The Old Man and the Sea: Obstacles

People are constantly running into obstacles, whether it’s everyday life, or even a special occasion. There are disadvantages to almost everything we do, and sometimes we just need to face them. People must make decisions, and sometimes they are horrific mistakes. Something like getting into an accident because you were texting while driving could have been easily avoided. Santiago ran into a number of challenging obstacles while out at sea, firstly, he was alone, also the lack of advanced technology, and the size and strength of the Marlin. Santiago wasn’t prepared to be out at sea for as long as he was, and he was very resentful of this. The old man faced things that he couldn’t handle, and he paid for it in the end.

Sometimes people can’t handle things on their own.This is one of those cases because Santiago was alone for several days on the skiff by himself, with no crew or help. He obviously needed Manolin’s assistance because it was nearly impossible to catch a fish the size of the Marlin all alone. The old man was very wise, and he managed catch the fish anyway, but “’if the boy were [there] he would wet the coils of the line, he thought’” (83). If the boy were on the boat with Santiago and assisting him, then catching the Marlin would’ve been much easier and faster.

Manolin could’ve assisted Santiago on the skiff, but instead the old man is regretful that he didn’t come along. The old man thought about the boy, and talked about him and how much easier it would’ve been with his help. “Aloud he said, ‘I wish I had the boy’” (51). Any type of crew or help would’ve been helpful to the old man, but in the end it was just an obstacle.

Even the simplest technologies help people when they have no attendants. Something as little as a walkie-talkie could save a life or influence a decision. In Santiago’s case, the most helpful piece of technology would’ve been a radio. If he had a radio, he could have let others know his lonely and haunting situation. “And the rich have radios to talk to them in their boats and to bring them the baseball.’” (39). He would have brought many other tools with him, but the most important would be a radio so he could be entertained by sports and, more importantly, contact others to get the aid he needs.

The Marlin was massive, and very strong. The old man was astonished by its strength and size, since he has never seen anything like it. “’No,’ he said. “He can’t be that big’” (90). But the Marlin was about eighteen feet long, and fifteen hundred pounds. It had threatening strength, and its every move was suspenseful. It was a very tense situation, and there was no way out.

The old man stayed very controlled yet anxious throughout the entire book, his every move had to be precise. People face obstacles that are stronger than them, such as bully or boss. Santiago struggled to catch the fish, but he had patience and beat the odds of the Marlin’s immaculate size. Not everyone believed what they saw when the skiff was in the water and the old man was back. “Many fishermen were around the skiff looking at what was lashed beside it and one was in the water, his trousers rolled up, measuring the skeleton with a length of line” (122). The Marlin was an incredible miracle, and the old man had proof of his existence.

The sincere old man had to make unexpected decisions, and some seriously affected his life. If he caught the Marlin and was able to bring it home safely, then he would have enough food to go on the table and money to go around. But he faced obstacles such as the size and strength of the Marlin, being alone, and the lack of technology. His unprepared ness caused him to lose a life-changing Marlin, and he was remorseful due to his obstacles. But obstacles are everywhere, and people just have to try to find the best way through them.

Third Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Mao's Last Dancer by Li Cunxin. Penguin Books, 2003. Genre: Autobiographical Novel,
nonfiction

Mao's Last Dancer is about Li Cunxin, a peasant boy living in Qingdao, China with his parents and six brothers. His family was incredibly poor, with barely enough dried yams to go around at dinner time. But life changes for the Li family when ten-year-old Cunxin gets chosen to go to Madame Mao's School of Dance in Bejing in 1971. When there, the students learn how to write Chinese, dance, and of course, learn everything in Chairman Mao's red book. Over time, Cunxin improves as a dancer, and finds himself with once in a lifetime oppurtunities. He gets to go to America, and experience fame and fortune as an immensly talented ballet dancer.While there, he runs into language barriers (because he didn't know any English before going to America), and mishaps with the Chinese government. Yet he still tries to find love in the west, and focus solely on dancing. Cunxin lives his dream, and he gives family a proud name.

"[A] fascinating memoir... told simply but passionately, with subtle humor and unguarded emotion." -Houston Chronicle.

Mao's Last Dancer is very easy to read and get into. It is told by Li Cunxin himself, as he and his family stuggle to survive in a poor town. He is given rare oppurtunities to break free from his small town, and his poor country to go to the amazing city of Houstin, Texas in America. I haven't read any other books by him, and I'm not sure if he has even written any other books. But if he did write another book, I would read it in a heartbeat. The paragraphs go by very quickly, and it is easy to read. The reader never knows what the next turn in the book is, and that's what makes it so good.

"I had gone back home and expected to leave them feeling light and optimistic. Instead I was leaving with a confused heart" (437).

I have never really liked nonfiction books, but Mao's Last Dancer convinced me to alter my opinion. It was much better than I expected, and I'm not really into dancing. But I understood this book, and the fact that it was a true story was really what made it inspiring. It is hard to believe that a poor peasant boy can become a world-wide famous dancer, and have the chance to leave his poor life in China for a wealthier life in America. It is an awesome book, and I'd definately recommend it to anyone who wants to give nonfiction books a try. This book is a really inspirational and beautiful tale on how one person can make a difference in their own life.

The Very Last Moment

Sixteen-year-old Grace Bradbury left the doctors office in complete shock, her mother acting morose at her side. Just the night before is when she found the mysterious bruises on her ribcage, and when she pointed them out to her doctor, she was sent for some tests. But now that the tests were over, it was clear what Grace had: Leukemia.

Grace was a normal teenage girl before all this happened. She had a boyfriend named Ray Tymes, who decided to dump her after she told him the news concerning her health status. She had a father, who left her mother and her when he decided he had enough. She had A’s and B’s as grades, and a garrulous personality to go with them. Grace had recently got her license, but she was an obstante driver and never let anyone get away with anything.

Ever since she got the disease, Grace’s mother Nancy has been by her side. That was until about six months ago when she developed a drinking problem. She started because it took off all the stress of reality, but now she has been unable to make educated decisions for her dying daughter. Instead of being by Grace’s side, Nancy has been to bars instead of doctors appointments, or even the drugstore instead of sitting on the end of her daughter’s hospital bed. Grace felt as though she was being rebuffed by her mother, and for the time being, she was able to concur.

* * *

“Mom, Dr. Bracton will be here in just a sec. He wants you to make a decision,” Grace said to her mother patiently.

“Oh yeah? A decision?” Nancy countered back in a seditious tone. She had just gotten back from the bar, and was drunk and confound. Just then, the doctor came in.

“How are you two ladies today?” Asked Dr. Bracton politely, noticing how dizzy Nancy looked as he was doing so.

“We’re just fine Doc. Now lets get this show on the road!” Nancy said with little revere for the doctor. He shot a glance at Grace, and she just rolled her eyes as if this was no big deal.

“Okay, this is going to be a quick appointment,” he looked over at Grace. “I’m just going to quickly examine you, and uh, we’ll see where you’re at before we go any further. Sound good?” Grace nodded her head with a dreadful look. She already knew what was going to happen. She wasn’t going to be well, and is going to need a transplant or Chemo or something else she couldn’t have.

As she was being examined, Grace thought about how her life was changed. She hated having cancer. She felt as though she was being held back, or trapped all the time. It was hard to handle, and she felt like she had a lot of luggage.

“Okay Grace, I think you know what’s happening here,” Dr. Bracton began. “You aren’t doing well, and-” Just then, Grace released fountains of blood from her mouth and nose.

“Hey Grace, time to wake up girl! What are you doin’, sleepin’ in fruit punch?” Nancy said in a garbled tone. Dr. Bracton immediately picked up the phone and dialed the emergency number.

“Unstable cancer patient, room 221 in the leukemia wing, needs medical assistance pronto.” He jogged over to where Grace was lying, and gently shoved Nancy away.

“Hey, this is my daughter, and we’re leaving!” Screamed Nancy.

“No! You don’t understand, she isn’t permitted to leave this hospital in this condition,” Ordered the Doctor. By now the staff was there to bolster Grace, and take her away for some medical attention.

“Ms. Bradbury-”

“I’m divorced, My name is Ms. Jashel to you, Doc,” Said the truculent Nancy as another Doctor, Dr. Williams, came into the blood-stained room.

“My apologies, Ms. Jashel. But by the looks of her exam, Grace needs some emergency Chemo therapy, the only other choice is a bone-marrow transplant. But in order to have the transplant done, she needs a donor. So she’d be on the waiting list of over 100 people, and this wouldn’t be able to be done now. So her only option is for Chemo therapy, and we need your permission to do that,” Dr. Bracton explained.

“No. No! No! No! My daughter has been through too much, and we’re done here. She isn’t having the therapy, not now, and not ever!” Yelled Nancy in a nefarious voice. She was still drunk, and very slow.

“But you can’t just stand here and let your daughter die! She can live if she receives this therapy, or at least hopefully be stable for the time being! Why won’t you let your daughter receive this therapy?” Dr. Bracton was now being tenacious about the situation, and unable to take no for an answer.

“I said no, I mean no. N-O. Now let me see my daughter,” Nancy urged.

“But-”

“Doctor,” Said Dr. Williams who was still in the room. “You can’t make the decision for this family. It’s her child, not yours.”

“But- She’s killing her daughter. I- Ugh. Lets go see Grace to see her views before a decision is made,” Suggested Dr. Bracton.

Grace was in critical condition, she was very unkempt. Her hair was all over the place, her clothes stained with blood. She looked as if she was wizened, and just drifting away. She slowly looked up at her mom and doctor.

“Grace, honey, we’re leaving. Get up, lets go.” Grace looked at her mom then at her doctor. She then slowly started to rise from the hospital bed.

“Whoa, Grace! It doesn’t have to be this way. You can stay here and get treated, this isn’t the only option,” Pleaded the doctor.

“I know, but I’ve made my decision. Not my mom’s, but mine. I’m ready to go, I’ve had enough.” Everyone in the room looked at her, and could tell she was being sincere and that she really wanted to leave. So one by one, doctors made a path to let Grace hobble out the door.

“Bye Dr. Bracton, I’m sorry I let you down. But I have to do this.”

At the very last moment, Dr. Bracton waved and a tear dripped down his face. Doctors aren’t supposed to have emotional attachments to there patients, but Dr. Bracton has grown close to Grace over the past year.

“Bye Grace,” he said before she walked out the door, knowing he will never see her again. He then turned around and summoned all of the staff members to get back to work, and walked to the waiting room and greeted a brand new patient.