Old Man and the Sea Essay

People often have to face different kinds of struggles and obstacles in life. They are not always easy and sometimes you don’t achieve what you were trying to. In the novella Old Man and the Sea, the character Santiago, has a face numerous obstacles while he is out at sea. The old man has to take on a thousand pound marlin, cope with a cramped hand, and encounter sharks that are attempting to attack the his prized fish.

For many days the old man, Santiago, is struggling to catch a thousand pound marlin. He is very determined, “Fish, I will stay with you until I am dead.” (Hemingway 52). Santiago wants to catch the marlin so badly that he is willing to risk his life while he does it. This was a huge struggle for Santiago because the fish did not give up and it was a very difficult task for Santiago to do by himself. It shows that his determination was incredible and he was not going to give up no matter what.

Santiago was not a young fisherman; he did not fish with anyone else, and when he got a cramp in his hand, he knew that it would be nothing except a dilemma when catching the fish. Since Santiago was fishing on his own he would talk to himself in order to not be lonely. When he felt his hand cramp up he began talking aloud, “God help me to have the cramp go away, because I do not know what the fish is going to do.”(Hemingway 60). He never gives up even though he has to deal with the pain and he also talks to his hand and says that it is an embarrassment to his body if he gets a cramp. He was aware that since his hand had a cramp he would have to work even harder to catch the marlin and he also decides that in order to make the cramp go away he has to eat lots of food to strengthen him self.

Being out in the ocean alone can be a scary experience. Something that makes it worse is when sharks attack. Santiago eventually killed the marlin and it was enormous. Since it would not fit into his skiff he tied the marlin to the side of the boat. “When the old man saw him coming he knew that this was a shark that had no fear at all and would do exactly what he wished.”(Hemingway 101). The sharks did in fact do exactly what they wanted just as Santiago had guessed. They wanted the marlin and Santiago was going to try everything to stop them. He used his spears and knifes and even his fists to punch the sharks, but the sharks would not refrain and by the time that the old man reached the shore all that was left to his prized marlin, was its skeleton. After all of the struggles that Santiago dealt with, and achieved, he lost what he had wanted all along, the marlin.

Although Santiago was frustrated and disappointed after his marlin was eaten by sharks, he never gave up. In the novella The Old Man and The Sea the protagonist, Santiago has to face problems just like people in everyday life. It is a good thing to know that sometimes you will not always succeed. That is not a bad thing either. It just means that you can not give up and you have to try again. Santiago was a terrible fisherman, he never caught any fish and the other fisherman didn’t see him as a real threat, they also found him to be very different. This never stopped Santiago from doing what he loved.

Third Quarter Outside Reading Review

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen. Penguin Group, 2004

In the book someone like you the protagonist Halley is called home from summer camp because her best friend Scarlett's boyfriend has died in a motorcycle accident. It is Halley and Scarlett's junior year in high school and Scarlett finds out that she is pregnant. She is pregnant with the boy Micheal Sherwood, who died in the accident. Scarlett has all types of problems she must face after becoming pregnant including being at school where everyone is talking about her. Not only does Scarlett have this problem but Halley is also facing her first real relationship. Halley's mother, who is very protective and is the author of many books on how to raise a teenager, thinks she knows everything but Halley hides most of the things she does from her mother, including her new boyfriend Macon who her parents are not thrilled about.

"Dessen has a perfect ear for the immediate daily details of a middle-class teenager's home, school, job, party scene.... Many teenage girls will find themselves in this story."- Booklist, boxed review.

This author reminds me of the author of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Both authors do a great job with incorperating the daily struggles of teenagers into their books. I ave not read any other books by Sarah Dessen but this is one of my favorite books I have read and I plan to read more books by her. I can easily connect to the way she tells her story.

"So I reached over and pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her, and held my best friend close, returning so many favors all at once...." (page 21.)

Reading this book has affected me because it shows that things such as death and teen pregnancy can happen to the people you would least expect it from but you have to deal with it and just be there for the ones who need you the most. Life has very unexpected things but everyone has to face them and you can't ignore them. I have expierienced a few deaths in my life and also a teen pregnancy and I know that both are major challenges and are hard for everyone.