Decisions, decisions.

Decision-making is one of life's greatest challenges. They alter the course of your life. Many times, there are no guides. You just have to take your best guess and go with it. If you made the wrong choice, oh well! There are no take-backs in life. The protagonist of the novella, The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago, knows this well, perhaps better than many. His choice to go fishing without Manolin the day he caught the marlin greatly affected the course of events.

First of all, because of Santiago's choice, it was impossible for him to catch more than one fish at a time. He started by catching an albacore, reserved for sustanence. However, once he hooked the marlin, Santiago had to apply all of his attention and strength to holding onto the marlin. “ ‘I wish I had the boy,’ the old man said aloud. ‘I’m being towed by a fish and I’m the towing bitt.’” (45) The fish was so mighty and powerful that Santiago needed to apply all of his attention to it. If he had let go of the marlin to reel in another fish, he would have lost his prized catch. If he had decided to bring Manolin along, he could have reeled in other fish while Santiago wrangled with the marlin. Instead, he went alone, and ending up losing the catch he worked so hard for, and any potential money he could have fetched for it.

In addition to making it impossible to catch more fish, Santiago's choice affected his life because he had to deal with the marlin, alone. For several days Santiago was towed by the monstrosity of a fish that he had hooked. It drained him of all of his strength and energy. “If the boy was here he would wet the coils of line, he thought. Yes. If the boy were here. If the boy were here.” (83) Santiago was even injured when the fishing line cut him. At this point, Santiago began to realize the magnitude of his mistake. He started to realize that this wasn’t a job that one man, let alone an older, feebler one, could easily complete. There were many things that Manolin could have done that would have helped Santiago immensely. If Manolin had been there, Santiago and him could have switched. Santiago would have had more time to rest peacefully, while the younger, stronger, more vital Manolin could have toiled with the fish for a while.

Finally, Santiago's choice to fish without Manolin made him very, very lonely. He was out at sea, in the sun, for several days. Without a friend, he had nothing to pass the time. "'It's steady,' the old man told him. "Too steady. You shouldn't be that tired after a windless night. What are birds coming to?" (54). Santiago found comfort in talking to a migrating warbler that crossed his path. The bird gave him someone to talk to. Santiago reassured himself and took his mind off of his struggles by talking to the bird. If Manolin had been there, he wouldn't have resorted to confiding and chatting with the warbler. As well as talking to the warbler, Santiago often wondered about baseball, and talked out loud about whatever was on his mind. 

In conclusion, Santiago's choice greatly affected his life. With Manolin as his aid, Santiago could have completed many more things. He could have caught more fish, and could have taken breaks. He also wouldn't have been so lonely. Hopefully, Santiago learned his lesson, and will make better choices in the future.

3rd Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

The Pact by Jodi Picoult. Harpercollins Publishers, 1998.

fiction

The Pact by Jodi Picoult, is based upon the lives of two families. Specifically, their children. These two families, the Harts and the Golds, are next door neighbors who are very close friends. The two wives even become pregnant at similar times. The children, Emily Gold and Chris Hart, are expected to become best of friends. Chris and Emily become inseparable from birth, first as best friends, then later as boyfriend and girlfriend. They are both perceived to be perfect teens who excel at what they do - Chris at swimming, and Emily at painting. They are both expected to go to fantastic colleges and have great lives. Among all of this, Emily and Chris try to navigate the uncertainty of Emily's sudden admission. She wants to die. What follows is a tangled web of love, trust, betrayal, and pain as the Golds and the Harts try to decipher what happens when the inseparable pair is divided by the death of Emily.

"The Pact is so good that we can't put it down... suspenseful, intelligently written, topical." - Detroit Free Press

The Pact does a good job of showing the reader what is often the truth when it comes to parent-teen relationships: no matter how well you might know someone, you can always know them better. As the story progresses Picoult deftly alternates between 'then' and 'now,' referring to before Emily's death and after her passing. While reading the then and then later the now, Picoult offers intriguing allusions as to what transpired in Emily and Chris's shared past that brings them to the present. At one point I was so curious that I skipped a whole 'now' part just to find out what happens during one part. 

Another thing that I like about Jodi Picoult's works is her attention to detail. In the other book I read by her, My Sister's Keeper, it was obvious that Jodi did her homework on her topic. In The Pact, it's obvious tedious research is involved when a psychologist, art therapist, and coroner are brought in to testify during the trial. I like that she researches her topics so thoroughly because it gives the story a more authentic feel.

"'It was no big deal,' Emily murmured. 

'Oh yeah?' He whispered. 'Then how come you're shaking?'

'It's nothing.' She said, shrugging, but she would not look at him. She methodically ate a burger she could no longer taste, and slowly convinced herself that she had told him the truth. (67)

I loved this book, a lot. I do like most of the books I read, that's the truth, but this book really shook me. When I started it, I was immediately drawn in by the two main characters, Emily and Chris. They seemed like every other 'poster high school college sweetheart couple' that you might read about, totally cliche, but they had flaws. The story reminded me of "Romeo and Juliet" in a way, but completely reversed. Instead of being pried apart by their families, Emily and Chris were almost forced together. Picoult brought up points about Emily's unhappiness that I would have never thought of. This book was so realistic and touching that one time during C block I almost started crying, and that is really saying something!