story took me to place i could only dream of going. Order our water for elephants study guide buy the water for. I watched the filmmovie titled water for elephants before reading the book.
Jacob jankowski jacob jankowski is the narrator of the novel, and senior in college whose ready to explore the world and find where he belongs. Water for elephants was adapted into a major motion picture starring reese witherspoon, rob pattinson, and christoph waltz. Discussion of themes and motifs in sara gruens water for elephants. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The trunk is a combination of the nose and the upper lip. Water for elephants when the group arrives in joliet, what surprise do they receive. If you say that you carried water for elephants, i am. Water for elephants by sara gruen is a must read a story about a 90yearold man remembering his days with a circus during the great depression. Read online water for elephants by sara gruen for free. I fell in love with the picture you chose for your book the first time i saw it. Having strong reading comprehension skills will also help in other subjects.
Water for elephants by sara gruen book club discussion. The truth is, it is summer and i am desperate for a distraction away from my recent obsession with greys anatomy reruns fueled by netflixs instant queue. The water for elephants lesson plan contains a variety of teaching materials that cater to all learning styles. Water for elephants is one of my most favorite books. Use these book club discussion questions on water for elephants to lead your book clubs conversation on the story. Inside youll find 30 daily lessons, 20 fun activities, 180 multiple choice questions, 60 short essay questions, 20 essay questions, quizzeshomework assignments, tests, and more. I know i shouldnt do this, but somehow i cant help myself. Sara gruen uses her talent as a writer to bring that world alive for the reader. So i purchased the book and slowly began retreating. When jacob jankowski, recently orphaned and suddenly adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, drifters, and misfits, a secondrate circus struggling to.