Circus

were used to bring people's spirits up for a cheap price. The novel Water for Elephants, written by Sara Gruen follows the Benzini Brothers Circus during the 1930s and deals with the issues of prohibition and animal cruelty. Circuses where popular ways of entertainment in the 1920s-30s. According to the book Circuses written by Janet M. Davis, “The American circus represents a synthesis of various International entertainment traditions,” (Davis). Circus’s contain various acts, sometimes…

twist, this productions setting of William Shakespeare’s most bloody play now takes place in a circus tent in the midst of a carnival. Titus Andronicus follows the story of retribution after a ten-year war between the Romans and Goths, and the queen of the Goths Tamora’s plan of bloody revenge on the Romans and Titus. There is political turmoil and bloodshed between both parties. This modern and circus take…

Dan Clark and Christopher Watson are best friends who just got a job at the circus. Dan and Christopher once were walking to their favorite store and walked and saw a flyer talking about joining the circus. The circus was at the fairgrounds near Dan’s house. They both auditioned for the clown and trapeze position at circus the following week. They both wanted the clown position, so they had to come up with a compromise. Both Dan and Christopher seem to have made up as friends because they…

freedom? Confinement and abuse is the everyday life of an animal in the circus. Each year several animals are captured and forced to work in circus shows. People are realizing this is a growing problem and have decided to boycott animal circuses so they can become banned. Animal circuses should be banned because of the cruel animal training, poor animal welfare, and lack happiness in animals. One of the biggest concerns for circus animals is the cruel training method they undergo. Ringling…

a midget circus performer named falling in love with a bareback rider named Jeanne Marie. Jeanne brushes off Jacques at first, but decides to marry him after he inherits a vast estate from his deceased uncle. The short story was adapted into a film titled Freaks which loosely follows the original work. After the wedding between Jeanne and Jacques, a feast is held in a circus tent in a town called Roubaix. The tone in this scene is both jovial and bizarre, much like a real circus. The…

acts, expositions, and World’s Fair. It became a place to escape reality. The main attraction of the circus was the American circus spectacle, which was a historical drama where the viewers would look at racial and gendered exhibits/images of South Asia. This became an instructional forum where people of power could solidify their control and maintain stereotypes on the oriental ‘Other’. The circus brought a feeling of wonder and highlighted to their audience that they didn’t have to travel to…

In Water For Elephants, Sara Gruen examines circus life in the 1930s through the eyes of the main character, Jacob. Jacob is a college student who, after the death of his parents, leaves home to join a circus. During his time with the circus, Jacob experiences and witnesses violence. As Jacob sees animals and humans being abused, he, unlike most characters, takes a different perspective and does not commit or join the cycle of violence. Contrastingly, August, the main antagonist, is a main…

painful arthritis. There is inadequate stimulation for these animals who spend over 20 hours a day chained or caged, and it can have debilitating effects on their mental health. The average space circus animals live in is much smaller than the average minimum required by most zoos. Additionally, circus animals are often all housed together, with big cats living next to primates, horses, or other animals. This would never be seen in their natural environment and is thought to cause additional…

Animal’s For decades, circus’ have been very entertaining to people, but no one knows what goes on behind the curtains. There is a wide range of species in the performance industry, but very few understand how they are treated. Zoos and circus’ all have animals that are treated alike, or some might be worse. Both of the industries have the animals stuck in cages, barely fed enough, and unable to have the social life they are meant to have. There are some differences in zoos and circus’ for…

Animals used in circuses spend most of their lives chained inside boxcars and never get to live without restrictions. In zoos, animals often live in enclosures or cages that are many times smaller than their homes in the wild. In marine parks like SeaWorld, orcas are given what is, all in all, a concrete bathtub to live in. Elephants are clever, considerate, and affectionate animals. They have the largest brains of any land animal. They care about each other and can become depressed when they…