CHARACTER
Water for Elephantsby Sara Gruen

Jacob Jankowski

Jacob Jankowski Character Analysis

Quick Facts

Jacob Jankowski is the protagonist and narrator of Water for Elephants. As a young man, he joins the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth after tragedy strikes. The story is framed by Jacob's perspective as an elderly man in a nursing home, reflecting on his tumultuous past. His key relationships include his forbidden love with Marlena Rosenbluth and his complex dynamic with the cruel August Rosenbluth.

Who He Is

Jacob is the moral compass of Water for Elephants, a young veterinary student whose life is irrevocably altered when he joins a traveling circus during the Great Depression. His journey is one of survival, love, and the struggle to maintain compassion amidst cruelty. Through Jacob's eyes, the reader experiences the stark realities of circus life and the profound connection between humans and animals. As an old man, he grapples with aging and the fading of memory, fighting to preserve the extraordinary story of his past.

Personality & Traits

Young Jacob is defined by his innate empathy and strong moral code, which often puts him at odds with the harsh realities of the circus. As he navigates this brutal world, he displays intelligence and resourcefulness, using his veterinary knowledge to carve out a place for himself. However, he is also impulsive and passionate, leading him into a forbidden love affair and dangerous confrontations.

  • Compassionate: Jacob's empathy is most evident in his interactions with animals. He forms a deep bond with the elephant Rosie and refuses to mistreat her, even when pressured. He also cares for the ailing roustabout Camel, demonstrating his kindness extends beyond species.
  • Intelligent: On the verge of graduating from Cornell with a veterinary degree, Jacob possesses knowledge that becomes invaluable to the circus. He correctly diagnoses Silver Star's laminitis and, most pivotally, discovers that Rosie understands Polish commands.
  • Impulsive: Jacob's journey begins with an impulsive act: walking out of his final exam and jumping a train into the unknown. This passionate nature also defines his relationships. He falls deeply and irrevocably in love with Marlena Rosenbluth, a love that is both passionate and forbidden.
  • Cynical (as an old man): The elderly Jacob is embittered by the indignities of aging and the loss of his autonomy. He is sarcastic with the nursing home staff and picks a fight with a fellow resident, Joseph McGuinty, over the cliché of "carrying water for the elephants."

Character Journey

Jacob's life takes a dramatic turn when his parents die, leaving him penniless and orphaned. In a moment of desperation, he jumps on a moving train, which happens to belong to the Benzini Brothers circus. As a "First of May," he is thrust into a world of hardship and cruelty, where he must quickly learn to survive. His veterinary knowledge earns him a place, but it is his moral conviction that truly defines him. His love for Marlena and compassion for the animals lead him to confront the abusive nature of August and the cold pragmatism of Uncle Al. The stampede acts as a violent catalyst, destroying the old order and freeing him to build a new life with Marlena. As an old man, Jacob fights against the erasure of his identity, reclaiming his past by telling his story. His final act of running away to join a modern circus brings his journey full circle, representing a return to the place where he truly found himself.

Key Relationships

Marlena Rosenbluth: Marlena is the great love of Jacob's life. Their connection is immediate and deep, built on a shared compassion for animals and a mutual recognition of the goodness in each other. Their relationship is the novel's central emotional arc, a dangerous and forbidden romance that defies the circus's brutal hierarchy.

August Rosenbluth: As the equestrian director, August is Jacob’s boss, mentor, and chief antagonist. Jacob is initially impressed by August's charm and brilliance but is soon horrified by his violent temper and sadistic cruelty. Their relationship is a tense battle of wills, embodying the conflict between compassion and the abuse of power.

Rosie: Jacob forms a powerful bond with Rosie the elephant. He is the only one who treats her with consistent kindness and is the key to unlocking her potential by discovering she understands Polish. Their relationship is symbolic of a pure, communicative bond that transcends the violence and deception of the human world around them.

Camel: Jacob feels a paternal responsibility for Camel, an elderly, alcoholic roustabout crippled by "jake leg." He protects Camel from being "redlighted" (thrown from the moving train), demonstrating a loyalty and kindness that extends beyond the circus's rigid class lines.

Walter (Kinko): Initially a hostile roommate, the dwarf performer Walter becomes one of Jacob's closest friends and allies. Their friendship represents Jacob's ability to find humanity and forge connections in unexpected places, and Walter becomes a key accomplice in protecting Camel and, ultimately, Jacob himself.

Defining Moments

Jacob's life is punctuated by moments of profound change and revelation, each shaping his character and altering the course of his destiny.

  • Leaving Cornell (Chapter 2): After learning of his parents' deaths and the loss of his family home, Jacob walks out of his final veterinary exam. This moment signifies the complete destruction of his old life and sets him adrift.
  • Jumping the Train (Chapter 2): In a moment of despair, Jacob runs alongside a moving train and hauls himself aboard. This single, impulsive act throws him into the world of the Benzini Brothers circus and changes the course of his life.
  • Diagnosing Silver Star (Chapter 6): Jacob's diagnosis of laminitis in Marlena's lead horse establishes his veterinary credentials. His insistence that the horse cannot perform puts him in direct conflict with August and Uncle Al, defining his role as a protector of the animals.
  • The Discovery about Rosie (Chapter 17): While trying to train the seemingly untrainable Rosie, Jacob realizes she understands Polish commands. This revelation transforms Rosie into the show's star attraction and solidifies Jacob's importance to the circus.
  • The Stampede (Prologue, Chapter 22): The chaotic climax of the story. During the stampede, deliberately started by disgruntled workers, Rosie kills August with an iron stake, an act of retribution that frees Marlena and Jacob to be together.
  • "This is home" (Chapter 25): As a lonely old man, Jacob runs away from the nursing home and is taken in by the manager of a modern circus. This final scene brings his life full circle, as he finds a sense of belonging and purpose by returning to the world that defined him.

Essential Quotes

Age is a terrible thief. Just when you're getting the hang of life, it knocks your legs out from under you and stoops your back. It makes you ache and muddies your head and silently spreads cancer throughout your spouse.

This quote encapsulates Jacob's bitterness and frustration with aging. It highlights the indignities of old age and the sense of loss that pervades his present life in the nursing home.

"The whole thing's illusion, Jacob, and there's nothing wrong with that. It's what people want from us. It's what they expect."

This quote, likely spoken by someone within the circus, reflects the theme of Illusion vs. Reality that runs throughout the novel. The circus is built on spectacle and deception, offering an escape from the harsh realities of the Depression era.

I am ninety. Or ninety-three. One or the other. When you're five, you know your age down to the month... You start to forget words... And finally you forget the year.

This quote illustrates the elderly Jacob's struggle with memory and identity. The fading of his memories is a metaphor for the loss of self that comes with aging, a central theme of Aging, Dignity, and Mortality.

"If you say you carried water for elephants, I am [calling you a liar]."

This quote, spoken by a fellow resident at the nursing home, highlights Jacob's frustration with the trivialization of his past. It underscores his desire to be recognized for the extraordinary life he has lived and the unique experiences he has had.

I stare at his face, trying to maintain eye contact, but it's difficult because he's zooming away from me, receding to the end of a long black tunnel. Stars explode in my peripheral vision.

This quote captures the disorientation and trauma Jacob experiences during a moment of intense conflict or violence. The imagery of a "long black tunnel" and "exploding stars" conveys the overwhelming sensory overload and the sense of losing control.