Monday, May 9, 2011

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

John Tyree is a staff sergeant in the Army Special Forces. While he is on leave during spring break, he meets a girl at the beach named Savannah Lynn Curtis. He is walking along the beach when he sees that Savannah dropped her bag over the edge of the dock and John ran in the water to get it for her. They meet and over the two week period while he is home, they fall in love. Savannah takes John back to her house for a barbeque where he meets her family and friends. He meets Tim Wheddon and his son Alan, who has autism. Savannah meets John's father where she finds out that they do not have a close relationship because his father is only interested in his coin collection. Savannah mentions to John that Tim may have autism like Alan. John gets upset over her assumption and they get into a fight. In the process of their fight, John accidentally punches Tim. John feels bad and apologizes. Savannah and John make up. John's leave is up so he must go back to enlist in the army. They begin to have a long-disance relationship through letters. John was planning on leaving the army but when 9-11 occured, he re-enlisted. Over the next two years, they correspond through letters. One letter John recieves informed him that Savannah has been engaged to someone else. John is deeply depressed by her news. John soon after is informed that his father has had a stroke. He returns home and goes to the hospital where he found that his father has died. He goes to visit Savannah where he finds that Savannah has married Tim and that Tim has cancer. He is informed that Tim is confined in a hospital where he is in need of an experimental drug but they can not afford it. John goes to visit Tim in the hospital where Tim tells him that Savannah is still in love him John but Tim is happy that there is someone to take care of his son, Alan. John sells his father's coin collection and puts the money toward financing Tim's drug. The generous donati0n saved Tim. John and Savannah meet again when she goes out on her farm to look at the moon to remember all the moments she has spent with John.
1. Do you think two people could fall in love in two weeks?
2. If John would have been home, do you think he could have saved his father from dying?

26 comments:

Sydney M 7-8 said...

1. I think it is possible. If you believe in love at first sight then falling in love in two weeks would be similar.
2. I don't think John could have saved his dad. His father was old and sick. It wasn't John's fault even though he felt like it was. I just think he regrets not being there with him more before he died.

Ashley B. 1-2 said...

1) I agree with Sydney. I think it is very possible to fall in love with someone within two weeks. John and Savannah spent so much time together during his leave.

2) I think it was possible that John could have saved him. If he was at home with his father he may have been able to get him to a hospital in time to save him but instead John was overseas and his father was alone.

Sydney S. 1-2 said...

1. I agree with Ashley and the other Sydney. I think that it is possible. Theres love at first sight, if you believe in that jazz, and they spent a lot of time together.

2. I don't think that it was possible for John to save his dad, and he shouldn't blame himself. His dad was getting old and was ill.

Anonymous said...

1. I also believe that is possible to fall in love two weeks because John and Savannah spent so much time together.

2. I agree with Ashley that he could have saved his father if he was home because he could have taken him to the hospital when they suspected he was sick.

Tyler W 1-2 said...

I think that it is possible and I think that his father would have died either way.

Lisa T. 1-2 said...

1. I don't think it's likely that two people can fall in love in two weeks. They may get to know each other really well and they can definitely be infatuated with each other, but it probably takes endurance through a lot more ups and downs before you realize you're in love with someone.

Unknown said...

1. I think if they were really meant for eachother 2 weeks would have been enough time for them to fall in love.

2. No, I don't think it made a difference wheather John was home or not. Either way I think he would have died.

Sara D. 7-8 said...

2. I agree with Renae, I do not think that he would have been able to save his father. He had a stroke and there is nothing John could have done about it.

Sarah N. 7-8 said...

1. I think that maybe two people could fall in love in two weeks if they were meant for each other. However, I think that it is more realistic that they would get to know each other well, but not fall in love.

2. I agree with Renae. I think that strokes usually happen so quickly that it would not have mattered either way.

Nicole H. 7-8 said...

1). I think it is possible for two people to fall in love in two weeks if they were meant for eachother. However, if they weren't, it would probably be an infatuation with eachother, like Lisa said.

Madi Y 7-8 said...

I think that it is possible to fall in love in two weeks. Love can be as quick as at first sight. It is possible.

Nathan S. 7-8 said...

1) I think love is different for everyone, so anything's possible

jessica b 1/2 said...

1. I think that if it is true love then two weeks can be enough time to truly fall in love.

2.No, I do not think that his presense would have changed the outcome.

Hannah K. 1-2 said...

1. No, I don't. I think they could have fallen in love eventually, and could have started to in that time but like Lisa said it should take a lot more time and challenges for two people to really fall in love.
2. No, I don't think he could have saved his father from a stroke.

Ashlyn W. 7-8 said...

2.) I don't think John could have saved his father from having a stroke, it would have happened if John was there also. I think his father would have been happier though if john was there with him.

Josie D 7/8 said...

1. I think maybe they could find part of love in two weeks, but two weeks does not mean you really know someone enough to really be able to love them forever. There is the possibility, but not a guarantee. If anything, it could be simply infatuation, not exactly love.

Megan M 1-2 said...

I think it is possible to find "love at first sight" or to fall in love that quickly but very few people do.

Kyle N.1-2 said...

1. Yes, I believe it's possible. Two weeks is a lot of time if you think about it.

2. No, if he didn't live with his father (which I'm assuming), he couldn't have really done anything to help someone going through a stroke if he wasn't there.

Monica J. 1-2 said...

1. Yes i definetly do think people can.
2. I dont think he could have. It might have delayed it a little longer ut he still would have died.

Sydney S. 1-2 said...

1. Yes, I think they can. If you believe in love at first sight, then I think that it is possible. They spent a lot of time together too.

2. I don't think that John should blame himself. His father was sick and old, and there was nothing he could really do.

Morgan O 7-8 said...

1) yes i believe it is possible to fall in love but you also would not know the person that well so it would be a hard relationship

Lindsay S. 7-8 said...

I think that it is possible to fall in love in two weeks because of the amount of time they spent together and how they shared their two weeks together.

Kaitlyn K 7-8 said...

1) I think that it could happen but the love that you would have would be more like infatuation rather then a true love.
2) I do not think that if John would have been home he could have saved his father. I think that it was just his fathers time to go.

Sevgim A.1-2 said...

1. I think two people can fall in love in two weeks. If it was meant to be then it would happen.

Sarah H 1-2 said...

Yes I think it is very possible for people to fall in love in two weeks. I don't really believe in love at first sight but two weeks is long enough to get to know someone pretty well.

Hannah J. 7-8 said...

1. its possible but i dont think it's to likely it could happen in just two weeks.
2. no, his father was bound to die