Survival in a Harsh World

Water for Elephants explores how individuals navigate extreme adversity, questioning what it truly means to survive when faced with physical, emotional, and moral challenges. Set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, the novel examines how characters grapple with scarcity, exploitation, and violence within the microcosm of the Benzini Brothers circus. Survival becomes a multifaceted struggle, testing the boundaries of human dignity and moral integrity as characters make difficult choices to endure. Ultimately, the novel suggests that true survival lies not only in physical endurance but also in maintaining compassion and connection in the face of dehumanizing circumstances.

How It Develops

The theme of survival intensifies as the narrative progresses, beginning with personal tragedy and expanding to the systemic brutality of the circus, before concluding with the quiet desperation of old age.

The theme is introduced through Jacob Jankowski's sudden and complete loss. The death of his parents and the seizure of their home and veterinary practice by the bank thrust him into destitution. His impulsive decision to jump onto a moving train symbolizes his desperate leap into an unknown future, driven by the primal need to survive.
As Jacob integrates into the circus, he discovers that survival is a collective and continuous struggle. The harsh hierarchy, limited resources, and ever-present threat of violence define daily life. The practice of "redlighting"—throwing unwanted workers from the moving train—becomes a stark symbol of the circus's brutal survival-of-the-fittest mentality.
The theme culminates in the chaotic stampede, a violent collapse of the circus world where survival instincts take over. In the novel's frame story, the theme is revisited through 93-year-old Jacob's struggle in the nursing home, where he fights against the loss of agency and dignity that comes with aging. His final act of running away to join a modern circus represents a defiant assertion of his will to live life on his own terms.

Key Examples

Specific moments throughout the novel highlight the characters' desperate fight for survival.

Jacob's Initial Loss: After learning that his parents' home and veterinary practice have been seized, Jacob is left with nothing. The lawyer's cold pragmatism underscores the unforgiving nature of the world.

"What am I supposed to do?" I ask slowly.

"I don't know, son. I wish I did. The country's fallen on hard times, and that's a fact."

This exchange marks the end of Jacob's old life and the beginning of his raw struggle for survival.
The Threat of Redlighting: The circus's cruel method of downsizing, throwing men from the moving train, constantly looms over the workers, reminding them that their lives are disposable. August explains the brutal logic to Jacob:

"You heard Uncle Al. If anything happens to that horse, you'll be redlighted."

"Which means what, exactly?"

"Chucked from the train. When it's moving."
The Scarcity of Resources: The struggle for basic necessities is constant. The men fight for pay that rarely comes, and the animals are often neglected. After the circus is forced to leave Hartford without its proceeds, the consequences are immediate and dire. The financial collapse leads directly to the redlighting of ten men, including Camel, demonstrating the direct link between economic hardship and mortal danger.
Old Jacob's Fight for Dignity: In the nursing home, Jacob's fight for survival is a fight for relevance and autonomy. He rebels against the bland food, the condescending nurses, and the monotony of his existence.

I used to think I preferred getting old to the alternative, but now I'm not sure. Sometimes the monotony of bingo and sing-alongs and ancient dusty people parked in the hallway in wheelchairs makes me long for death.

His decision to join the circus at the end of the book is a triumphant act of choosing life on his own terms, a final assertion of his will to not just exist, but to live.

Character Connections

The characters in Water for Elephants embody different strategies and outcomes of survival in their harsh world.

Jacob Jankowski: As the novel's central survivor, Jacob adapts to chaos by using his veterinary skills, forming crucial alliances, and maintaining his moral compass, even when it puts him at risk. His survival is marked by resilience and a refusal to become as cruel as the world around him.
Marlena Rosenbluth: Marlena's survival involves quietly enduring an abusive marriage. She navigates her dangerous life with August by placating him and finding solace with her animals. Her love for Jacob and Rosie ultimately gives her the strength to seek a different kind of survival—one that includes freedom and happiness.
Uncle Al: As the circus owner, Uncle Al represents a purely pragmatic and ruthless form of survival. He thrives on the failures of others, building his show from the carcasses of collapsed circuses. For him, survival is a zero-sum game where sentiment has no place and human lives are expendable.
Camel: Camel represents the tragic failure to survive. His body, worn down by age, arthritis, and alcohol, can no longer keep up. He becomes a liability, and in the circus's unforgiving economy, this is a death sentence. His fate underscores the world's indifference to the weak and infirm.

Symbolism

Gruen uses powerful symbols to represent the constant and precarious struggle for survival.

The Train: The circus train is the central symbol of survival, providing movement, shelter, and a fragile sense of community. To be on the train is to be alive and part of the show. However, it is also a weapon. Being "redlighted"—thrown from the moving train—is the ultimate act of expulsion, a violent end for those deemed useless. The train represents the dual nature of their existence: it is both their sanctuary and their executioner.
The Circus: The Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth is a microcosm of the Depression-era world. It presents an illusion of glamour and joy to the outside world, but behind the curtain, it is a brutal ecosystem governed by a rigid hierarchy and a desperate fight for resources. Survival within the circus requires navigating its complex social structure and adhering to its unwritten, often violent, rules.
Food and Water: The constant concern over food and water highlights the primal nature of the characters' struggle. The myth of "carrying water for the elephants" is a recurring motif, representing a romanticized notion of care that contrasts sharply with the reality of neglect. Rosie's theft of the lemonade is a clever act of survival, subverting the system to get what she needs.

Author's Message

Through the theme of survival, Sara Gruen suggests that true survival is more than just staying alive. It is the struggle to retain one's humanity, compassion, and dignity in the face of dehumanizing circumstances. While characters like Uncle Al and August survive through cruelty and control, Jacob, Marlena, and even Rosie ultimately endure by forming bonds of loyalty and love. Gruen posits that in a world defined by brutality, the connections we forge with others—both human and animal—are the most essential tools for survival. The novel champions a form of survival rooted in empathy over ruthless self-interest, suggesting that a life devoid of compassion is not a life worth living.

Contemporary Relevance

The theme of survival remains deeply resonant today. The novel's depiction of economic desperation mirrors contemporary anxieties about financial instability, unemployment, and the exploitation of labor. The brutal hierarchy of the circus, where the powerful prey on the vulnerable, serves as a potent allegory for systemic inequalities in modern society. Furthermore, Old Jacob's fight for dignity in the nursing home speaks to the universal and ongoing struggle of the elderly to maintain autonomy and purpose in a world that often marginalizes them. The story is a timeless reminder that in any era of hardship, the human (and animal) capacity for resilience, connection, and compassion is the ultimate key to survival.

Survival in a Harsh World