History Literature / WaterForElephants

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the movie, [[spoiler: August's violence]] is interpreted as him being a heavy MoodSwinger and he can't seem to control his [[BerserkButton boiling rage;]] someone even wonders to Jacob why [[spoiler: August bothers training animals if he can't stop himself from beating them.]] While the other workers call him [[InsaneEqualsViolent a "paranoid schizophrenic,"]] the setting's time period mostly likely means that ''something'' is wrong with him, but the other workers just don't know what it is.

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the movie, [[spoiler: August's]] violence is interpreted as him being a heavy MoodSwinger [[spoiler: and he ends up verbally abusing and hitting Marlena]]. Other characters call him a "paranoid schizophrenic" because [[InsaneEqualsViolent it's so damn easy to set him off;]] someone even wonders to Jacob why he bothers training animals, [[CaptainObvious if he can't restrain himself from beating them.]] Knowing the time period of the movie/book in the early 1900s, it's pretty likely he has ''something'' wrong with him, but the other characters just don't know what to call it.
* AndTheAdventureContinues: The book ends with [[spoiler:Jacob leaving the old folks' home and running away with another circus.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the movie, [[spoiler: August's]] violent tendencies are interpreted as being a heavy MoodSwinger [[spoiler: and he ends up verbally abusing and hitting Marlena]]. Other characters call him a "paranoid schizophrenic" because [[InsaneEqualsViolent it's so damn easy to set him off;]] someone even wonders to Jacob why he bothers training animals, [[CaptainObvious if he can't restrain himself from beating them.]] Knowing the time period of the movie/book, it's pretty likely he has ''something'' wrong with him, but the other characters just don't know what to call it.

* BullyingADragon: August somehow thinks yelling at and hitting an elephant is a good idea. In the movie, [[spoiler: he's heavily implied to have some kind of emotional disorder since he [[MoodSwinger switches moods like lightning]] and can't seem to moderate it.]]

* {{Insane Equals Violent}}: [[spoiler: August is an extremely fairweathered person who is fully capable of appearing kind and charming one moment and verbal abusing and beating the shit out of someone the next. Some of the characters describe his 'Paranoid Schizophrenia' to be a big contributor.]]

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the movie, [[spoiler: August's]] more violent tendencies take the form of being a heavy MoodSwinger [[spoiler: and he ends up verbally abusing and hitting Marlena as well]]. Other characters call him a "paranoid schizophrenic" because he goes from calm to [[InsaneEqualsViolent violently enraged]] so quickly; someone even wonders to Jacob why he bothers training animals, [[CaptainObvious if he can't restrain himself from beating them.]] Knowing the time period of the movie/book, it's pretty likely he has ''something'' wrong with him, but the other characters just don't know what to call it.

* AmbiguousDisorder: In the movie, [[spoiler: August's]] more violent tendencies take the form of being a heavy MoodSwinger [[spoiler: and he ends up verbally abusing and hitting Marlena as well]]. Other characters call him a "paranoid schizophrenic" because he goes from calm to [[InsaneEqualsViolent violently enraged]] so quickly; someone even wonders to Jacob [[FridgeLogic why he bothers training animals]] if he can't restrain himself from beating them. Knowing the time period of the movie/book, it's pretty likely he has ''something'' wrong with him, but the other characters just don't know what to call it.

* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:When August becomes jealous, he ends up giving Marlena a black eye in adition to verbal abuse.]]

* RealityEnsues: [[spoiler:Jacob and Marlena end up becoming 'secret lovers.']] While there is a huge amount of conflict due to the fact that [[spoiler: Marlena is married and her husband is jealous and violent, the book doesnt ignore the fact that they engage in unprotected sex several times and Marlena becomes pregnant because of this]]

** In the retirement home, one of the other retirees begins to gather all sorts of attention and adoration for himself by telling everyone that he used to work in a circus, carrying water for elephants. This has the effect of [[RantInducingSlight pissing Jacob off]], partially because ''he'' worked for the circus in his younger years, and knows that elephants drink far too much water to make carrying it to them by hand practical.
** In the movie, this is used when one of the performers jokingly suggests that they they give Jacob a job [[ImpossibleTask getting water for the elephants.]] [[AdaptationalContextChange It has a different explanation]] than the book, saying that it's an impossible task because they don't even HAVE an elephant.

* MamasBabyPapasMaybe: Subverted. [[spoiler:Due to certain timing, Jacob isn't 100% certain (at first) that the child Marlena is carrying is his or August's. (He does assure that he would love and care for the child of his own no matter what) His suspiciouns are relieved when the child is born and has his bright red hair.]]

* [[spoiler: Walter]]. assuming he did die of his wounds, was left with four broken limbs after being thrown out of a train, and likely died of exposure.

When 23-year-old Jacob Jankowski's parents are [[DeceasedParentsAreTheBest killed in a car crash]] a week before he completes veterinary school at Cornell University, he finds himself left with nothing after he fails to reclaim his parents' property. [[HeroicBSOD In a moment of impulse]], he skips out on his exams, runs out of town, and jumps on a train, unaware that it is the train of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth circus. He soon makes a deal with circus owner and ringmaster Uncle Al to stay with the circus in exchange for becoming the circus veternarian. Along the way he gets to know August, -- a [[TheCharmer charming]], but [[AxCrazy sometimes violent]] animal trainer -- his wife, Marlena, -- the star of the equestrian act whom Jacob falls in love with -- and several other workers and performers. However, once the show acquires an elephant named Rosie, a complicated series of events occurs where Jacob soon learns of the circus' darker side, and struggles to find a way to leave the show without bringing harm and danger to himself or his new friends.

* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Jacob gets extremely drunk at one point and is sexually humiliated by two of the circus hookers. What they do to him can definitely be considered sexual assault. Jacob wakes up the next morning with a painted face, [[{{Squick}} shaved testcles]] and having little idea what happened the night before, explicitly saying he "Didn't know if he was still a virgin..." [[AngstWhatAngst This incident is mentioned few times after that.]]

** In the movie, this is used when one of the performers jokingly suggests that they they give Jacob a job [[ImpossibleTask getting water for the elephants.]] It has a different explantation than the book, saying that it's an impossible task because they don't even HAVE an elephant.

* BerserkButton: Don't mention Ringling in front of Uncle Al.
** Also don't hurt Rosie unless you want Jacob to come after you.

* ChekhovsSkill: In the movie, Rosie learns how to remove the stake from the ground to free herself so she can go over and steal some lemonade. At the end of the film, Rosie puts the same skill to use, removing the stake and [[spoiler: slashing it across the back of August's neck, killing him.]]

* TheDogBitesBack: In the film, [[spoiler:Rosie kills August when he's about to strangle Marlena.]]

** TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler:Rosie kills August by striking him with the stake used to tie her, just as he's about to strangle Marlena to death.]]

* TitleDrop: In the retirement home, one of the other retirees begins to gather all sorts of attention and adoration for himself by telling everyone that he used to work in a circus, carrying water for elephants.
** This has the effect of [[RantInducingSlight pissing Jacob off]], partially because ''he'' worked for the circus in his younger years, and knows that elephants drink far too much water to make carrying it to them by hand practical.

''Water for Elephants'' is a HistoricalFiction RomanceNovel written by Sara Gruen as a part of [[NaNoWriMo National Novel Writing Month]] about circus life in [[TheGreatDepression Depression-era America]]. It was first published on May 26, 2006.

When 23-year-old Jacob Jankowski's parents are killed in a car crash a week before he completes veterinary school, leaving him with nothing, he skips out on his exams, leaves town, and jumps a train, unaware that it is the train of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth circus. He finds a job as veterinarian for the show animals, including an elephant named Rosie, makes friends with other circus workers and performers, falls in love with Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, and struggles to decipher the behaviour of Marlena's husband, August, the owner of the circus who fanicies himself an animal trainer, a man who wavers rapidly between charm and brutality. At the same time, Jacob learns about the circus' darker side and struggles to find a way to leave without bringing harm and danger to his new friends.

The narrative alternates between the perspective of 23-year-old Jacob with the circus, and 93-year-old Jacob at a nursing home chafing against enforced inactivity and anticipating a visit to a present-day circus that has come to town.

''Water for Elephants'', a book by Sara Gruen, was also adapted into a film starring Creator/RobertPattinson as Jacob, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon as Marlena, and Creator/ChristophWaltz as Marlena's husband, August, the animal trainer. It was released in 2011 to moderate success.

* BullyingADragon: August somehow thinks yelling at and hitting an elephant is a good idea. In the movie, he's heavily implied to have some kind of emotional disorder since he [[MoodSwinger switches moods like lightning]] and can't seem to moderate it.

* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Jacob gets extremely drunk at one point and is sexually humiliated by two of the circus hookers. What they do to him can definitely be considered sexual assault. Jacob wakes up the next morning with a painted face, [[{{Squick}} shaved testcles]] and having little idea what happened the night before, explictitly saying he "Didn't know if he was still a virgin..." [[AngstWhatAngst This incident is mentioned few times after that.]]

* BullyingADragon: August somehow thinks yelling at and hitting an elephant is a good idea.

* DomesticAbuse: [[spoiler:When August becomes jealous, he ends up giving Marlena a black eye in adition to verbal abuse.]]

* [[spoiler: DomesticAbuse: When August becomes jealous, he ends up giving Marlena a black eye in adition to verbal abuse]]

* [[spoiler: MamasBabyPapasMaybe: Subverted. Due to certain timing, Jacob isn't 100% certain (at first) that the child Marlena is carrying is his or August's. (He does assure that he would love and care for the child of his own no matter what) His suspiciouns are relieved when the child is born and has his bright red hair.]]

* RealityEnsues: [[spoiler: Jacob and Marlena end up becoming 'secret lovers.']] While there is a huge amount of conflict due to the fact that [[spoiler: Marlena is married and her husband is jealous and violent, the book doesnt ignore the fact that they engage in unprotected sex several times and Marlena becomes pregnant because of this]]

''Water for Elephants'', a book by Sara Gruen, was also adapted into a film starring RobertPattinson as Jacob, Creator/ReeseWitherspoon as Marlena, and Creator/ChristophWaltz as Marlena's husband, August, the animal trainer. It was released in 2011 to moderate success.

* FakeAmerican: The film has British Robert Pattinson as Jacob and Irish Jim Norton as Camel.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[FatherTed Bishop Brennan]] has joined the circus.

''Water for Elephants'', a book by Sara Gruen, was also adapted into a film starring RobertPattinson as Jacob, ReeseWitherspoon as Marlena, and Creator/ChristophWaltz as Marlena's husband, August, the animal trainer. It was released in 2011 to moderate success.

* DoubleStandardRapeFemaleOnMale: Jacob gets extremely drunk at one point and is sexually humiliated by two of the circus hookers. [[UnfortunateImplications What they do to him can definitely be considered sexual assault.]] Jacob wakes up the next morning with a painted face, [[{{Squick}} shaved testcles]] and having little idea what happened the night before, explictitly saying he "Didn't know if he was still a virgin..." [[AngstWhatAngst This incident is mentioned few times after that.]]