KEY FACTS

Title:

The Notebook

Author:

Nicholas Sparks

Date Published:

1996

Meaning of the Title:

It refers to the diary that Allie writes in about the events in her life, which ultimately tells the story Noah reads everyday to his wife to keep the memories of their love alive.

Setting:

New Bern, North Carolina, 1932, 1946, and the present day at Creekside Extended Care Facility

Protagonists:

Noah Calhoun and Allie Nelson

Antagonists:

Allie's parents who don't think Noah is good enough for their daughter and Lon, who neglects the woman he loves by prioritizing his career ahead of her.

Mood:

The mood is at times troubling and even quite sad, but for the most part is continuously hopeful and uplifting.

Point of View:

The point of view is first person in the first and last chapters and third person in the remainder of the novel.

Tense:

The story is told in the past tense.

Rising Action:

The rising action begins in 1946 one year after Noah Calhoun has returned to his hometown to buy the house of his dreams and restore it to its former magnificence. It ends with his return from the hospital to Creekside, where Allie still lives.

Exposition:

The author tells us the story of a love affair between soul mates, Noah and Allie, who find and lose each other twice, but ultimately marry and have children. Even when Allie develops Alzheimer's disease, they remain able to overcome everything with their love.

Climax:

The climax occurs when Noah, having had a stroke and eighty years old, reads Allie's final letter again and is reminded of the promise she made when she found out she had Alzheimer's: she would try every way she knew how to overcome the disease and be with him in the end.

Outcome:

Noah goes o Allie's room late at night even though he is chancing a panic attack when she awakens. He means only to leave a poem under her pillow, but instead kisses her passionately. This causes her to awaken and recognize Noah, glad that he has come back to her. Their passion continues and Noah says they begin to slip toward heaven. This is such a vague ending that it's possible to believe that they die there together once more just as Allie had promised.

Major Themes:

Love Conquers All; You Should Follow Your Heart; You Cannot Life Your Life in Fear of Hurting Others