To Save a Life by Jim Britts | Teen Ink

To Save a Life by Jim Britts

February 1, 2011
By Anonymous

In “How to Save a Life”, by Jim Britts, man versus society, as well as man versus man conflict occurs multiple times. Basically the whole book is man versus society because Jake, the main character and captain of the basketball team, is constantly struggling to choose whether to side with his so called “friends”, that are popular and familiar, but lead him down the wrong path, or his newfound “Christian friends”. The first had choice comes when Jake has to choose where to sit at lunch, with his popular table full of wise cracks and trouble, or the thirty some people that make up the little “youth group” circle. Through the story, Jake has to choose what he really cares about, and what really matters to him in life; popularity, beer pong championships and hot dates or others and his own salvation. He is constantly battling the “perfect image” of what the captain of the basketball team should look like, and who he really is on the inside and through Christ. Everyone is pushing him to be this perfect image, but, at the end of the day, it’s his choice and he has to decide. Man versus man conflict also occurs multiple times. For example, once in the locker room, Jake is lifting weights and Doug, the co-star, yet always runner up(to Jake) comes up behind him and pushes the heavy bar and weights down against Jakes chest. They end up in a fist fight in which Jake has enough sense to walk away from after a few swings. As he is walking out, Doug yells “Guess who’s bringing Amy tonight!” (Britts, pg 173). Amy is Jakes former girlfriend of three years and just a few days ago she broke up with him because he is getting into this new life, his life. They end up in an all out fist fight until some other boys in the gym pull them apart. Finally, at the end Jake gets baptized in the ocean, and makes the right choice, even though it is amazingly hard and risks his lifelong dream and scholarship. In “How to Save a Life”, by Jim Britts, the man versus society and man versus man conflict only makes Jake stronger, and in the end, he ends up doing the right thing. He saved someone’s life, literally. Johnny was on the verge of suicide, and then Jake entered the picture. I believe this was the start of a new Johnny, but also, a new Jake. Who knew that just by inviting Johnny to sit with the “little Christian circle” he’d saved a soul, and gained a lifelong friend? Now its our turn, your turn. Is conflict going to break you or make u stronger? Do you have what it takes to, well, save a life?


The author's comments:
Loved this book. And the movie was pretty good too. But you know what they say, the books always better. Their totally right. Whoever they are.

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