The Old Man and the Sea-Final Thoughts

And so The Old Man and the Sea has come to a close. But really, I actually closed the cover on that short little book that took up part of my summer. Was that passive aggressive? Even though this particular novel was not the worst summer reading assignment that I have read it was still typical of what we talk about in school English classes. Having to answer the same exact questions over and over again can be boring and redundant. If we have to do homework on our summer vacation then at least make it light and maybe even a little bit fun. Plus, has any one else thought about the kids who are not in honors English? Would you not think that the kids who struggle in this subject need to be refreshing their minds? Personally I think that it should be a school wide policy to do summer homework.

Now that my rant is over I can tell you how I really felt about the book. Thank you Ernest Hemingway for writing this novella! It was short and sweet and to the point. With the use of short and declarative sentences the reader knows exactly what is going on and there is no beating around the bush. Some of the other books we read in class or in the summer are ridiculously involved and confusing. *Clears throat* Excuse me Great Expectations I am singling you out. I am just not sure how people read that book for enjoyment. The Old Man and the Sea is also teenager friendly. It is one of the easier classics to analyze and discuss. Santiago is also easy to relate to because he has a struggle that he has to resolve on his own. Almost every that has lived past thirteen has had to solve or fix something on their own at some point in their life. It is how we learn and grow. Ernest Hemingway did a great job writing this novella.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.