Submitted by: Mary Rose Ann RenaciaCAS-06-101P Submitted to:Prof. Susan VargasA Walk To Remember By Nicholas Sparks

Setting:The story takes place in the real-life city of Beaufort, North Carolina (pronounced "Bo-furt"), in 1958 and 1959. Beaufort is a small coastal port city that was established in 1722.Character List:Major Characters: Jamie Sullivanis a seventeen year-old girl, the daughter of the Beaufort church Baptist minister Hegbert Sullivan. She is very religious, sweet, and kind. Shes dying of cancer, but who impacts on the lives of everyone around her.

Landon Carter is a son of a rich family, the 57 year-old man who through flashback narrates the story of his seventeenth year, the year that changed his life.

Hegbert Sullivanis Jamie's father. He is the Beaufort church minister. His wife died shortly after giving birth to Jamie.He wrote the local play,The Christmas Angelbut he tries to discourage the young couple from being together and falling love, but in the end, even he cannot disrupt Gods Plan.

Minor Characters Worth CarterLandons father and the local congressman, he is seldom home and so, he and Landon havent much of a relationship.

Landons motherAlthough she is nameless, she has a great deal of influence on her son and is a source of strength when he needs it most.

Eric HunterLandons best friend and the star of the football team, he is a natural joker and teaser and in the end, must come to grips with the way he had always treated Jamie.

Miss GarberThe teacher who teaches the Drama Class and helps them stageThe Christmas Angel.

Carey and EddieThe two boys whom Landon often mocks as being somehow less than he is.

Jamies motherAlthough she has died at Jamies birth, it is her Bible that has a lasting influence on both Jamie and Landon.

Landons grandfatherA kind of robber baron who made the family fortune by stealing from the people of Beaufort, his evil actions made Hegbert quit working for him and created discord between Hegbert and his son Worth for a long time after. Jamie heals their rift

PLOT/SUMMARY: Landon, a senior in high school in 1958, describes Beaufort, North Carolina, as a typical, small, Southern town, in which churches particularly Baptist churches play a significant role. The church where Landon and his family attend, Southern Baptist, in collaboration with Beaufort High School, presents a Christmas play each year at the local playhouse.The Christmas Angel,penned by the minister of Southern Baptist, Hegbert Sullivan, is a largely autobiographical story that parallels the life of the minister: A man's wife dies during childbirth, and he has to raise his daughter on his own, in spite of overwhelming grief. In the play, the father, Tom Thornton, searches desperately to buy a particular music box for his daughter, whom he has kept at arm's length because of his grief. While on an unsuccessful shopping trip to locate the music box, Tom meets a beautiful angel, who encourages him to be a better father; the music box then miraculously appears under the tree on Christmas morning. The play is popular in Beaufort, playing to packed houses in spite of the amateur cast, drawn from seniors at the high school.As the younger Landon narrates, he also describes his father, Worth Carter, a popular, well-known U.S. congressman who lives much of his life in Washington, D.C. Worth Carter and Reverend Sullivan do not see eye to eye, partly because Congressman Carter is less tenacious than Reverend Sullivan would like him to be in hunting down communist influences and sympathizers, but also because Landon's grandfather was a bootlegger and banker, who charged such exorbitant interest rates during the Great Depression that most of his customers lost their homes and businesses to him when they became unable to make their payments. Reverend Sullivan, who once worked for Grandfather Carter, quit his job and joined the ministry, but he still harbors resentment and anger over Carter's behavior.Like the protagonist inThe Christmas Angel,Hegbert Sullivan's much-younger wife died in childbirth, leaving the minister to raise his daughter, Jamie, on his own. In 1958, the year in which Landon is narrating the story, Jamie is a senior in high school, and she is cast as the angel in the play. Landon finds himself in drama class with the plain, devout, Bible-carrying Jamie, who is not only a model student but also a model person: kind; selfless; gentle; cheerful; and always deeply concerned with the welfare of anyone less fortunate than she. Jamie is adored by the adults in Beaufort but not befriended by any of the students, both because of her drab clothing and plain appearance and because her near-perfect behavior reflects poorly on the rest of the student body.At the end of the chapter, Landon considers the number of years he has known (and mostly avoided) Jamie, and he is shocked, after all that time, to discover that she is developing a woman's body that, along with a summer tan from Bible school, makes her appear almost pretty in Landon's eyes.Landon discusses his college options. His father wants him to attend an Ivy League university, but Landon hopes only that his grades are high enough for him to be accepted at the University of North Carolina, where his father attended. Worth Carter devises a scheme to improve Landon's college application: run for student body president. Although reluctant, Landon schemes with his best friend, Eric Hunter, a sports standout, to secure the athletes' vote for Landon. Thus Landon wins the election.One task that falls to Landon in his new position is that he must decorate for, attend, and clean up after the Homecoming Dance. In order to avoid being the only student body president in history to not bring a date to the dance, Landon ponders his options. Still pining for his junior-year girlfriend, Angela Clark, who now dates a 20-year-old mechanic named Lew, Landon discovers that most of the girls he knows already have dates for the dance. Landon's pressure intensifies in light of the fact that a fellow student council member, treasurer Carey Dennison, is also without a date and is likely asking any remaining available girls. Landon comes across Jamie Sullivan's picture in his yearbook, and although he is initially repulsed by the idea of asking her to the dance, he realizes she may be his only option and that, to stave off Dennison, Landon must act quickly. He runs to Jamie's house and nervously asks her to be his date. She is surprised, but she agrees, with one caveat: Landon must promise not to fall in love with her.Landon experiences some anxiety about the upcoming dance. Although Jamie's religious code does allow her to dance, Landon fears that Jamie will wear her usual brown sweater and plaid skirt, which may prompt the other kids to tease her. Landon's friend Eric, who is dating a cheerleader named Margaret Hays, suggests double-dating, but Landon rejects this idea, aware of Eric's tendency to tease, especially when he has been drinking.On the day of the dance, Landon fulfills his student council obligations by decorating the gym and then picks up a corsage for Jamie and drives to her house, where Reverend Sullivan is waiting to have a word with Landon. In an awkward conversation, Landon has to convince Reverend Sullivan that he means no ill will toward Jamie and does not plan to play any pranks on her.Landon is relieved when he sees Jamie, who has put on a nice blouse and skirt and is not carrying her Bible, although she is still free of makeup and wears her hair in a bun. Landon observes Reverend Sullivan's fondness for his daughter as Landon and Jamie depart for the dance.Jamie has few friends, and because of Jamie, Landon is largely shunned by his, so the two spend the first hour of the evening alone, talking and dancing. Trouble brews when Angela and Lew arrive: Angela has already been drinking; Lew spikes the punch bowl; and Landon finds himself staring at Angela in her flashy dress, which angers Lew. Jamie cheerfully intervenes, recognizing Lew from a photo she saw at the home of an elderly woman she once helped, and this saves Landon from a fistfight.Later that evening, Jamie finds Angela retching on the bathroom floor, and Jamie and Landon clean up Angela, clean up the bathroom, and take Angela home. Landon is able to drop Jamie off just before her curfew and is amazed when she says she had a good time, despite being covered in Angela's vomit.Life returns to normal for Landon. His father is back in Washington, D.C.; Landon and his friends sneak out to spend late nights at the graveyard; and Landon doesn't see Jamie very much. Eventually Jamie calls Landon, although he first thinks the voice is Angela's. Jamie asks Landon whether they can talk, an idea that repels Landon, but he agrees to see her that day. As when Landon asked her on their date, the two sit outside because Reverend Sullivan does not allow Jamie to be alone in the house with a young man. Jamie asks Landon whether he'd be willing to audition to play the part of Tom Thornton in this year'sThe Christmas Angel,taking over for Eddie Jones, who stammers. Jamie insists that she is asking not because Eddie's stammering embarrasses her but because she wants the production to be perfect this year for her father, whom she loves. Landon reluctantly agrees, wondering if he really even had an option the saying no to her request.Landon secures the role of Tom Thornton and begins three weeks of rehearsals with the rest of the cast, led by the drama teacher, Miss Garber. Acting does not come naturally to Landon so he has to work hard both to remember his lines and to give a credible performance. For this hard work, he resents Jamie.One night, when Landon is out with his friends, Jamie approaches him, which increases both his friends' teasing about Jamie and Landon's resentment toward her. The two discuss the play, and Eric mockingly suggests that the two of them perform their lines for the orphans as a dry run. Jamie does not catch Eric's mocking tone and loves the idea. She decides to approach the orphanage director with the plan, which kicks Landon's practice and memorization into high gear because he doesn't want to embarrass himself in front of the orphans.In response to Jamie's idea to perform in front of the orphans, Miss Garber, the drama teacher, suggests that the entire cast (not just Jamie and Landon) perform for the orphans. Jamie and Landon are charged with driving to Morehead City, the next town over, and asking the orphanage director, Mr. Jenkins, for his permission. On their way, Jamie stops by Landon's home and is astonished by its size and grandeur, especially when compared to her own modest house. Landon reflects to himself that his favorite part of the house is the window that allows him to escape his home late at night.On their way to the orphanage, Landon and Jamie discuss their future, and Jamie suggests that Landon become a minister after college, a suggestion he finds "absolutely ridiculous." Jamie reveals that her own dream is to get married, with a tremendous crowd in attendance and her father walking her down the aisle. Given Jamie's prowess in the classroom, Landon is surprised Jamie doesn't aspire to more in life.They turn their attention to the orphanage, where Jamie has volunteered for the last seven years. Jamie is disappointed when Mr. Jenkins rejects their idea to perform the play there; he reminds them that the subject matter might sadden the orphans. In spite of her deep disappointment, Jamie understands Mr. Jenkins' decision. She then gives Landon a tour of the orphanage, which depresses him in its starkness.Excitement about the play builds in the community, especially because the playwright's daughter has the starring role this year. But Landon feels no such excitement because his friends tease him relentlessly over his connection to Jamie.Landon begins walking Jamie home each night, at her request, because of the late hour at which they leave rehearsals. Landon, with obvious sarcasm, reflects internally on how safe the town is, even at night. During one of their evening walks, Jamie reveals that she doesn't plan to attend college in spite of being one of the best students in the class. She also talks about missing her mother, and Jamie reveals that the Bible she always carries belonged to her mother, who had it with her in the hospital when she died.One night, Eric and Margaret see the two walking home, and Eric again mocks them under the guise of being sweet and polite. Eric quickly tells everyone at school about the after-rehearsal walks, and Landon finds himself withdrawing from his friends in frustration over their teasing. The night before the play, Landon finally lashes out at Jamie, who is deeply hurt by his outburst.Feeling badly about hurting Jamie, Landon approaches her the night of the play to apologize; he finds himself holding her hand. After the two head to their respective dressing rooms, Eric enters and asks what funny or mean stunt Landon plans to pull during the performance. When Landon answers that he plans only to say his lines and act the part as best he can, Eric responds, "I guess you're finally growing up, Landon."Landon is most worried about his pivotal scene, in which Tom Thornton first sees the angel and utters, "You're beautiful." In rehearsals, the line hasn't been ringing true because Landon can't imagine anyone having such a reaction when looking at an angel that looks like Jamie. However, when Landon finally sees Jamie in that scene, she is wearing a flowing white dress and a touch of makeup, with her hair cascading to below her shoulders. Landon delivers an utterly believable, "You're beautiful."The play is a huge success, and everyone is amazed at Jamie's transformative beauty. When, after the closing curtain, Jamie thanks Landon for his part in the play, he feels a pang of sadness at not being able to walk her home that night.By the following Monday, however, Jamie is back to her old self and so are her classmates' attitudes toward her. Landon busies himself with schoolwork and college applications that, combined with some lingering guilt over his harsh words toward Jamie, keep Landon from reaching out to Jamie. However, Jamie asks for Landon's help in collecting the 60 cans and jars she has placed around town to collect change that she intends to use to buy Christmas presents for the orphans. Landon agrees to help.Three days later, when Landon sees that only $55.73 has been collected a paltry sum even in 1958 he empties his bank account and, without telling Jamie what he has done, brings nearly $250 to Jamie. She insists on taking Landon with her to the orphanage to deliver the gifts she buys with the money, and he is touched by what he witnesses there: a spectacular tree; presents for each child; and clean, well-behaved children. Because Jamie and Landon arrive separately that day, when he finally sees her, reading to the children, again he is stuck by how beautiful she looks. Landon describes the evening as the best Christmas Eve he's ever experienced.When Landon and Jamie exchange gifts, he gives her a new sweater, and she gives him her Bible. Landon is deeply touched by her gift; reflecting to himself on the times they have spent together, he realizes he has fallen in love with Jamie.Later that night, Landon contemplates Reverend Sullivan's recent odd behavior, in which he appears sad and disconnected. Landon and Jamie discuss God and the importance of continued faith, and Landon invites Jamie to his house for Christmas dinner. Landon then holds Jamie's hand, and although he hopes for a goodnight kiss, the opportunity does not present itself.Dinner is pleasant and uneventful; afterward, Landon and Jamie take a walk in the garden, and Jamie asks about Landon's grandfather. She challenges Landon to find a way to return his grandfather's ill-gotten financial gains. They then discuss Jamie's father, Hegbert his worries and fears. Finally, Landon asks Jamie whether he can come over to see her now and then, and she agrees. He visits her the next day, and they kiss.Landon and Jamie begin to date. On New Year's Eve, he takes her to a fancy restaurant on the advice of his mother. He first receives Reverend Sullivan's blessing, however, and when he does, Landon notices that Reverend Sullivan cries as Landon leaves his office. Landon also notices that Jamie appears more fatigued than she used to.The two begin to incorporate each other into their lives. Jamie spends time on the river, at the beach, and at Cecil's Diner Landon's hangouts and Landon visits the orphanage. Landon draws the line, however, at attending Bible study with Jamie so as not to accentuate his lack of Biblical knowledge.One day, near the end of the holiday school break, Landon notices a large bruise below Jamie's ring finger. After hugging her, he also notes that she is thinner than even two weeks before.After Landon tells Jamie for the first time that he loves her, she cries and asks him not to say that. She then gives Landon the stunning news that she is dying.In this, the longest chapter of the novel, Landon discovers that Jamie has leukemia. She and her father have known for seven months and have told no one, deciding that they would rather live without the sadness and pity of others for as long as possible. Jamie and Landon then tell his mother, and Reverend Sullivan shares the sad news with the congregation. When school begins again, teachers inform the students of Jamie's condition, and the entire student body grieves. Jamie's disease is a rare form with no cure, and she has only a few months to live unless a miracle occurs.Landon feels fear and begins to investigate that emotion. He fears death, fears upsetting Jamie, fears talking about the future with her. He discovers, however, that Jamie is afraid, too, although she puts on a strong front. Jamie stops attending school to spend more time with her father; Landon, meanwhile, begins to pray for a miracle and starts reading Jamie's Bible every night, looking for guidance and answers.Landon begins to ponder what he can do, if anything. His mother, who is deeply saddened by Jamie's and Landon's situation, encourages Landon to listen to his heart.Jamie's disease progresses rapidly, such that she loses more weight, takes on a gray pallor, and bruises even more easily. She is nearly always cold, and she takes medication to ease her pain. She and Landon discuss Landon's reading of the Bible and the meaning of faith: Jamie reveals that her faith in God is still strong; Landon reveals that he is losing his. The two begin to study the Bible together. After a dinner at Landon's house, during which he assures Jamie that he will continue to visit her even during her last days, Jamie tells Landon that she loves him.Reverend Sullivan allows the two to stay indoors together, without supervision, for a few hours each day after school. One day, amidst a steady stream of visitors, Eric and Margaret stop by Jamie's house while Landon is there. Eric apologizes for Jamie's condition and opens up to her, revealing that he believes she is the kindest person he has ever met. Both Eric and Margaret weep openly, and Jamie holds each of them in a long embrace. Eric tells Jamie he's praying for her, and then leaves an envelope with $400 he collected for the orphanage.As Landon waits for his miracle, Jamie's condition again worsens. She is clearly dying, and Landon searches for something he can do. When Jamie requires hospital care, Landon's mother calls his father home, and the two of them step in and pay for full-time, in-home medical care for Jamie. This moment is, for Landon, the first time he feels close to his father.Yet Landon still searches for something todo some way to answer the growing feeling in his heart that he can do more for Jamie. He asks God for guidance, but he also begins to ask the great existential questions: Why am I here? What is my purpose? Why have the events of my life unfolded as they have?One day, with a sudden sense of purpose, Landon knows what he has to do. He rushes to the church, insistent on seeing Reverend Sullivan, who responds with shock to Landon's idea. Landon then runs to Jamie's house and asks whether she will do something for him. When she agrees, Landon goes forward with his plans: He asks Jamie to marry him.This chapter begins with the same words as a Prologue: "When I was seventeen, my life changed forever." Because Jamie agrees to marry Landon but has little time left, frantic preparations begin.Reverend Sullivan officiates the wedding; Landon's dad serves as his best man, as is the Southern custom, and the emotional gap between them has now disappeared. And as in Jamie's vision of her wedding, the church is packed with guests. Wearing the white gown from the Christmas play, Jamie finds the strength to walk down the aisle with her father. It is slow going, but in the eyes of Landon and all the assembled guests it is, indeed, "a walk to remember."Fifty-seven-year-old Landon reflects on that day, telling us that he now believes in miracles.-----*THE END*-----Theme: To love and to be loved. People can change. that the influence of one person can broaden your horizons and make you see/do things you never thought possible.Reflection:Love is like the wind, you cant see it but you can feel it-Nicholas SparksThe Heart Versus the Mind When I heard about this novel I was really intrigued and the first time I read it I was deeply amazed with the story. It makes me believe that love conquers all, without love, life is meaningless. Gods Plan is also an important idea. The answer to the question, What is Gods Plan? is sought throughout the plot of the novel. It is also important on how we all influence each other which makes us, the readers think about how we can have a lasting impact on the least among us. Nicholas Sparks, inA Walk to Remember,sets out to debunk this theory. In this novel, Sparks shows us that the best decisions the ones that matter the most in our lives are best made by listening to your heart. Landon Carter, the protagonist, has been listening to his mind for years. He has known Jamie Sullivan all his life, and his "logic" tells him that she's nothing special in fact, that she's rather strange. Because she carries a Bible with her all the time, she must be a religious fanatic. Because she's nice to everyone, she must be boring and one-dimensional. Because she helps the less fortunate, she must be overly sentimental. Because she's plain and wears dowdy clothing, she must be someone to avoid. And, later, because she is dying, she must be beyond anyone's help. However, when Landon spends time with Jamie, he finds that although she is comfortable discussing her religious beliefs, asking deep questions, and searching for complex answers, she is not fanatical. She is, in fact, quite ordinary, with normal teenage fears, desires, and frustrations. Although she is confident in her beliefs, she is also the very definition of kind and gentle; she does not push her beliefs on anyone else. And she carries her Bible to be close to her mother, not to advertise her faith. Jamie does not live up to the expectation that the "facts" would have Landon believe. Such is nearly always true when listening to the heart. The head tends to cling to the negative because logic tells us that no one could be that good, that selfless, that sure of her religious beliefs without requiring the same of others. So the logical mind believes the worst about Jamie. The heart, however, believes the best. The heart dreams, loves, takes chances, defies the odds, while the head will explain to you why those dreams will never come to fruition, why love always results in heartache, why the chances taken are silly ones that will never pan out, and why the odds are set against you. But somehow, Landon Carter learns to listen to his heart and disregard all else. Logic insists that Jamie is beyond his help, that there is nothing he can do for her. Logic insists that Jamie will die from her disease, that Landon will forget her, move on, and live out his life with someone else. Logic dictates that marrying someone in her final days is sentimental and emotional, and will have no bearing on the cold, hard facts of her illness. Yet Landon opts for the heart, choosing to believe in a miracle, choosing to marry Jamie in spite of their young age and her advanced illness. And Landon spends the next 40 years devoted to her, which also defies logic. If she lived, he spent those years happily married to someone he met at an age when few people are able to make successful lifelong decisions. And if she died, he carried his love for her for 40 years without ever pursuing another relationship. Neither ending makes any logical sense, which is exactly why readers respond to this story. Landon listens to his heart, which is where all good, brave, and noble decisions are made.

Moral Lesson: A Walk to Remember exemplifies how life throws us for a loop. It gives us the most tragic and painful hardships of our lives. But in turn we also receive the greatest gift God has given us and that's love. Through faith, Jamie lives her remaining days on earth the best way she knows how to - by not giving up on her love for God. Through love, Landon mends his broken relationship with his father for Jamie's sake. Through a miracle, Jamie's father lives on after the losses of the two most important people in his life - his wife and his daughter. To say it straightforward, the moral lesson is not to take the people around you for granted. People come in and out of our lives, and sometimes they change us forever.

Inspiration for A Walk to RememberIm often asked which novel is my favorite, but thats a question I cant really answer. Its like trying to choose between my children, and all I can say is that I like them all for different reasons.I can say however, thatA Walk to Rememberwas my favorite novel to write. I enjoyed the process of capturing the voice of a smart-alecky 17-year-old kid. Likewise with Jamie Sullivan. There was something intrinsically sweet about her character that gradually seemed to take over the book. It was also the only novel that made me cry while writing.A Walk to Rememberwas inspired by my sister.In many ways, Jamie Sullivan was my younger sister. Like Jamie, my sister was sweet. Like Jamie, my sister had tremendously strong faith. Like Jamie, my sister loved church. Like Jamie, my sister wasnt popular at school. Like Jamie, my sister was always cheerful. Like Jamie, all my sister wanted in life was to get married.And like Jamie, my sister got cancer.Like Jamie, my sister met someone. And like Landon, there was a long period of time when this fellow couldnt imagine himself marrying a girl like her. And yet, in the end, he couldnt help himself. Even when he knew she was sick, even when he knew that she might not make it, this man asked my sister to marry him.It was just about the sweetest thing thats ever been done for anyone, and I suppose I wrote this novel not only so that you could get to know my sister, but so that you would know what a wonderful thing it was that her husband once did for her.Sadly, my sister died in June 2000. She was thirty-three years old.Did Jamie live or die at the end of the novel?As I mentioned in the notes, this is the most frequently asked question I receive. As far as I can tell, about 70% of the people think Jamie passed away, another 30% believe she lived, and when asking the question, they offer proof for their reasoning. Isnt it said that good books inspire debate? There are a number of things that I have to explain before I get into the answer so you can understand my reasoning. Part of it goes back to Message in a Bottle. In a nutshell, while many readers loved the ending of that novel, a great many were furious with me for it. Really furious. This was on my mind while writing Walk, and part of me thought that if I killed off another major character, my readers would never forgive me.Nonetheless, when I started the novel, I knew that Jamie was going to die. Every page, every scene, every chapter was written with that idea and it continued to proceed that way right up until the end of the novel, when the time came to write those words. But strangely, I couldnt do it. I just couldnt do it. No matter how hard I tried, I couldnt. Why? Because by that time, Id grown to love Jamie Sullivan. I marveled at her strength and faith, and I was proud of everything for which she stood. And I didnt want her to die. So I found myself in a dilemma. Also, keep in mind that the story was also inspired by my sister, who was very much alive as I neared the end of the novel. But because of all that I had written with her death in mind, because she was growing weaker and weaker throughout the story, it would have been dishonest (and frankly, very manipulative), to have Jamie suddenly cured. I could imagine some readers reaching the end and thinking, if that was the case, why the big build-up with her sickness? Others might close the book and think the entire novel was believable up until that point. I didntwant either of those impressions of the novel. So what was I to do? I didnt want her to die, and couldnt write those words. Yet, plainly I couldnt let her live, either. I opted for the only solution, the solution that best described the feeling I had about my gravely ill sister at that point: namely, that I hoped she would live. Thats the ending, folks. I wanted readers to finish with the hope that Jamie lived. As to whether she actually lived or died, its ambiguous and purposely meant to be that way. If you wanted Jamie to live, she lived. If you knew that Jamie would die, she died. As for me (and Im not the final sayI wrote the characters, but readers know them just as well as I do), I thought there was a good chance that Jamie lived. At least, I hoped so.

-Nicholas Sparks, the Author (A Walk To Remember1999) nicholassparks.com/stories/a-walk-to-remember/