LIT ANALYSIS #1

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

1. A man named Logan who is a U.S. Marine sets off to serve in Iraq. Logan ends up finding a photo of a woman smiling and when nobody else wants it he decides to take it and carry it around with him. He soon finds that this picture brings him a streak of good luck, including saving his life. Logan sets off to find this girl doing anything he can to contact her and finally ends up finding out that she lives in North Carolina. He travels alongside his dog Zeus and when they end up making to North Carolina he finds out that the girl in the photo's name is Beth Green. Logan applies for a job at the dog training center she owns, and then ends up meeting Keith who is Beth's ex-husband, and Keith is a very jealous person and does not want him to have anything to do with Beth, let alone date her. Logan does end up falling in love with Beth and eventually Beth ends up falling in love with him and start dating. Keith finds out about this and does everything in his power to break the two up. But since Logan has still not told Beth about the picture, Keith ends up finding out and tells her himself, and she gets very and thinks that Logan is a creep and a stalker. But she decides to hear him out and listen to the story of what actually happened and she understands and is no longer mad at him. Keith ends up getting so upset he tries to attack Beth and her son Ben who is watching all of this take place runs away to his tree house but there is a really bad storm taking place and the tree house could end up collapsing. So all three of the adults and the dog Zeus hurry to the tree house to attempt to rescue Ben. Both men try to save Ben but Zeus is the one who saves him, and Keith actually ends up getting killed in all of this. At his funeral they try to talk about his life like he was some great person and great father. Logan, Beth, Ben, and Zeus all end up becoming the happy family they each wanted and live together. I believe that the author's purpose was to tell an inspiring story of love, trust, and hope, and to show that as unlikely of a story as this, what's meant to be, will be.

2. I feel that the theme of this novel is that you have to follow your heart, and trust in fate. As I stated earlier, a story such as this seems almost impossible, but I think that the author was implying that it doesn't matter how unlikely anything seems because if you trust in fate and understand what is meant to be is meant to be, then even the most impossible situations can become the most possible. Logan could have easily said forget it, it was just a lucky chance that he picked up the photo and dodged a bomb, but no he felt that this all happened for a reason and this was all up to fate and following what's meant to be.

3. The tone of this book over all is bittersweet. This book has so many sad moments but the over all story is so full of love which is what makes it sweet as well as sad, and through all the different situations in the book, good and bad, there is something to be learned from them.

"She was struck by the simple truth that sometimes the most ordinary things could be made extraordinary, simple by doing them with the right people.."

"I tell myself that I know you, and then when I think about it, I realize that I don't."

"feelings aren't turned off like a switch. But they would pass as surely as the rain would continue to fall."

4. Foreshadowing- The first few chapters of the book consisted of foreshadowing when the story of how the picture is found and how it saves Logan's life and him walking alongside his dog is foreshadowing that he is going to try to find the girl in the picture.

Conflict- When Logan does all this work to find the girl in the picture so he can tell her about how it saved his life, and he finally does find the lady named Beth from the picture, he doesn't have the courage to tell her about the picture and everything that has happened.

P.O.V.- The story gets told from three different perspectives, Clayton, Thibault, and through Beth.

Imagery- "She'd been proud of his decision to serve his country, her heart bursting with love and admiration the first time she saw him outfitted in his dress blues." This quote is so descriptive, and gives such a vivid picture in my mind by using such great descriptive words.

Flashback- This actually gets used throughout the entire story as Logan continues to reminisce and look back on his days in the Marines.

Simile- "How are the Broncos doing?"
"Like a bunch of carrots."

Comparison- "Friends come and go, clothing is packed and unpacked, households are continually purged of unnecessary items, and as a result not much sticks."

Resolution- When Beth finds out about the photo but is finally willing to listen to what Logan has to say and they are able to work everything out.

Protagonist- This is clearly Logan.

Antagonist- This is clearly Keith.