Free the Children: by Craig Kielburger

Free the Children by Craig Kielburger is written by Kielburger himself about his journey throughout creating the widely known charity "Free the Children". When Craig first read the headline of the Toronto Star "Battled child labor, boy, 12, murdered." he knew he wanted to look beyond only the community he lived in but try his best to change the world . Craig felt thought about how this could be him too seeing as Craig was only 12 at the time. Kielburger then slowly made his way from traveling to cities around the world and spending his time with children working for only a small amount of money almost every day. The charity "Free the Children" was created in 1995 and has now created over 500 schools around the world for less fortunate children.

The theme of this book was how less fortunate children around the world are able to be helped by even one fortunate child. Kielburger expressed throughout the book that one person can change the world and help many people if they tried their best too, just like he did. The main purpose of the charity "Free the Children" is to let children help children throughout the world and change lives very easily.

I feel there were many issues throughout the book that pertain to me and others my age. These issues were that children my age are suffering in parts of the world and some are working very tough jobs just to earn enough money to feed their family. I have never imagined having to work to feed my family and I until I read this book and thought that there are people just like me who have to provide for their family by working every day and never attending school and getting an education.

I think Craig Kielburger could have written this book without trying to have people donate to the charity. I realize that the book is about the charity and his adventure creating the charity but throughout the book it is almost as if he is hinting to donate to "Free the Children" rather than other charities that have the same values and concerns.

I would recommend this book to others who enjoy reading about foreign countries. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is eager to change the world in their own way and do their part to help others in local communities and larger communities around the world. Somebody who is debating starting their own charity would also enjoy this book because it shows the work that Craig Kielburger did to start his charity which is now very successful.

One rhetorical device I found while reading was the theme of children helping children. "Free the Children" is about children donating to the charity to help other children and throughout the novel, I found that Craig Kielburger tried to point out that children can always help children easily. Free the Children was very pathetic while reading because I felt horrible for the children suffering in other countries. I take the things I have for granted such as my education, family, and house while some children would never be able to have things such as a good education, a house, or a family that you do not have to work for without the help of charities like "Free the Children".

The Old Man and The Sea: by Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a novel about an old man and his amazing plan to set out on a massive adventure into the sea to catch what he hopes is the tremendous fish he has seen. Santiago the old man is the protagonist in this story. Now that Santiago is old, he is have a tough time beating the young fisherman for the larger fish. Because of this, Santiago has to live a poor life with his only friend a small boy named Manolin. Santiago has not caught a single fish in fourty-eight days straight, so he decides to leave early the next day to go further than he has been before to catch his biggest fish ever. Santiago finally hooks a marlin and has it hooked for days and it is a struggle between the marlin and Santiago. Over the time that Santiago has the marlin hooked, he thinks about the past and reflects on his life. During the time that the marlin is on the line, Santiago develops a bond with the fish and cares for it. Santiago pulls the marlin aboard his ship and begins to head home but has to defend his new catch against the many sharks that appear, taking pieces of his marlin. Santiago arrives home to his small lonely shack once again without the biggest catch of his life because it was taken by the sharks.

I think the the themes of this story were friendship, and hope. Friendship for one because the boy Manolin looks after Santiago like a good friend and takes care of him. Santiago also develops a friendship with the marlin while he has the marlin hooked. Hope is another theme because throughout the novel, Santiago has hope. He has hope to catch a huge fish even at his old age. Santiago also displays hope when the he has the marlin hooked because Santiago knows that if he tries hard enough he will be able to capture the marlin. When the sharks are attacking Santiago hopes that they do not take his precious marlin away.

Ernest Hemingway uses a third person view point for this novel, but also talks about Santiago's thoughts. I think this was a very creative and unique way of writing this book and went perfectly with the themes of the novel.

One issue that was raised in the book that relates to adolescents is the young boy Manolin helping and caring for Santiago. The boy cares for Santiago like a father and would do anything just to be able to go fishing with him.

I have never read any novel that relates to this book. That was one of the reasons I thought this book was so interesting was because I have never read anything so deep and interesting like it. The novel had a basic story line but meant so many more things with large amounts of detail from what things looked like to Santiago's thoughts to himself.

I think that this book could not be any better. I think that Ernest Hemingway did an amazing job on this book and deserved the Nobel Prize for Literature. I enjoyed this book so much that I can not wait to begin another one of Hemingway's novel's.

I would recommend this book to people who think deeply about things and enjoy detail in their stories. Also, if people are interested in any of Hemingway's novels, I think that this is one that you have to read. People who enjoy fishing or fish would also enjoy this book i think.

One rhetorical device used in this novel is when Santiago falls asleep at the end of the novel for the last time and dreams about lions on a beach. I think this is interesting because it shows repetition throughout the book. You never really understand why Santiago dreams about this but Ernest Hemingway continues to bring it up.

Another rhetorical device is when Santiago is fighting against the marlin, struggling to keep him on the hook. Santiago becomes friends in his mind with the marlin and bonds with the marlin. I think this shows symbolism showing that if we all become friends even when in a fight we can bond and understand each others feelings and resolve the situation. Even though Santiago wanted to kill the marlin because it was his food, he loved it.