PlotOverview

Briefly,butusingtheentirespace,discusstheplot,
conflict,andrisingactiontosummarizetheplot.
Useyourownwords.

SeventeenyearoldVeronicaRonnieMiller
getssenttoherfathersforthesummer.The
father,shehasbeentryingtoignoreforthe
pastthreeyearsanddoesntwanttoreconnect
with.Shefeelsmiserable,stillangryforherdad
leavingherbrotherandher,andwantstoget
backtoNewYorkbadly.Allthatchangedwhen
acertainvolleyballplayer,namedWillBlakelee
accidentlybumpsintoherandmakesherspill
sodaonherself.Fromthatdayon,Ronnie
experiencesheartbreaks,love,and
forgiveness.Notseeingitinherself,she
changesfromthebadgirlstoagirlfilledwith
loveandjoy.ToWill,Ronnieisntlikemost
girlswiththeirfakepersonalities.ToRonnie,
Willisarichplayboy.Cantwopeoplefromtwo
differentworldsfindloveinalittlebeachtown?

AbouttheAuthor

NovelNotes

TheLastSong

NicholasSparks

Includeimportantinformationabouttheauthor.You
maywanttoincludewhatinspiredthem,other
workstheyhavewritten,significantlifeevents,what
timeperiodheorshewrotein,andhowthetime
periodinfluencedthewriting.

NicholasSparksisawellknownamericanromance
novelist.Hewritesromanticbooksbecausehe
wantsthereadertofeeldifferentemotionsfrom
happytosad.Mystoriesaresupposedtoseem
real(asopposedtofantastic)andtragedyispartof
everyoneslife.Thefinalreasonisthatmostofmy
SabrinaSheffer
novelsareinspiredbyeventsinmyfamily,and

sadly,thatwasthewaythatmostofthefamily
10/9/15
storiesended.Someotherbookshehaswritten

are
TheBestofMe
,
SafeHaven,

TheLuckyOne,

and
DearJohn
.

Emotions come and go and cant be

controlled, so theres no reason to worry about

them. That in the end, people should be judged

by their actions, since in the end, it was actions

Includeinformationonthetimeperiod,social,
that defined everyone (Sparks 128).
economical,cultural,andothersignificant
influencesthatcharacterizethisnovel.
You have to love something before you can

hate it (227).
Thesettingsforthebooktookplacein
Wilmington,NC.Wilmington,NCwasa
WWIIbattleship.

EssentialQuotes

HistoricalContext

"NicholasSparks."
NicholasSparks.
N.p.,n.d.Web.
08Oct.2015.

Sparks,Nicholas.
TheLastSong
.NewYork:Grand
CentralPub.,2009.Print.

CharacterAnalysis
Identifyeachmajorcharacterinthenovel.
Describethemostimporttraitsthatcharacterize
thisperson.(
S
peech,
T
houghts,
E
ffectsonother,
A
ction,
L
ooks)

VeronicaRonnieMiller:
Sheistheprotagonistinthestory.Inthebeginning
ofthebook,sheisshownasarebelliouschildthat
soondevelopedintoayoungmatureadult.A
teenagegirlwithpurplestreaksinherhairthathas
asoftspotforanimals.

WillBlakelee:
HeplaysasRonniesloveinterest.Heisvery
skilledatbeachvolleyball.Heappearsasanall
americanboy.

JonahMiller:
HeisthebrotherofRonnie,hasaloving
relationshipwithhisparents,Ronnie,andWill.He
is10yearsold.

Blaze:
Ronniesfirstfriendshemeets,butlaterondueto
jealousybetraysRonnie.

SteveMiller:
RonnieandJonahsalienatefather.Aformer
Juilliardprofessorandconcertpianist.Shareda
passionateloveforpianowithhisdaughterRonnie.
Hehasacloselovingrelationshipwithhisson,
Jonah.Towardstheendofthestory,helaterdies
ofcancer.

Marcus:
Blazesabusiveboyfriend,wholaterbreaksupwith
BlazebecausehewantsRonnie.Heisaleaderofa
gangofpeoplewhogetmoneyfromcarnivals
performingfirejuggling.

Themes

Love:
TherelationshipbetweenRonnieandWillrevolves
aroundlove.EvenafterallthesecretsthatWillhas
keptandWillsmothernotapproving,theystill
standstrong.

Familyloveplaysabigroleinthisbooktoo.The
lovethefatherhasforhischildren.Hewantstodie
happyknowinghischildrenforgivehimandlove
him.

Forgiveness:
Atthebeginningofthestory,Ronnieblamesher
fatherforthedivorcewithhermotherandcheated
onher.Lateroninthestory,theroleswere
reversed.Itwasthemotherwhocheatedonthe
father,whichledtothedivorce.Allsummer,her
fathertriestoseekforgivenessevenifher
accusationswerefalse.

BlazewasjealousatRonnie,fortakingMarcus
away.BlazeputssomeCDsintoRonniespurse,
makingitseemRonniewasshoplifting.Evenafter
whatBlazedoes,Ronnieforgivesher.

MotifsandSymbols

Identifyandinterpretsomeofthemajormotifsand
symbolsinthenovel.

Letters:
RonniesfatherwouldwriteletterstoRonnie,
butbeingstubborn,Ronnie,sherefusesto
readthem.Shefinallyreadsthemwhenshe
findsoutaboutherfathersillness.

Song:
EversinceRonnieandJonahvisitedtheir
father,hehasbeenstrugglingtocomposea
song.OnenightRonniefixesthesongand
finishesit.Thensoonplaysitatherfathers
funeral.

Piano:
Asalittlegirl,Ronnieandherfatherboth
sharedadeeploveforthepiano.Eversince
herfatherdivorcedhermothersherefusesto
touchthepianooreverplayitagain.

PurpleStreaks:
representsRonniesrebelliousstage,butlater
oninthebookshegetsridofthestreaks.