April 22, 2010
Dear Ms. Monaco,
I just finished reading A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks. I rated this book ten out of ten stars for a great selection of words and a heartfelt story. This book made me laugh and cry, but the story was one of my favorites so far this year. This book is about a teenage boy named Landon Carter. Landon doesn't have a date for the prom so he asks a girl named Jamie Sullivan. Jamie Sullivan's dad, Hegbert, is the preacher at the local baptist church and Jamie is discriminated because she carries around a bible and reads it during lunch instead of socializing with other students. When Landon asks Jamie out, she says yes, but she told him not to fall in love with her. After the prom Landon and Jamie continue to see each other and fall into love. Then Jamie finally admits to Landon that she has had cancer for the past year and a half. As Jamie continues to get sicker, she tells Landon she wants no more than to get married because she is an only child and is about to die. Jamie and Landon became married and Jamie died a few months later.
This story had a huge impact on me after the Holocaust unit because Jamie was discriminated for loving her god and worshipping him. The way students treated her was appalling. A lot of students thought of her as a person more worthless than them even though we all contribute to the world in our own ways. Jamie handled all the disrespect in her own way and took the opportunity to share out the Lord’s Will to everyone who would listen. Jamie was also in the Christmas play that her dad wrote and Landon had the opposite role to Jamie. During rehearsals, as he became closer to Jamie, he lost some of his friends that were mistreating her and him because they were going out. At the end of the story though some of his friends eventually came around and apologized for mistreating them.
Jamie's dad Hegbert has a very tight hold on his daughter and he doesn't want to let her go so it takes a while for Landon to convince him that his little girl will be okay. Landon does handle this like a gentleman though, and when he wants to take Jamie out he asks permission from Hegbert before even asking Jamie. Although almost all the story Hegbert doesn't acknowledge Landon, when he wants to marry Jamie he makes him cry because he didn't know someone who made fun of Jamie in the past could love her so much.
Another thing that struck me was the lack of structure Landon had such a loose family structure. His dad was a senator and was out of town all the time. Landon's mom was a very vague character in which she was never at home and Landon only spoke of her once or twice. Landon was able to sneak out of the house at all hours and never was once caught by his dad or mom. In the book at the very beginning Landon and his friend Eric were having lunch together and Eric asked who the man at Landon's house was and he told him it was his father. Eric then went on to say, " I didn't know you had a father."
The quote I chose has a breaking point towards Landon and Hegbert’s relationship: “ Hello, Reverend Sullivan,” I said politely. “ Do you have a moment?”
He looked even more tired than usual, and I assumed he wasn’t feeling well.
“Hello, Landon,” he said wearily.
I had dressed sharply for the occasion, by the way, with a jacket and tie. “May I come in?”
He nodded slightly, and I entered the office. He motioned for me to sit in the chair across from his desk.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
I adjusted myself nervously in the chair. “Well, sir, I wanted to ask you something.”
This quote continued on to say that since Landon's parents would not be joining them Jamie wouldn't be allowed to go, but then Landon saves the day by apologizing to him for being mean to Jamie and telling him that he loves her. Hegbert finally says have her home by ten and they end up having a wonderful date. The quote really gave Hegbert a reason to trust Landon and give his little girl some breathing space.
I really enjoy Nicholas Sparks books. So far I have read The Notebook and A Walk to Remember. I am on the waiting list at the public library for Dear John and The Last Song.
Sincerely,
Lauren Reed
