SPOILER ALERT!!! If you are not reading or planning to read Water for Elephantsbook or script, then do not read this post or the comments. We are reading Water for Elephants together and I want everyone to feel free to discuss openly. You should join us if you haven’t already!
Chapters 1-3, where the waterworks begin!
Chapters 4-6, lots of new characters!
Chapters 7-9, penises, dead horses and an elephant!
Chapters 10-12, Jacob is falling in love, with a girl and an animal
Flash forward. It’s old Jacob. It’s circus day, but he has a few hours before the family shows so he decides to mess around with the horse-faced nurse. After a bit of drama, he manages to get to the window to overlook the circus, admiring the differences and similarities between circuses of today and of old.
And this chapter is where we really learn how awesome Rosemary is. She actually treats Jacob like he’s a real person. She then talks to him about his outburst with McGuinty, and asks him to make an effort with the other residents. And he does it because he really like Rosemary. As do I. Sweet lady!
Flash back to young Jacob. Marlena has disappeared since her injury, and Rosie is starting to be more obedient with August. It’s like everything is just going forward.
Then Earl comes and get’s Jacob. Apparently something is wrong with Camel. Jacob is hesitant to look at him, since Camel is a human not an animal, but goes ahead. Camel’s feet are “floppy” and he’s losing feeling in the front. Something is wrong and Jacob says he wants to get a doctor.
When Jacob gets back to his room, Walter asks what is going on. Once he hears the symptoms, he tells Jacob that its jake leg, which comes from drinking a bad batch of jake. He explains that there is nothing you can do, and within two weeks of drinking it, you become paralyzed.
Next day is payday. Jacob is planning to get his money to try and pay for a doctor to come and look at Camel. But it just so happens that Uncle Al has run out of money, so the working men are not getting paid. At all. Of course, Jacob has no idea where he falls in this mix, so he stays in line to see what happens. It doesn’t happen. No money for him.
Jacob goes to Marlena and August to see if they know a doctor. He has to be kind of secretive, cause obviously no one can find out about Camel or he risks getting red lighted. Marlena says she will send for Jacob once her doctor is finished checking her feet.
And when it comes down to the pay cuts, Rosie is being blamed. Men are going missing overnight, most likely red lighted. Jacob goes to see if Camel is one of them, but he is still there, and drunk. The doctor comes, and Jacob after trades away his father’s pocket watch, the doctor agrees to examine Camel. The doctor confirms that its jake leg, and that it has no cure.
Jacob goes to Walter and asks if he can bring Camel to stay in there room. Walter agrees, with the idea that they will try and contact Camel’s son to take him. They hide him behind their trunks in their room. This is kind of a big deal. This is when you really realize that Walter and Jacob are friends.
Marlena asks to speak with Jacob. After a few moments of sorting out the need for a doctor, it’s clear that August has been telling Marlena that Jacob has been with Barbara and that is what she thought the doctor was for. It wasn’t quite spelled out, but you get they are talking about STDs. Ick. Then Marlena brings up the kiss in the alley. Jacob apologizes, but it seems that Marlena doesn’t want it. Marlena says she can’t stop thinking about him, and then… she panics. And asks Jacob to leave.
Camel stays hidden behind the trunks during the day and only comes out while the train is moving. The paralysis is getting worse. Walter is being great about helping out and taking care of Camel as well. And all poor Jacob can think about is Marlena and their last conversation.
Walter makes it his duty to find Camel’s son, and using a lot of liqueur, manages to get his name and last location out of Camel. He get his son to agree to meet up and take Camel, although it will still be several weeks before it happens.
And finally Marlena makes her reappearance. Jacob watches her act for the first time ever and is mesmerized by the way she controls the horses and the way she performs. It is clear this is what she is meant to do. And it is clear the Jacob is completely in love with her.
You know what I can’t wait to see play out on the big screen? Jacob totally losing his shit in the lunch room and yelling about how great Ringling Brothers is. Gah, that will be win.
Unfortunately, the next scene ends in the loss of Queenie, Walter’s little dog. It’s really pretty sad, since Queenie is all Walter really has. But Jacob has to make this amazing move to grab Walter, throw him on the train and get on himself that will be awesome to see all played out. Camel finally finds out, while sober, that the guys tend to give him back to his son. He’s pissed. Something bad happened between them, but I don’t know exactly what.
Marlena shows up, but it appears she’s looking for Walter. Apparently, Queenie was running along side the train and August made a daring rescue. She was just bringing Queenie back to Walter, and Jacob thanks her.
Then comes the case of the missing lemonade. Two stops and two vats of lemonade disappear. On the third stop, they realize it’s Rosie. She is pulling her stake, drinking the lemonade, then going back and sticking it back in the ground. Uncle Al is furious. He is getting fed up with Rosie and the amount of money she is costing him without even performing. Uncle Al tells August that he is taking the money for the lemonade from his pay.
August is furious and head for Rosie with the bull hook in hand. Marlena tries to stop him, but he ends up throwing her to the ground. Jacob goes to stop him. Marlena tells Jacob he’ll only make it worse and that he doesn’t understand. When Jacob asks for her to enlighten him, Marlena bursts into tears, and they end the chapter just holding each other.
