Water for Elephants

Jacob awakens from his dream as the train arrives in Saratoga Springs. Kinko doesn’t speak to him. People from town gather to watch the tents go up. Jacob watches the performers emerge from their cars and realizes that the hierarchy of the circus is represented by the distance from the engine: Those at the top are at the end of the train. August takes Jacob to meet Marlena and the lame horse, Silver Star. Marlena’s beauty entrances Jacob. After examining Silver Star, Jacob diagnoses the horse as foundering, meaning that it has a serious hoof injury. There’s no cure, and the horse can’t perform. Al arrives to hear the news but insists that Silver Star must still perform. After arguing with Jacob, Al agrees to pay him nine dollars a week to treat the horse. Al announces that they’re packing up and leaving town. Later, Jacob learns the history of Al’s circus. He has many enemies because he has made a business out of buying up what’s left of bankrupt circus acts. Al wants to travel to Joliet in hopes of grabbing a man from the failed Fox Brothers Circus who reportedly has a twin attached to him. The entire circus crew hastily prepares to load provisions for a nonstop, three-day trip.

August summons Jacob to help him feed the big cats. All they have are scraps and offal from the kitchen. August offers to let Jacob bathe with the performers and says they’ll steal him some clothes off a line in town. When Jacob goes to bathe, he realizes that it’s Kinko’s water. Returning to the car, Jacob notes how tightly the horses are packed into the train. He also finds out that Kinko, whose real name is Walter, pretends to read classic books that hide pornography inside. Walter comes in to discover Jacob looking through his personal belongings. He’s angry and refuses to hear Jacob’s apology. Jacob calls him Walter, but he says only his friends can call him by that name. As the train leaves, the citizens of the town chase it. They’re angry that they missed the performance and lost money. August again enlists Jacob’s help in feeding the cats. The meat has spoiled, but it's all they have. August makes Jacob open Rex’s cage, and the cat promptly bites Jacob’s arm. Although Rex has no teeth and only bruises the arm, Jacob isn’t amused by the prank. Jacob meets another animal handler named Diamond Joe, who warns him to be wary of August. The cooks provide the workers with a food box to last them the journey. Marlena decides to stay with Silver Star during the trip despite Jacob’s protestations. The horse’s condition has worsened. When Jacob returns to his car, a new bedroll is waiting along with a note inviting him to dine with August and his wife.

When Jacob arrives for the dinner, he learns that Marlena is August’s wife. Marlena’s car is lavish, and they have a tuxedo for Jacob to wear. The dinner is extravagant, and they have alcohol that they procured in Canada, where it’s legal. By the end of the meal, they’re intoxicated. Marlena and August begin dancing, but suddenly his face changes dramatically, and he grabs Marlena’s face gruffly. She drags him to bed, where he promptly passes out. Marlena tries to explain that August is charming but sometimes has a darker side. He’s Jewish, and she’s Catholic, so her parents disowned her when they married. She says she asked Jacob to dinner to apologize for the lion incident. She explains that Al is pleased to have a vet on staff since Ringling has one as well. Jacob thinks Al hates the rival circus, but Marlena exclaims, “‘Darling, he wants to be Ringling’” (96). Jacob is too drunk to clamber back to his car. When he stumbles back in the morning, he walks in on Walter masturbating. Walter screams for him to leave. While helping Otis feed the animals, they find that the meat for the cats is completely spoiled and must be discarded. Jacob goes to check on Silver Star and finds Marlena with the horse. Jacob says that the horse must be euthanized. August brings him a rifle, and Jacob shoots the horse. Jacob is worried that there’s no meat for the cats, but August assures him that it has been managed, implying that the horse will be fed to the cats.

Nurse Rosemary awakens Jacob from a dream. He has trouble remembering her name. Despite his ill temper, Rosemary is kind to him and treats him with dignity. Jacob decides to eat his breakfast in his room because the smells from the nursing home are nauseating. Jacob’s family is visiting today for the circus performance. He has five children. When his wife of 61 years died, they insisted that he move into the facility. His oldest child, Simon, is 70. Then there are Ruth, Peter, Joseph, and Dinah. All of them have problems of their own but still faithfully visit Jacob each week. He feels that they’re distancing themselves emotionally from him in preparation for his death. Jacob doesn’t feel as old as his age, but when he catches sight of himself in the mirror, he’s struck by his aged face: “It’s no good. Even when I look straight into the milky blue eyes, I can’t find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?” (111). Depression overwhelms him, and he pushes aside his food and stares out the window.