Response to Survey

We were surprised by not getting any results. Our link lead to the survey but would not record our results for us to see. I would assume that most people know a good amount about animal abuse. You can always give us personal feedback by commenting on this post!

Animal Circus Abuse Survey

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Discussion Blog Post #3

Discuss Uncle Al's motives for blackmailing Jacob in Water for Elephants.

Marlena performing

Jacob, Marlena, and August

Uncle Al blackmailed Jacob to get August and Marlena back together because he did not want to lose the stars of his show.  Uncle Al fears that August and Marlena will quit the circus if they get a divorce; they are his main attraction, and without them, his circus would go bankrupt.  Marlena is exceptionally beautiful and alluring to the male audience.  Her timeless act with Rosie the elephant is the most anticipated performance of the show, drawing audiences of all ages.  Her husband, August, is the Equestrian Director and Superintendent of Animals.  August directs the entire circus show, from start to finish.  Under his command, Uncle Al's circus has become profitable and successful.  August is, therefore, the glue that holds it all together.  Uncle Al knows that he can not lose August and Marlena.  He also knows that Jacob is hiding Camel, preventing him from being redlighted.  He uses this knowledge as leverage to blackmail Jacob into getting his two prized performers back together. Uncle Al says, "'Did you really think you could keep a stowaway without me finding out about it?'...'Sometimes an individual has to make a sacrifice for the good of the rest of us.  And what this family needs is for August and Marlena to work things out.  Do we understand each other?'...'Yes, sir,' I say eventually.  'I believe we do'" (Gruen 267).  Jacob is one of the few circus employees who August likes and trusts.  Jacob has an "in" with August that no one else has.  August is a paranoid schizophrenic. He has sporadic outbursts of anger and violence towards anyone who sets him off. All of the working men on the circus fear him. If Uncle Al loses August, he will lose his fear factor that kept all of the laborers in line. Uncle Al has an opportunity to use Jacob to his benefit, and he takes it.  His hope is that Jacob will use his closeness to August and Marlena to con them into a loving relationship once more.  His circus stars will continue performing, and Uncle Al will continue to profit. Afterall, the show must go on.

Discussion Question Blog Post #2

Discuss a possible consequence of Jacob hiding Camel in his room on the train with Kinko in Water for Elephants.

Camel, Kinko, and Jacob in their room on the train

Camel helping Jacob fit into the circus life

A possible repercussion of Jacob deciding to hide Camel in his room with Kinko is all three men being forcibly “redlighted”.  Hiding Camel is a direct violation of Uncle Al’s orders to have Camel redlighted, or thrown off of the moving train, because Uncle Al considers Camel to be worthless.  Since Jacob and Kinko disobey Uncle Al to save Camel, they risk being thrown off the train themselves.  Uncle Al, the Circus manager, has every working man on the circus redlighted if they are unable to do their jobs due to sickness or injury.  He is a ruthless person, with little care for others.  Camel, an old-aged circus laborer, recently became paralyzed from drinking a tainted bottle of “Jake”, or Jamaica Ginger Extract, a hand-made alcohol.  As he loses feeling in his limbs, it becomes very apparent to everyone that he is useless as a circus working man.  He is at great risk of being redlighted by Uncle Al.  Jacob, who has developed a deep bond of friendship with Camel, takes pity on him and conceals him behind trunks in his room.  He desperately wants to help the man who stood up for him during his first harsh days working for the circus.  Camel also helped secure Jacob his job as circus veterinarian.  The circus performer, Kinko, who shares the room with Jacob, helps hide Camel as well.  Like Jacob, Kinko cares about Camel and pities his situation.  Jacob and Kinko are well aware that they can’t hide Camel in their room forever, but they are hoping to hide him at least long enough to get Camel off of the train to safety.  And in doing so, they are putting themselves at great risk for being redlighted along with Camel.  Jacob says to Kinko,”’I want to bring [Camel] here.’ ‘What?’ ‘He’s going to get redlighted otherwise.  His friends had to hide him behind a roll of canvas last night.’ ‘All right.  Bring him on over.  Don’t let anyone see you or we’ll all catch hell’” (Gruen 192).  Jacob and Kinko are willing to put their lives on the line to help shelter Camel in their room.  They have been a part of the circus long enough to know that Uncle Al does not give a second thought about redlighting his workers. However, they also know that Uncle Al will do so only if he owes them money, or they have angered him in some fashion.  They believe that if they can keep Camel hidden long enough for him to escape the circus to his family, the three of them will be spared.  On the other hand, if any man in the circus finds Camel in their room and tells Uncle Al, the three roommates will most likely be “removed” from the scene.  Jacob and Kinko's noble act of bravery shows they both have hearts as large as an elephant.  They were willing to risk their lives to save a friend from his horrific fate. Although the three men may quarrel and fight, their decision formed a bond between them so strong, that even redlighting can not break it.

Discussion Question Blog Post #1

Discuss Jacob's motives for hating Joseph McGuinty in Water for Elephants and explain how Marlena relates to his hatred.

Young Jacob and Marlena

Elderly Jacob

Jacob despises Joseph McGuinty because he causes Jacob's painful memories of his circus days and lost love, Marlena, to resurface.  Joseph McGuinty is an old man in Jacob's nursing home for the elderly who lies to Jacob's friends about giving water to elephants when he was younger.  This sparks up feelings and memories deep inside Jacob that he has been repressing for years.  In his youth, Jacob was the Benzini Brothers Circus veterinarian.  His most cherished animal in the circus was Rosie the elephant, who he would give water to daily.  When McGuinty lies about giving water to elephants, Jacob becomes furious, but keeps his reasons a secret.  He desperately wants to talk with his friends about McGuinty's lies, but in doing so, he would reveal his troubled past with the circus.  At first, Jacob loved his job of working with the circus animals, but the situation changed dramatically. One evening, the circus exploded into a crazed panic. Exotic animals and fleeing civilians ran wildly about, trying to escape the pandemonium.  During the craze, Jacob finds the woman he loves, Marlena, in the act of murdering the circus' leader. "She lifted the stake high in the air and brought it down, splitting his head like a watermelon... So long ago. But it still haunts me. I don't talk much about those days... 'I used to carry water for elephants' says McGuinty. 'You did not.' I say" (Gruen 9).  That traumatic night was the culmination of months of love, hardship, and suffering, but Jacob will never be able to talk about it.  He would love nothing better than to set the record straight with McGuinty about circus life, however, as frustrating as it is, Jacob must continue to keep his beloved's past a secret.  The circus is where Jacob fell in love with animals, but more importantly, Marlena, the love of his life.  McGuinty's bragging lies about the circus offend Jacob, because the circus was such an important part of his life. It is where he became a man, where he became passionate about being a veterinarian, and where he found true love. Jacob's life experience in the circus defined his future, creating the man that he would later become with the woman he would always love. Those days are important, yet painful to him, so McGuinty's false circus stories belittled Jacobs past and insulted his memories.