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I've been thinking about Rosie "speaking" Polish. The previous handler thought she was stupid and untrainable...but he was using English. And even though Rosie speaks Polish, not English, she still knows enough that she "sneaks" the lemonade.
I'm thinking that it is telling about how not everyone "hears" what is said, that there are many ways to convey a message and sometimes the person sending the message has the burden of delivering it in a way that can be comprhended...we all have experience with this, with our spouses or children, wouldn't you say???
Somehow, I knew Rosie was drinking the lemonade. Maybe because I read so much, and have had clever animals of my own. I really enjoyed finding out that the episode was based on an actual story Gruen stumbled across when researching material for her book.
For years, there was an elephant down on the NC coast at an odd sort of place called the Tote-Em-In Zoo. That elephant was fun to watch in its area just to the side of the building, and I guess Rosie just conjured-up the image of the other for me.
Watching the elephants in the circus that came to town as part of the NC Azalea Festival was probably one of my favorite acts in the show's line-up. and always aroused such mixed emotions. While I was thrilled at being in a position to see such massive animals, I did empathize with animal rights' activitists and their concerns over the general welfare of circus animals.
I much prefer to think most circus animals were well-cared for, given that they brought $$$ in to the traveling show, but I know in reality, there were probably many characters much like August who often abused the poor creatures. Still, I like to think Rosie and Queenie and the horses had a wonderful life with Marlena and Jacob and their children.
I liked thinking of the animals in Gruen's novel as a subset of characters in their own right. Don't you know Rosie just loved that lemonade?
I've been thinking about Rosie "speaking" Polish. The previous handler thought she was stupid and untrainable...but he was using English. And even though Rosie speaks Polish, not English, she still knows enough that she "sneaks" the lemonade.
I'm thinking that it is telling about how not everyone "hears" what is said, that there are many ways to convey a message and sometimes the person sending the message has the burden of delivering it in a way that can be comprhended...we all have experience with this, with our spouses or children, wouldn't you say???
Oh, lolagranola, I believe that it is very true with communicating with one another, especially within families. Sometimes, a spoken word is completely unnecessary to get your idea across. All it takes is a look and one knows just what is being conveyed!
Even with the spoken word our message can be so varied depending on the intonation of our voices, body language, facial expression, plus past experiences with the speaker and knowing just what is meant.
The fact that Rosie was so "dumb" when being told what to do in English, even with the physical, painful prodding that went along with it - and how brilliant she was with Polish commands was really a thrill to read. What a turn of events.
Rdslots, I really did not see it coming that Rosie was the lemonade thief, but I loved it when it was discovered. I guess I have unimaginative pets!
I remember being enthralled by the elephants on our trips to the Philadelphia Zoo and at the circuses that came to town. I could never figure out, as a child, why the trainers and handlers didn't seem as excited as I was around their charges when they were so close and I had to admire them from behind the fences. Weren't they mesmerized like I was?
"Knowing" Jacob and Marlena, as we did as readers, I cannot imagine that the animals had anything but an idyllic life once away from the circus. What a family that must have been!
Well, I have to be honest, and admit I still like a zoo or a circus. I find the zoo fascinating, especially the new style of zoo where the animals are in as natural a habitat as can be arranged -- especially when I can see the polar bears in our state zoo, both on the ice and under it!
I only got to the circus as a young woman, and on an off-chance my Grandmother would go with me (I seem to recall it was close to her birthday), invited her. Little did I know she had loved them since she was a child, so it was a special treat for the two of us each year when the circus came to town. Still, it seemed such a guilty pleasure, as does going to the zoo, as I still feel for the animals, and always hope their lives are the best they can be under the circumstances.
So, that said, it thrills me when one -- even my own pet -- bests anybody! And I loved that it was Rosie. I think the clue, for me, was the sheer amount of lemonade that had disappeared, and it seemed improbable to me that even a gang of roustabouts could drain the circus of its drink made for the day's show. I rather like to think Marlena and Jacob treated Rosie to lemonade occasionally, you know.
The animals! How could I have forgotten the animals!
I especially loved reading about Rosie. I think I knew she was smart even before they started speaking Polish to her. She was so loving to Jacob and the townspeople. That was a great part of the book!
Language barriers can create very big problems for animals as well as people!
I think that your thoughts about Rosie being intelligent from the beginning is so right on, hiknapster.
I surmissed that Jake and Rosie had an instant connection and he felt that he understood Rosie. Jake seemed to believe all along that there was more to Rosie than met the eye. It would never be considered that there was a language barrier between animal and trainer.
What a thrill it must have been to him to have this jewel of an elephant that he could now protect by virtue of her obeying Polish commands. She was saved by a language!
The animals in this story each had revealing personalities that gave life to the story.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hiknapster
I loved that Rosie smiled! Who knew elephants could smile?
I really like the way that Sara Gruen gave personalities to the animal characters.
I think, as you insinuated, Hik, that Rosie smiling, Jacob noticing the twinkle in her eye, and her playful sense of humor endear Rosie to the reader.
One of my favorite scenes with Rosie was getting her into Marlena's and August's private tent to ready for the surprise party Marlena was planning to August.
As Rosie was being settled into her spot in the tent, she took Grady's hat from his head. Just like a bully teenager, Rosie held the hat up out of Grady's grabbing reach!
When Grady told Jake to get his bull under control, Jake turned to look at Rosie and see what was going on and Rosie was looking right back at Jacob with a twinkle in her eye. Jacob gave the command for Rosie to give the hat back, and again like a teenage prankster, she flapped her ears and dropped the hat on the ground for Grady to retrieve it for himself.
She was a mischievious tease, but showed not a mean bone in her body. Animals and people alike can only be pushed so far, however - Rosie included!
When he first was introduced into the story, I felt sorry for him, thought about the negative feelings he felt about himself, but I also instantly did not like him as a person.
I felt that he came off as a bitter, isolated man who was taking all of his "mad" out on others. Initially, I could not imagine developing any kind of rapport with this character.
It changed for me as the story unfolded. Did everyone see the transformation coming or was this a pleasant surprise? So many elements of Water for Elephants were rather predictable, but I thought that they were enjoyable seeing in print and living through the events.
How did others see the early Kinko? What did you expect of his character? Were there any surprises?
I almost had the same feeling...but he redeemed himself in my eyes because of Queenie
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Language barriers can create very big problems for animals as well as people!
The animals in this story each had revealing personalities that gave life to the story.
