The Old Man and the Sea

Novellas are like an old piece of jewelry. They might look unappealing and old at first but once you polish them and look under the surface they sparkle like new. This is like a novella because, once you look a little harder at one you find so many interesting ideas and conflicts within the story. In the Nobel Peace Prize winning novella, The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway there are many obvious conflicts but also many that you might not notice until you think about them. Like Santiago the Man who must keep his strength when his body is failing him in order to keep his amazing catch. Then the viscous sharks that Santiago must fend off the save his catch he worked so hard to capture. And Manolin, the boy, who wanted desperately to go fish with Santiago but his parents, would not allow it. The struggles that we endure every life make us more independent and stronger as individuals whether the outcome is a win or a loss.
Perhaps the most detectable of Santiago’s struggles was fatigue. He is an old man that is easily forgotten by the way he struggled so long with the gargantuan fish. He battles the beast for three days and nights. Throughout the struggle he deals with cramped hands, sleep deprivation, thirst, hunger and many wounds created by the sharp fishing line he has been gripping for days. He must almost convince himself to keep going and win the struggle with the marlin. This can easily be shown in the quote: “This will kill him, the old man thought. He cannot do this forever”. (45) During this impossible struggle Santiago knows he must capture the fish to get money for him that could keep him well fed for months. It shows how greatly he struggled and how valuable the fish really was to him. "He settled comfortably against the wood and took his suffering as it came and the fish swam steadily and the boat moved slowly through the dark water." [64]This quote shows that this man is so determined no matter how his body fails him he is determined to capture this fish no matter what harm comes to him.

The Next struggle was the that Manolin wanted dearly to join the old man out in sea but his parents would not allow it. If he had gone things might t have turned out differently for Santiago. “It was Papa made me leave. I am a boy and I must obey him”. (10) He wanted to continue fishing with Santiago but after 40 days without a single fish his parent are convinced and put him on a more prosperous fishing boat. After switching to a more prosperous boat Manolin wants to come back to fish with Santiago. He says to Santiago, “I could go with you again. we’ve made some money”. (10) He wants to continue on with the old man that he cares so deeply about but Santiago disagrees and wants Manolin to remain with a boat that is prosperous.

Another conflict that occurs in the story is Santiago having to fight off aggressive sharks. Santiago is plagued with great fatigue from finally capturing the marlin. Even so, the violent animals continue to attack. The only thing Santiago can do is fight back. He has nothing to fight the beasts off and must use anything he can find to protect his prize. Santiago finds a club and a harpoon and uses them in attempts to protect the marlin. This plan is successful until one shark is able to sneak up and grab a piece of the marlin. The recently killed fish begins to hemorrhage into the water. The blood attracts more sharks. Santiago tries as hard as he can to fight off the vicious animals with anything he has. When he finally returns back to shore all that is left of the magnificent marlin is the skeleton. “‘They beat me, Manolin,’ he said. ‘They truly beat me” (25) Santiago feels that the sharks have beaten him and he is able to admit his defeat.


Ernest Hemingway added many obstacles that changed the course of the book. Every obstacle was important and made each of the characters stronger. Many things could have changed the outcome like if, Santiago had the boy or if the Marlin had given up earlier he could have avoided fatigue. The decisions either big or small affected the story. But if decisions weren't made nothing would change. So decisions are important for not only literature but also for life. Soif you look hard there are many conflicts and the decisions in the novella The Old Man and the Sea waiting to be uncovered.

3rd Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Heaven Looks a lot like the Mall by: Wendy Mass. Little Brown and Company
Genre: Fiction


In Heaven looks a lot like the Mall, high school junior Tessa Reynolds must figure just out who she wants to be. Taking place in her hometown mall where she grew up she figures out just exactly who she is.

“Funny, thought-provoking, and at times heartbreaking” the back cover reads “This story will entertain and inspire readers"

Heaven looks a lot like the Mall shows Tessa a high school student that falls into a coma after getting hit in the head with a dodge bal during a gym class. While in a coma she goes to what she thinks she is heaven which she experiences as her local mall where both her parents work.
There she meets Jake a boy who was involved in a drill bit accident. He shows her all the things that she had bought in the mall. She revisits the key events from her life that she experienced. During which time she must look at her life and reevaluate herself and how she wants to live.
The reader is allowed to witness how Tessa grows up and matures. She does this by watching her find out just who she is by going back to where she grew up, her local mall.
The writing style is told in first person through the eyes of Tessa. Mass uses detail to allow you to see just how everyone felt at every point throughout the book. Also as the book went on and Tessa became more mature there was increasingly more detail. This is the only book I have read by Wendy Mass and I thought the writing style was really unique and had never read another book like it.

“He leans forward and locks his eyes with mine. ‘I’m going to tell you a secret. Our lives are shaped by the future, not by the past. Once you decide how you want your life to be, all you need to do is live into that future.’ (241).

It was the first time reading a book by Wendy Mass and I enjoyed every minute of it. I liked how the book was set up in the traditional story line like books such as It’s a Wonderful Life, and A Christmas Carol, but with a modern twist that made it exciting and interesting.

Angela’s Plan

I walked up to the podium and looked out at the sea of black and crying faces.

I started, “My best friend Angela was the most amazing person I ever met. She wouldn't stand in a covey and not include other people or abase other people. She was always a benign person. Angela was someone who lived every day to its fullest.She did things capriciously. She was a person that was taken from this world too early. I truly believe that she made this world and everyone in it just a little bit better. And for that her death should not be mourned but her life celebrated.”

I started to feel myself choke up and sat back down in my seat. I wanted to crawl into a crevice and hide. I couldn't believe that just a few months ago Angie was trying to get me to go skydiving. She was always the adventurous one out of the two of us. I was always weighing to pros and cons of everything. It was like I worried so much I let my life pass by and did’t even notice it. Angie did’t live her life that way. It was always what will be today’s adventure. Sadly her life’s adventure ended at only 17.

Angie had always been a really active person but one day accidentally cut her self and began to hemorrhage. She went to the doctor and found out she had leukemia and only had about a few months to live which was spent in the hospital. She had accepted it and spent her last days with me and her family.

It had been about two months after her death when Angie would surprise me with one more adventure. One night at dinner my mom said, “You got a package today”. “That’s strange”, I replied. It thwarted me. I never order things online and my birthday was not for another five months. Then I got excited because I was expecting collage expectant letters to come back pretty soon. I ran up into my room and saw a small package on my bead.

I picked it up and looked at. There was no return address on it. I shook it and had no idea what it was. I walked over to my desk and grabbed some scissors. I don’t know why but i got deja vu. I could just picture Angie sitting at my desk like we always did and laughing at a funny video we were watching. A tear ran down my face and I quickly wiped it away. I cut open the package and ten DVDs fell out. They all had numbers on them. Then at the bottom of the box there was a letter.

It read:

Dear Andy,

If you are reading this you know I have passed on. The cancer may have gotten me but I will still live in everyone’s hearts. But enough about me, this is about you!

I have enclosed ten DVD’s every one has a task on it for you to complete. I lived my life thinking every day was my last. And good thing I did because as we know my days were limited. Now I want you to live your life the same way. Each DVD has a task you must complete on it. You cannot watch the next DVD until you have completed the task it has assigned.

I have enclosed $5,000 dollars to pay for your expenses. And before you get all huffy and say i it is too superfluous just remember I was saving up to help pay for collage but as we know I won’t be needing it.

You are probably thinking I am crazy but I have a feeling you will understand when you are done. You really were my best friend and I loved you very much!

Thinking of you from heaven …
Angela Smith


I didn’t now how this was possible. I sat there crying just staring at the DVDs for a while. Finally I built up enough courage and put the DVD labeled #1 into the DVD player. Angela’s face popped up onto the screen, she was sitting in her hospital bed. One of the nurses must have taped it for her.

“Hi Andy, don’t be sad that I’m gone just remember I am in a better place. Your first task is to go on a little adventure. Tell your parents that you will be gone for a few weeks. They will understand I have already talked to them. Drive to the Airport and take the 7:45 plane at gate G. Once you find out your destination you can watch disk #2 on your potable DVD player. You are not allowed any maps or electronics besides the portable DVD player. Only take one backpack full of clothes noting else. See ya soon!”

I didn’t know what to think a whole bunch of thoughts flooded my mind. What would happen? Where was I going? What did I need to pack? How could i do this with such a small anecdote of what to do ? Then I stopped dead in my tracks and thought I am doing it again. I am letting my life pass by while I a weighing the pros and cons again. I ran over to my closet filled up my backpack with clothes and stuffed the Portable DVD player and the DVDs into my bag.

The next morning I was boarding a plane. The pilot came over the loud speaker and announced that we would be landing in Cape Town, Africa in about 24 hours. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing I little Andrea Collins from South Chester, Colorado was going to Africa.

I reached into my bag and popped in DVD #2. Again Angela appeared onto the screen.

She said,” By now I assume you found out you will be going to Cape Town, Africa. It was always my dream to go there. Once you land you must travel to a small village called Java Unna. You may not use any maps or electronics to get there, once you are there find a woman named Robeen Mandel tell her Angela sent you. She will let you stay with her. You may then watch DVD #3.”

I started to panic when I heard I had to find the village all by myself. I was horrible with directions. But I made a decision to no longer think about anything and to just go were life takes me.

The plane landed what seemed like an eternity later. I was hurried off the plane by a flight attendant. When I stepped out into the airport I was hit by a wave of heat. I was glad that I had packed some shorts. Now I had to find my way to the village. I got my backpack from baggage claim and headed out into this beautiful new city. I found out that Cape Town is a really big city. It is Africa’s second largest city. It was beautiful and all the people were so inviting and warm.

It took me over an hour but after asking around and taking a short taxi ride I finally arrived at Java Unna. It was not at all like I expected it. It wasn’t like the westernized city I just came from. It was still a very rural almost untouched village. People still lived in grass and clay huts and wore traditional African clothing. I felt uncomfortable to invade on there lives but they didn’t seem to mind. A little girl came up to me and asked “Are you lost?” in the cutest voice ever. I replied “no I am looking for Robeen Mandel. “ Oh I’ll bring you to her”, she said and grabbed my hand.

We walked past a few more homes until we reached a bigger hut. She walked inside and I followed. It was a lot bigger inside than I had anticipated. It had two beds and a closet. It was very rococo. It had tribal masks and traditional colors.There were open houses that everyone shared like bathrooms and the cooking areas.

“Hi I am Andrea, Andy for short”, introducing herself.
“I have been waiting for you”, Robeen responded, “You can get settled in I am sure your tired, in the morning you will start your adventure.

Over the next two weeks I completed and watched 7 more DVDs. I had done many new things and tried things I would never dream of doing before now.

Task #3: Work with the locals to raise the cattle and do agrian work
Task #4: Go cave diving
Task #5: Go swimming with the Sharks
Task #6: Ask an local boy out
Task #7: Go skydiving
Task #8: Snorkel in the reefs
Task #9: Take place in a local tribe celebration

I would never have dreamed of ever doing these crazy things. But to my surprise I did. And not once was I scared. I had developed such prowess. I was impromptu. For the first time in my life I did things without thinking.

On the last day of my trip I had one more DVD to watch. I removed it carefully from its case and put it into the portable DVD player. For the last time I saw Angeles face.

“So by now if you’re watching this you have completed your tasks. You have not thought about things before doing them. You did things spur of the moment and actually lived you’re life. You have completed nine tasks and I have one more task for to complete. You most remember the past weeks of your life and remember the way you lived it. Because we both know very well that life is short. You have completed your tasks. Now you must live as every day is your last!

And that is just what I did. I lived everyday as it was my last. Until the day it was my last.