What's in a Name?

Throughout this semester, I will be reading Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I chose this book for a variety of reasons. Primarily because I have always wanted to read it after hearing about it from my mom. While she never told me about the plot of the story, she always suggested it as a free read book for whenever I had time. Without having any insight as to what the novel is actually about, I am interested in it just by the title. Water- water is a substance that is essential to all forms of life. It is also incredibly plain, having no taste, color, or odor (assuming it is purely water). For- this word is used to indicate the intention or purpose of something. The use of it in the title implies the water is intended to be given to the elephants. The last word is Elephants. Elephants are known for being gentle giants in the wild. These majestic creatures roam a wide variety of habitats. However, they are also sometimes held captive and taught tricks to be performed in circuses all over the world. The cover of the edition of the book that I am reading shows a ringmaster or some type of circus worker entering curtains, which leads me to associate the book with a circus. I think this book will be about a circus worker's encounters with the animals in the circus or just their experience in general. Based on these insights, I am excited to see how the story will unfold!


Here is a link to the New York Time's review of this novel.