A WALK TO REMEMBER

BY NICHOLAS SPARKS

LINTAO, FATIMEI JOY M.

BSED ENGLISH 3A
 A WALK TO REMEMBER

BY NICHOLAS SPARKS

BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL CRITICISM

Nicholas Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1965. For much of Nicholas'
childhood, his father, Patrick Michael (Mike), was a graduate student, therefore the family
moved around a lot. When Nicholas was eight years old, they moved to Fair Oaks, California.
Sparks excelled in high school and received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Notre
Dame. As part of a relay team, he achieved a school record. However, he quickly suffered a
tendon injury and required time to heal. Sparks authored his first novel, The Passing, during this
time, but it was never published. He earned a finance degree from Notre Dame in 1988 and
married his wife, Cathy, in 1989. This was also the year his mother died in a horseback riding
accident at the age of 47. Sparks returned to writing when he was 28 years old. To that purpose,
he spent the second part of 1994 composing The Notebook, a novel. The novel was a major
success, spending 55 weeks on The New York Times paperback bestseller lists. It's been
translated into 45 other languages. Nicholas' works have all become international best-sellers.
Many of his writings have been made into films, including A Walk to Remember, which was
released in 2002.

A Walk to Remember is a novel written by Nicholas Sparks that was published in

October 1999. The setting of the book is a small-town in North Carolina, and no outside forces
ever threaten to trespass there. But in A Walk to Remember, as in all great literature, the "little"
changes into the "big," the specific meaning more than just a single instance, and the individual
stands in for the universal. Landon Worth, the main character, is reportedly based after Sparks'
sister's husband. The book is seen as a tribute to their unending love and camaraderie. The
narrative begins with a prologue from Landon Carter at the age of 57; however, most of the
action occurs when Landon is a senior in high school, at the age of 17. The central characters of
the book are Landon and Jamie, the Baptist minister's daughter in the area. This work, which is
perceived as falling within the romantic genre, transports us to a previous era when small-town
America valued respect and honor highly. The book promotes an easy life that is full of integrity,
tenderness, and true love.

A WALK TO REMEMBER

BY NICHOLAS SPARKS

READER - RESPONSE CRITICISM

A Walk to Remember, one of Nicholas Sparks' classics, helps readers understand that
love is a beautiful experience that lasts a lifetime no matter how fleeting a time you spend with
it. In this book, the sole son of a privileged family finds true love with the most unlikely person
—the minister's daughter. This wonderful love tale tells us that it all depends on who is by your
side and who is willing to fight for love even when it appears impossible as it leads us through
love, hard times, and bittersweet passion.

A Walk to Remember is an incredibly well-written novel that will definitely move

readers to tears. As opposed to the typical romance story, this one has a somewhat different plot
because the bad boy falls for the good lady often. Jamie Sullivan is a quiet girl who always
brings a Bible with her schoolbooks. Landon Carter, a high school bad boy, is not the type of
person you would expect to like Jamie Sullivan. Their story did not end like fairytales do, but as
their love and faith are tested by tragedy, they finally understand the power of love. Given how
few romance novels have been written from the perspective of a man, I found it intriguing that
Landon was the main character in this book. However, Nicholas Sparks' depiction of Landon
through the first-person narrative enables readers to know how Landon truly feels as opposed to
how he behaves publicly.

The book also tells the story of a young man whose friendship and love for a girl
transformed his life forever. This narrative pulls you into the characters' circumstances and
compels you to feel the emotions that each character goes through. You may react to each
character's circumstances because of the love, sincerity, and melancholy of their feelings. And I
recall crying when I read the story's conclusion. Again, the story's authenticity and realism will
not fail to move you. This book's persuasiveness is another quality that has the potential to alter
your life or at least your perspective on it. You'll come to understand that life is a gift that should
be cherished and lived to the fullest. It actually made me realize that life is an opportunity to
make a difference in the world and especially to the people around you.

After reading this lovely book, one of my favorite quotations comes from Landon at the
end of the book: "I now believe, that miracles may happen." While in the movie, Landon goes
for a walk on the docks where he narrates saying that Jamie changed him forever and that while
he misses her, he believes their love is like the wind: he can't see it but will always feel it. The
movie ends with Landon, looking at the sunset, smiling. Most of us could draw inspiration from
Landon's miracle in order to live better lives. A Walk to Remember is a wonderfully beautiful
book, and I honestly didn't read it expecting it to live up to my expectations. It is a heartfelt tale
with a tragically happy ending that is simple to adore. Although I'm sure this is not the kind of
book that will appeal to everyone, I wholeheartedly endorse it.
 A WALK TO REMEMBER

BY NICHOLAS SPARKS

PSYCHOANALYTICAL CRITICISM

In Beaufort, Landon Carter is regarded as a bad lad, but in reality, he has a kind heart and
behaves honorably. Landon initially has little affection for Jamie, although he does note in
theater class that Jamie is growing more attractive. Landon does begin to have feelings for Jamie
by the conclusion of the novel, and he even starts to grow in love with her. Landon even ends up
becoming Jamie's miracle.

The novel employs Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory. According to psychoanalytic

theory, the human psyche can be divided into three categories: Id, Ego, and Superego. The
Superego is the main topic, and London Carter's personality would be examined in light of that
notion. The superego is a part of personality that is made up of the norms we have absorbed from
our surroundings or society.

The sequence in which Landon's first duty as student body president is to decorate for,
attend, and clean up from the Homecoming Dance is an illustration of a Carter's superego
personality. Discovers Jamie Sullivan's picture in his yearbook and, despite initially finding the
idea of asking her to the dance repulsive, realizes that she might be his only option and that
Landon needs to take action right away to avoid becoming the only student body president in
history to not bring a date to the dance. Although he didn't like Jamie, the fact that he asked her
to go to the homecoming dance when there wasn't another female he could ask shows that
Landon has a strong superego. He also knows that Hegbert certainly would not like it, but he still
did it to avoid the ridicule of his friends, dating his mother, and cleaning up puke. He only
thought about himself.

Another instance is the scene in which, despite knowing that Jamie was unwell and
would soon pass away, Landon still yearned to wed her. If Landon married Jamie, he did not
care about the rest of his life. It is a superego because, despite Jamie being sick, he rushes to
make wedding arrangements. He had no regard for himself. He merely believed that he was
marrying Jamie to brighten her final day.
 Marriage is a commitment between a man and a woman to live together, and most
couples who get married wish to start a family. The relationship between two people of the
opposite sex recognized as husband and wife is what Sigelman (2003) describes as marriage.
The roles and obligations of a husband and wife are present in these partnerships, along with
aspects of closeness, friendship, companionship, affection, sexual fulfillment, and parenthood.
London Carter never thinks what will happen in his life in the future. He did not think about a
wife and to get a child. He wanted Jamie will be happy in the end of life.

"I would have married Jamie Sullivan no matter what happened in the future""... I didn't care
that we wouldn't have long together..."

In these words, Landon made it clear that he did not bother to care if he did not spend
the rest of his days with Jamie. It also shows the strength of his ego. The moral element of
personality known as the super-ego is linked to societal morality, sometimes known as right
and wrong, or the good and bad.