Saturday, March 20

choices vs. consequences

Sometimes you will have to face life. Life will throw anything at you and your going to have to solve it or get around it. just like choices. Like what college you want to go to, or if you want to go out with this person. With choices comes consequences whether positive or negative. Some choices can cost you your life. for example, whether you try drugs. Some can kill you the first time you try it or if you have been taking for a while. In Ernest Hemingway's book, The Old Man in the Sea, the old man had to make choices, and some that could have cost him his life.

The old man's first decision was to leave Manolin behind with the other,lucky, boat and not let him come with him. The old man said,"No. Your with a lucky boat. Stay with them." The consequence of this choice was that when he was out at sea and could have used the help, he didn't have that help. He stated out loud,"I wish the boy were here and that I had some salt," ( 56). Also (50) the old man said,"I wish the boy was here". The consequence of not bring the boy out with him and sending him off with the other boat was that when he needed help when catching the marlin he had to do it by himself without any help from anyone.

The old man's second decision is not to bring any food of any sort. He only goes out with a watter bottle, which is consumed quickly by his ongoing thirst. The consequence of this decision is that he is forced to eat only the fish he catches, which can be have an unpleasant taste without any seasons, like salt. Also that the old man could become dehydrated. Repeatedly the old man keeps saying he would like salt like (80), "I will never go in a boat again without salt or limes."

Finally, the old man's last decision was that he didn't bring back up weapons or enough weapons. For example more harpoons. The consequence of this decision is that he has to fight off sharks from the marlin with only one harpoon and some rope. (102), "...when he rammed the harpoon down onto the shark's head...He hit it with his blood stained mushed hands driving a good harpoon with all his strength...wrapping himself in two loops of the rope. the old man knew that he was dead but the shark would not accept it." This shows the battle of the old man and the shark and how he used all the weapons that he had and he had lost them with the shark. so if he had to use the harpoon he wouldn't be able to because the only one he had was gone.

Just like the old man, consequences come with a decision. It's your choice to make the consequences good or bad. Just like the old man could have brought more water, although no food. Or more weapon, but not more line. Or he could have let the boy come, but maybe not need his help. All of these would have helped the old man but not solve the consequences. He didn't know he would need more than he needed until he actually came to the moment where he needed them.