Journal Entry #6

The climax of the story is when all the animals break free from the menagerie. This causes a stampede chimps, llamas, zebras, lions, giraffes and many others rush through the tents and into the city. August is in the centre of the action trying to round up the animals. Jacob sees Rosie picks up a stake from the ground and splits August in half from his skull. August dies on the spot and is trampled by animals stampeding by.

In the passage, it is graphically described " She lifts the stake as though it weighs nothing and splits his head in a single clean movement-ponk- like cracking a hardboiled egg. She continues to hold the stake until he topples forward, and then she slides it almost lazily back into the Earth" (309). I felt as though this part was the part in the story I was waiting for. August finally got what he deserved. I think it's only fair considering how he treated Rosie. He was so cruel to her and he beat her nearly to death. Though, he was kind to her at one point, but it quite brief and he changed back into his usual self and injured her once again. It goes to show that the saying " An elephant never forgets" is true in this case. Rosie remembered what August did to her and got revenge on him.

The falling action of the story would be after the stampede. Uncle Al had mysteriously disappeared and another circus rolled in beside them. Jacob and the other workers began to round up the animals. The other show was ready to take all the Benzini Brothers animals for themselves but Jacob and Marlena persuaded them to let them keep Rosie, the chimp, and the horses. In the end, Jacob and Marlena happily spend their lives together with the animals and their 5 children.
The story flashes back to the present where Jacob is in the retirement home waiting for his son to come and take him the the circus. His son has already made other plans and cannot come for him. Jacob wobbles across the street the circus and meets the director Charlie. He tells his whole life story of working for the Benzini Brothers to him and convinced Charlie to let him work with them.

My thoughts on the whole book : Overall the book was a pleasure to read. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I especially like the idea of running away to the circus since that's what every child dreams of doing. I liked how everything turned out in a good way and that Jacob even got a job in the end. I felt happy for him getting to relive his past for the last few years of his life instead of spending it in a shabby retirement home.