Major Characters
Jacob Jankowski-
Jacob Jankowski is the main character in the book, Water for Elephants. Jacob is ninety-three year old and is looking back on his adventures in life while he spends his days in a nursing home. Jacob's story begins at Cornell University where he is studying to come a vet. While at school his parents are killed in a tragic car accident and Jacob is forced to identify his parents' bodies at the police station, never getting to finish his final exam. Jacob believes he has nothing now that his parents are dead, so he starts running after a moving train. He leaps forward and grabs on to the train, realizing after the fact, that it is a circus train. Jacob becomes the vet of the Benzini's Brothers Circus and falls in love with Marlena, a show girl. The only problem is that she is married to August, the head animal trainer. The relationship between Marlena and Jacob grow and August gets more jealous and starts to become physical. Later on, an animal riot breaks out and Rosie, the elephant, kills August. Jacob and Marlena are able to leave the circus, taking as many animals as they can, and join the Ringling Brothers Circus. They eventually have five children together and settle in Chicago, IL. The book ends when Jacob sneaks out of the nursing home to watch the local circus. At the circus, Jacob is offered a job to sell tickets at the ticket booth. Jacob accepts the job offer and starts his new life at, yet again, another circus.
Marlena-
Marlena is the main love interest in the book, Water for Elephants, and also a performer at the circus. Marlena ran away from home to join the circus and married August, the head animal trainer. Marlena works with eleven horses on a routine shown under the big top. Marlena is a very independent women who is not afraid to stand up for herself or what she believes in. If one of her horses gets sick, she will stay with it all night even though it is dangerous. When August is abusing her, she tells him she will not put up with that and runs off to a hotel nearby to stay alone. Marlena eventually leaves August because he hits her and does not treat her fairly. August is in love with Marlena and begs her to take him back. Marlena stays by her word and does not take August back. All of these examples show how Marlena is not afraid to stand up for who she is or what she believes in. In the end, Jacob and Marlena are married and end up raising five children together.
Rosie-
Rosie is the elephant used in shows at the circus and, in the beginning, is a major problem for the circus. Uncle Al bought Rosie from another circus, but soon August, the head animal trainer, realized that Rosie did not understand English. This upset everyone in the circus very much because they spent all that money to buy her and she doesn't even know how to perform, or so they think. Later on in the book Jacob realizes Rosie understands Polish commands, not English, because she was trained in the Polish language. Rosie is a very friendly elephant and loves all kinds of snacks, including popcorn, lemonade, and gin. Rosie is great with children, but she can hold grudges toward people. Rosie is August's main target. When he is angry and upset he beats Rosie. At the end of the book when all the animals go crazy Rosie is the one to pick up the metal stake and drive it through August's head as revenge for all the times August was cruel to her.
August-
August is Marlena's husband and the head animal trainer at the circus. August beats his wife, beats the animals, especially Rosie, and is, overall, a cruel human being. August is classified as a paranoid schizophrenic, but this does not mean he needs to be cruel to everyone. August however, does have a charming side to him. He's able to trick people into thinking he is a nice person and he can be really sweet, if you are on his good side. When August thinks that Marlena and Jacob are having an affair, he snaps. August starts to beat up Marlena, Jacob, and even take it out on Rosie. Jacob thinks of killing August after he beats up Marlena, but when he goes to kill August in his sleep, Jacob cannot bring himself to do it because August looks so innocent while he is sleeping. On the other hand, Rosie has no problem driving a metal stake into August's head and killing him instantly during the animal riot.
Uncle Al-
Uncle Al is the cruel owner of the Benzini Brothers Circus. Uncle Al spends all the circus' money on buying Rosie, who at first doesn't seem worth it, and just tells his employees to "deal with it". He is obsessed with money and will do whatever it takes to get it. To try and save money, Al is known for "red-lighting" people who work for the circus. Red-lighting is the practice of sneaking into someones train car and throwing them off the train while moving, making sure its over water or mountains, so they die instantly. Al wants all the money he can, so if by killing people to save money, he will do whatever he has to do.
Minor Characters
Rosemary the Nurse-
When living in the nursing home, Jacob meets a nurse by the name of Rosemary. Rosemary is Jacob's favorite nurse at the home because she will listen to him talk, gives him real food when he wants it, and really is the only one who respects him. The other nurses treat Jacob like a child or like he is incapable of doing anything because he is elderly. When Jacob finds out that Rosemary is no longer going to be a nurse at the home anymore, he decides to leave the nursing home and not come back because he doesn't want to stay without her there.
The name Rosemary is very similar to the name Rosie, another character who was extremely important to Jacob, and he often calls Rosemary, Rosie, by mistake.
The name Rosemary is very similar to the name Rosie, another character who was extremely important to Jacob, and he often calls Rosemary, Rosie, by mistake.
Walter and Camel-
Walter is a dwarf who was sold to the circus at a young age by his mother and had to survive by himself from there on out. He performs as a clown in the circus. Walter doesn't have a sense of humor and is considered Jacob's enemy at the beginning of the book. Walter is very anti-social and loves to read, which is the opposite of a clown. Walter doesn't trust Jacob right away, so Walter makes Jacob call him by his clown name, Kinko. Once Jacob is able to call Walter by his real name, their relationship grows from there. When Camel becomes sick, Walter agrees to help Jacob take care of him, even though if they get caught it will cost both of them their lives. In the end, Jacob cannot protect Walter like Walter protected Jacob and Camel. Walter lends Jacob his knife to kill August, but while Jacob is gone, circus toughs came into their car and red-light both Walter and Camel. Jacob left them both defenseless and scared.
Camel is the first person Jacob meets when he jumps on the moving train. Camel is the first person who is nice to Jacob. He is the one who helps Jacob get the circus job. Camel is always drunk and gets "Jake Leg", an illness that comes from drinking contaminated Jamaican ginger that makes Camel paralyzed from the neck down. Jacob and Walter hide Camel in the corner of the train car and care for him so he doesn't get red-lighted. In the end, Camel and Walter both get red-lighted are killed instantly. Camel's name is very ironic because camels are supposed to be able to survive long periods of time without drinking, but Camel is not able to go even a minute without his liquor.
Camel is the first person Jacob meets when he jumps on the moving train. Camel is the first person who is nice to Jacob. He is the one who helps Jacob get the circus job. Camel is always drunk and gets "Jake Leg", an illness that comes from drinking contaminated Jamaican ginger that makes Camel paralyzed from the neck down. Jacob and Walter hide Camel in the corner of the train car and care for him so he doesn't get red-lighted. In the end, Camel and Walter both get red-lighted are killed instantly. Camel's name is very ironic because camels are supposed to be able to survive long periods of time without drinking, but Camel is not able to go even a minute without his liquor.
Charlie-
Charlie is the last character met in the modern time of Water for Elephants. Charlie is a young man who works at the circus, who greets Jacob when he first gets there after leaving the nursing home. Charlie asks to hear Jacob's whole life story. When the police arrive looking for Jacob, Charlie quickly comes to his rescue by claiming that Jacob is his father. Jacob doesn't want to go back to the nursing home and in his mind he is hoping Charlie will let him stay and work at the circus. Without Jacob asking, Charlie offers Jacob a job at the circus working the ticket booth. Although Charlie and Jacob have just met, Jacob feels like he is closer to Charlie than he is to his own son.