Water For Elephants Research Paper

Writing Assignment #1
The Help and Water for Elephants

Translating a novel into a film is not as easy as one may have thought. Due to time constraints, characters and/or scenes may be eliminated and therefore may not have the same impact as a novel, but this is not always the case. The Help written by Kathryn Stockett and published in 2009. The film version was released on August 10, 2011 by DreamWorks and directed by Tate Taylor. The cast includes Emma Scott (Skeeter Phelan), Viola Davis (Aibileen Clark), Bryce Dallas Howard (Hilly Holbrook), and Octavia Spencer (Minny Jackson). The Help in both forms is riveting and heartbreaking, as well as a racial awakening for some. The novel, Water for Elephants, was written by Sara Gruen and published by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill on May 26, 2006. The film version was released on April 22, 2011 by 20th Century Fox
and directed by Frances Lawrence. The cast includes Reese Witherspoon (Marlena), Robert Pattinson (Jacob Jankowski), Christoph Waltz (August), Paul Schneider (Charlie), Jim Norton (Camel), and Hal Holbrook (Old Jacob). Although Jacob’s and Marlena’s characters are similar from novel to film, there are extreme differences amongst them in which make it difficult to love the film as much as the novel. Minny Jackson, in both the novel and film version of The Help, is portrayed as a strong, opinionated, independent black woman. Throughout the novel, Minny stands up for herself and what she believes in. As she recalls, even her mother was aware of her loud mouth, scolding her by saying “No sass mouthing” (Stockett 39). Minny is not one to stand by and let others (even if they are white) belittle her. She even gets back at Miss Hilly for both firing and badmouthing her by putting her own feces in a pie that she gets Hilly to eat. In both the novel and film version, Minny Jackson is quite similar.
There are no huge differences between the two, but the movie does focus on different aspects of Minny’s life. For example, the novel does not put so much emphasis on Minny’s relationship with Leroy that movie does. The movie also seemed to focus on the important friendship between Minny and Aibileen. The novel, however, tends to aim focus at their separate stories and experiences. Overall, I believe the movie did a pretty good job with the portrayal of Minny’s character and circumstances. In the novel, The Help, Skeeter is described as an abnormally tall, lanky girl who has trouble fitting in with most of the other girls. Skeeter has always been different-she does not follow the crowd (or Hilly) like the other woman do. Skeeter is a very caring and loving person, especially for her old maid Constatine whom she looses contact with. “I miss Constatine more than anything I’ve ever missed in my life” (Stockett 60). She believes in the rights of both colored and whites; she is constantly judging her friends’ decisions in her
head. Skeeter is not as much of a main character as she is in the novel. Her continuous fighting relationship with her mother is hardly addressed. In the film, her mother barely criticizes/controls her, as she repeatedly does in the book-even forcing her to drink an asexual tea weekly to cure the homosexual thoughts she thinks Skeeter may be having. I only remember this mentioned once in the film: I read the other day about how some girls get un...unbalanced. Start thinking these... unnatural thoughts. Are you..? Do you uh...find men attractive? Are you havin' unnatural thoughts about girls or women? Because this article says there's a cure. A special root tea! (The Help, Taylor 2011) The film version of Skeeter does not even have to fight for her opportunity to have Elaine Stein read her drafts as she does in the novel. After the death of Edgar, volunteers suddenly flock to Skeeter, whereas in the novel, she still has time before she gains all the volunteers. Skeeter is so much more vocal about her thoughts in the film than the novel. When Skeeter and Hilly interact in the film it is more face to face, whereas in the novel, she keeps her thoughts more to herself. I believe the novel version of Skeeter was better than the film portrayal. The film underdeveloped Skeeter and sort of pushed her to the side. She is just as important to the storyline as Aibileen and Minny are. The novel character was more well-rounded and interesting. The film did not even match the tall, lanky version of Skeeter (which stems most of her low self-esteem in the novel). Overall, the novel did a better job at portraying Skeeter. In the beginning of the novel, Water for Elephants, Jacob Jankowski admits to having some memory loss and sees it as a natural process, yet he is depressed. He resides in a nursing facility in which all decisions are made for him and craves his independence, as he states: One of the greatest indignities about being old is that people insist on helping you with things like bathing and going to the washroom.

I don't in fact require help with either, but they're all so afraid I'm going to slip and break my hip again that I get a chaperone whether I like it or not ( Gruen 34-35).
Jacob is told when and what to eat, as well as where to sit in the dining hall. He is talked down to, as if one is speaking to a child. Even as he describes his food, it seems like a menu that parallels to a young child’s. Jacob longs for corn on the cob and cabernet instead of creamed corn and apple juice. Unlike the novel, the film, Water for Elephants, opens with an older Jacob portrayed as a man with full faculties whose first son, Walter, forgot to take him to the circus, and therefore decides to go on his own. He is led to a trailer in which the circus manager initially wants to call a nearby nursing home to ask about a missing resident until Jacob mentions that his love for the circus began when he was employed by the Benzini Brothers in 1931. This sparks an interest in the circus manager because of the great stampede of 1931 and leads to Jacob narrating his story leading back up to the stampede. Although Jacob is notified at school about his parents’ accident in both the novel and the film, his residency differs. Unlike the novel, in which Jacob resides at school, in the film, Jacob resides at home. Unlike the novel, Jacob’s Polish heritage is clearly defined in the film during the scene that occurs the morning of the accident. In the scene, Jacob exchanges good-byes in his native language and one can see first-hand the bond between them. As he narrates this scene, he mentions that he was the product of Polish immigrants who loved and nurtured him, as well as encouraged him to follow his father’s footsteps to be a veterinarian. The scene makes the news of his parent’s death much more heartbreaking. Jacob becomes employed by the Benzini Brothers as the circus veterinarian in both versions, but not in the same way. In the novel, Jacob is honest about failing to write his final exams at Cornell, but August seems ecstatic, nevertheless. His honesty defines his character and he easily becomes the protagonist. Jacob is less than honest in the film and leads August to believe he is a veterinarian in fear of being thrown off the train, or redlighted. His secret comes out later in the movie, but doesn’t change his employment status. His deception changes his character slightly from the book because you see a different side of Jacob. He, who may be capable of deceit, may be capable of violence. Marlena’s character from Water for Elephants seems to have the most drastic change from novel to film. One that stands out overall is the age factor. In the novel, Marlena is 21 and Reese Witherspoon, who plays Marlena in the film, although beautiful, is a decade older. I’m just not sure if the paring with Pattinson is believable. Marlena’s character stands up for what she believes in, whereas the film version, she seems to be submissive to August. For example, in the novel, although still afraid of August, Marlena tells him that she wants a divorce. She then leaves him and stays at a hotel, alone. Unlike the movie, we also find out that Marlena is pregnant. In the film version, Marlena jumps off the train with Jacob in order to run away from August. Blackie then finds Marlena at a hotel with Jacob and forces her back with August. In the novel, Marlena goes back to work willingly for the circus. The overall portrayal of Marlena’s character from novel to film version was more than adequate. In both versions, she is beautiful, innocent, and longing to be part of a family. Perhaps this stems from not having a family growing up. Although both versions differ as to how she joined the circus, the end result remains the same. I believe the novel version is definitely better than the film version because you miss so much of the background information. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the film version but I think it helped that I read the novel first. I think the film version focused more on the love story of Jacob and Marlena, whereas the novel eases you in their relationship. I was also disappointed in the exclusion of Uncle Al’s character in the film. Did the director feel two villains would be too much? Or perhaps, without the background information, his character would have been confusing to viewers. I believe the film did a good job on combining Uncle Al and August, but I wish the film would have mentioned his mental disorder, paranoid schizophrenia. In the film, you get a sense of this, but it is not mentioned. All four characters were colorful and entertaining, but Jacob Jankowski’s character in the novel tends to pull at my heartstrings because it hits close to home. I remember the day I had to put my grandmother in a nursing facility, after caring for her for nine years. It was very difficult because I knew it was a place she never wanted to be in but my daughter’s leukemia became my top concern. I tried to prepare my grandmother, as much as one can, for the facility but I can still see her sad eyes staring back at me. Did she really understand? Jacob’s words, “For a long time, I felt betrayed that not one of my five children offered to take me in” (p.97) seem to haunt me, I suppose I can see my grandmother saying something similar. Jacob impressed me with his honesty and determination, as well as his compassion. He was not one to be reckoned with, that’s for sure! Although, he was having memory lapses, he still remained strong willed and sought his independence. His feelings about the facility unfortunately ring true. I’ve witnessed first-hand how some residents never have visitors, it is beyond depressing. If that’s not bad enough, most facilitators tend to treat the residents like children. Many are told what to do all day long rather than ask for their opinion. I love the connection Jacob makes with Rosemary; she talks to him rather than at him. I really wish Rosemary was mentioned in the film. All in all, I am glad to see that Jacob came “home” in both versions.