The first book that I chose to read for my summer assignment was Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen. This book was very enjoyable and I’m glad that I picked it! This book opens up in first person point of view of Jacob Jankowski, an old man in a nursing home. In a few days the circus will be coming to town and Jacob is excited because he was in the circus at a young age. This book exists in two settings, one in the nursing home of ninety year old Mr. Jankowski, and the other flashback to sometime in the late 1920s early 1930s where young Mr. Jankowski is in the beginning of the great depression and prohibition. This book mostly takes place in a flashback of Jacob on the traveling circus. The setting is very important because one of the major conflicts they face is money due to the depression, which ultimately leads to the downfall …show more content…
His parents are in a fatal car crash and die. He finds out that his parents took a loan out on their house to pay for his schooling. He loses everything even his house. Jacob was almost done with school and he started his final and couldn’t handle it. Jacob ran out of class and didn’t stop till he got to a train and decided to hop on. He was soon informed that this was the train of The Benzini Brothers Circus. The main conflict that Jacob faces is that he fell in love with one of the circus performers, Marlena, who is married to August, a guy with a wicked temper. Some things that complicate the conflict is when Marlena gets pregnant and they have to get out because August started beating her. Jacob did everything he could but he basically got kicked of the circus. The conflict was resolved one night when the animals got loose and Jachob’s elephant smashed in Augusts head and killed him. Marlena and Jacob got married and joined another circus with their elephant and horses from the Benzini