In modern day society there is suffering surrounding every individual. However, with the skyrocketing divorce rate, consistent deaths, and changed in relationships frequently proves that in modern day individuals take the necessary steps into ending their suffering to live a more desired life in happiness. In the novel, Water for Elephants ,Sara Gruen emphasizes the suffering in Marlena, Rosie, and Jacob to prove that it takes courage to free oneself from the confinement of marriage, other people, and or old age. Marlena frees herself from the marriage between her and August, Rosie frees herself from an abusive relationship, and Jacob frees himself of the path of rotting away in old age.
Marlena endures distress from her marriage to August so when she came to the conclusion to leave him it required an immense amount of courage, especially because he is a violent man, they work together everyday, and she receives little support. Within three weeks of being married to August, Marlena wanted a divorce because she realized that she did not know him as well as she thought when she married him. In the first three weeks of the marriage August was sweet but then she saw a violent side to him. For instance, one night August “beat one of the menagerie workers so badly that he lost an eye” (Gruen 271). The unseen violent side of August when Marlena and him married causes her to live in fear of him. The actions that August took cause Marlena to want a divorce after just three weeks of marriage
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Marlena frees herself from the marriage of her and August, Rosie separates herself from an abusive relationship, and Jacob releases himself of the path to old age. In modern day society with the divorce rate so high, the frequent change in relationships, and deaths signifies not the confinement that others