This study focuses on the style of the author Nicholas Sparks in his two novels: “The Notebook” and “The best of me”. These two novels appeared at two important phases of his development as an author: the first one at the outset of his career and the other one at a time when he was already an acclaimed author. The main objectives are to analyze his style and to study its evolution over fifteen years by comparing his two masterpieces. In the end I summarize the main features of his style and draw conclusions about the development of his artistic creativity in general and his style in particular.
Nowadays most of people read novels especially romantic novels but they read only the story as a preface without knowing the point of view, style, literary devices or tone etc. While reading a novel or a book, we must connect ourselves to the story or character or maybe to emotions in order to have that feeling. This study will concentrate in two novels of Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook and The best of me. Nicholas Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska on December 31, 1965, son of Patrick Michael (1942-1996) and Jill Emma Marie Sparks (1942-1989). During his childhood he moved around a lot with his family and lived in multiple locations like, Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska, finally settling in Fair Oaks, California at the age of eight. His father was a professor, his mother was a homemaker, then an optometrist’s assistant. He lived in Fair Oaks until he finished high school, he graduated valedictorian in 1984, and received a full scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. Nicholas Sparks as a freshman was part of a relay team and broke the Notre Dame school record in 1985, a record which still stands, but he was injured and spent the summer recovering. During that summer, he wrote his first novel, but it was never published.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
1.1.Background of the study
1.2. The Goal of this study
1.3. The Outline of the study
CHAPTER II: THEORY SECTION
2.1. Theory of Style
2.2. Literary figures in Sparks’ novels
2.2.1. Metaphor
2.2.2. Irony
2.3. Critics about Sparks
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY
3.1. Research design
3.2. Research Questions
3.2.1. Hypothesis
CHAPTER IV: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Discussion
4.1. “The Notebook”
Inspiration
4.1.1. Summary
4.1.2. Nicholas’ Sparks narrative style
4.1.3. Figurative Language
4.1.4. The portrayal of the main characters
4.2.”The Best of Me”
Inspiration
4.2.1. Summary
4.2.2. Nicholas Sparks’ narrative style
4.2.3. Figurative Language
4.2.2. The Portrayal of the main characters
4.3. Similarities and Differences between the two novels
4.4. Analysis
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Themes
This master thesis investigates the evolution of literary style in the works of author Nicholas Sparks by conducting a comparative analysis of his novels "The Notebook" and "The Best of Me." The primary research objective is to determine whether Sparks' narrative techniques, use of figurative language, and character development have evolved over the fifteen-year span between these two publications.
- Comparative stylistic analysis of "The Notebook" and "The Best of Me"
- Examination of narrative techniques, specifically the use of flashback and point of view
- Investigation of figurative language usage, focusing on metaphor and irony
- Analysis of character development and portrayal in Sparks' romantic fiction
Excerpt from the Book
Inspiration
“The Notebook was inspired by my wife’s grandparents, two wonderful people who spent over 60 years together. My wife was very fond of these two people—the other set of grandparents had died when she was young—and she was one of those people who loved to visit on the weekends, growing up. When she turned sixteen, as soon as she got her license, she would drive up to visit them on the weekends and even when she went off to college (about two hours away) she still went to visit them a couple of times a month just to check on them, to make sure they had groceries, and all those things a nice granddaughter would do.
They had no idea we’d be coming and were excited to see us. My grandfather-in-law slipped into his jacket and put on the boutonniere and we took photographs with them; we went inside and watched the video as we ate a slice of cake, and it was then they told us the story of how they met and fell in love, parts of which eventually made their way into The Notebook.
But though their story was wonderful, what I most remember from that day is the way they were treating each other. The way his eyes shined when he looked at her, the way he held her hand, the way he got her tea and took care of her. I remember watching them together and thinking to myself that after sixty years of marriage, these two people were treating each other exactly the same as my wife and I were treating each other after twelve hours. What a wonderful gift they’d given us, I thought, to show us on our first day of marriage that true love can last forever.”
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: This chapter provides the background and objectives of the study, introducing Nicholas Sparks as an author and outlining the research focus on his stylistic evolution.
CHAPTER II: THEORY SECTION: This section defines the concepts of style and stylistics, while also exploring the function of literary devices such as metaphors and irony in narrative works.
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY: This chapter details the library-based research design, the collection of primary and secondary data, and the interpretive methods used to analyze the novels.
CHAPTER IV: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS: This core section provides a detailed comparative analysis of "The Notebook" and "The Best of Me," focusing on narrative style, figurative language, and character portrayals.
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION: This final chapter synthesizes the research findings, confirming that Sparks' style remained largely consistent over the fifteen-year period, largely due to market demand and trademark adherence.
Keywords
Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook, The Best of Me, Literary Style, Evolution, Figurative Language, Metaphor, Irony, Narrative Technique, Flashback, Character Portrayal, Romantic Fiction, Catharsis, Climax, Literary Analysis
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on the narrative style of Nicholas Sparks and whether it has evolved between his earlier novel "The Notebook" (1996) and his later work "The Best of Me" (2011).
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The research examines the common structural and thematic elements in Sparks' work, including romantic love, societal class obstacles, and the portrayal of dynamic characters.
What is the main goal or research question?
The primary goal is to analyze Sparks' narrative style and determine if his artistic creativity and use of figurative language show evolution over a fifteen-year timeframe.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The author uses a qualitative library research method, utilizing descriptive analysis of primary text data from the two novels and secondary source support from literary critiques and theory.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body discusses the narrative techniques (flashback and framing), the use of literary figures (metaphor and irony), and a comparative analysis of the plots and character development in both selected novels.
Which keywords best characterize the study?
Key terms include Nicholas Sparks, Narrative Style, Figurative Language, Evolution, Literary Devices, and Comparative Analysis.
Why did the author choose to analyze the use of flashcards?
Actually, the thesis focuses on "flashback" as a core narrative device used by Sparks to handle temporal jumps and provide background information, rather than flashcards.
Does the author conclude that there was a significant evolution in style?
No, the author concludes that there is no significant evolution of style, as the author maintains a consistent "trademark" approach to writing to meet reader and market expectations.
- Quote paper
- Arbresha Klaiqi (Author), 2017, Evolution of Style in Nicholas Sparks’ Novels, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/423827
