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Your Right!

Dear John is trademarkNicholas Sparks--romantic, sappy, sad and redeeming. A love story about an army sergeant who falls in love shortly before 9/11. Sparks' writing is smooth and easy, but the characters and plot are not particularly memorable. Recommended for those who like sappy romantic comedies (or tragedies, in Sparks' case), but not for those who like a little meat in their reading.

Pros

Dear John is light, easy readingThe characters are likable, if not particularly complexThe novel is a quick read

Cons

The love story is not very realisticThe characters are not very complexThe plot is predictable

Overall , its s light reading that is not painful to read but also not extremely enjoyable to read. If you need some beach reading, go ahead and borrow it. It will give you a few hours to escape, if nothing else.

Description

Narrated by John, who joined the army to get away from his reclusive father and straighten out his life.John meets Savannah when he is on leave at home in Wilmington, NC. They fall in love.John's time in the army, particularly post-9/11, weigh on John and Savannah's relationshipBOOK REVIEW

Dear Johnstarts in the present day with John watching Savannah from afar and thinking about how much he loves her and why their relationship dissolved. He then takes the reader back in time and narrates the story of their love.Dear Johnhas a pretty formulaic plot.

Although Sparks is one of the first to set the age old boy meets girl love story in the modern, post-9/11 world, he does not delve into how the war affects the characters or go very deep in this area.

InDear John, it could be any war keeping them apart. This specific war is not important.The interactions between John and his father create a nice sub-plot,Question

In the first sentence of the prologue, John asks: What does it mean to truly love another? How would you answer this question.Characters

John Tyree (Channing Tatum) a rebel, former tough guy, strained relationship with his father, a staff Sergeant in theUnited States Army Special Forces.

Savannah Lynn Curtis ( Amanda Siegfried)She is a college senior who is in North Carolina for the summer working for Habitat for Humanity. Her dream is to start a ranch to help autistic children learn to ride horses.

She was the valedictorian of her high school, comes from a supportive family, and is very religious. She is interested in John because she says she likes the feeling of being protected.

Mr. Tyree (Richard Jenkins)Johns father. A reclusive man who seems to be obsessed with his coin collection (specificallymules), but his genuine interest draws her, to John's surprise.4. Tim Wheddon (Henry Tomas)Savannah's neighbour. Its Tim's brother Alan who is her inspiration to start the ranch for autistic kids. Tim loves Savannah.

5. Alan- Tims son with autism.

6. Susan- Savannahs college friend, dating Brad.

7. Randy- The guy Susan feels Savannah would date.

7. Tony- John's best army friend.

Setting

It takes place in Wilmington, North Carolina, but there are a few parts that take place in Germany and some take place in Lenoir, NC also.

PLOTExpositionJohn, a rebel son and his father and two quite differently raised people who struggle for their love against geographical distance between them

Rising ActionWhen john receives a letter from Savannah saying that she fell in love with someone else.ClimaxJohn goes home and his dad dies, John finds out Savannah married Tim. Tim is in the hospital and has cancer. John sells his father's coin collection and donates the money to Tim so he can get better treatment.ResolutionTim gets better and he and Savannah stay together. John is by Savannah's house and she comes out and watches the full moon. John doesn't go down to her house he just stays on the hill and watches the moon too.

ForeshadowingTitle isDear John(Dear John lettersare from WWII when a wife or girlfriend would send a letter to their men at war to break up with them)Imageryangry rebel, John has tattoos up and down his arms, is described as 'big' (as in very muscular), crew cut. Savannah has brown hair and a small gap between her teeth and a small mole, kinda crooked smile.IronyThey are so in love, but she can't wait for him. 9/11 happens shortly before his tour of duty is over.

Conflict War, love between John and Savannah, Savannah marrying Tim

Point of view1st person (John)Theme

Love can transform us in ways we never could have imagined.Love between two people and the sacrifices they make.

(Eg. Extending the army contract, being separated for years, falling in love with someone else, etc. It is also about the relationship between a father and son. Eg. How the father raised his son so well, considering he hasAsberger's).

ANALYSISIn true Nicholas Sparks fashion,Dear Johnis a love story that not only deals with the hardships of love and the questions about fate and destiny, but with disease and chronic illness. The story focuses on the effects of autism, pertaining to Johns father. It also deals with physical illness cancer from which Savannahs friend, Tim, suffers. Throw war on top of that, and youre dealing with a book that has a lot of heavy issues.The first part of the book focuses on the love story between the two main characters, but the latter portions are much darker. The characters brood, yearn for each other, and generally make the reader depressed. Though I wasnt a fan of the ending, I understood that it was reality. Sometimes our lives dont go the way we plan, and sometimes its our own fault. But thats the way it is, and thats whatDear Johnis really all about.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE MOVIE & BOOK

MovieThere is a greater emphasis on the letters, with a big chunk of the movie dedicated to John and Savannah writing/ sending/receiving letters.Book(Even though it's titledDear John) we only get to read two letters, both from Savannah.

BookSavannah marries her best friend Tim and dumps John for him. Tim also has an autistic brother Alan.

MovieThis is the same in the movie, but the movie fails in that Tim is like fifteen years older and Alan is his son. The movie plays Tim off as a family friend, but the actor is even fifteen years older than Amanda Seyfried so it was pretty gross that they got married. It didn't make as much sense.BookTim has skin cancer and needs money for an experimental drug. John anonymously donates the money and Tim is curedMovieTim has lymphoma and the money John donates just gives him a few extra months, so he dies. Then the ending is very cliffhang-y, in that Savannah sees John on the street after Tim has died and walks up to him, with the audience not knowing what happens.MovieSavannah ends up marrying one of her childhood friends named Tim and he ends up getting cancer. John sells his dad's coin collection in order to help get Tim treatment, but Tim dies anyway. Savannah and John meet coincidently on a street in Charleston (John is unlocking his bicycle and Savannah is sitting near a window in a Cafe) and she walks out and gives him a hug.

BookSavannah marries Tim, he gets cancer...John goes to see her and they end up parting amicably. He sells his dad's coin collection to get Tim treatment, and Tim goes into remission. He goes back to see her at her house, but he is hidden in the hills and she walks outside and looks to where he is (but doesn't see him) and then she looks up at the moon.

QUIZ

DEAR JOHN by Nicholas SparksWhat is the full name of the narrator ?

John TyreeJohn TrumbullJohn TysonJohn Tindell