Final Blog Reflections- Tri 2

http://emilyrosado.blogspot.com/2014/02/dear-john-characterization.html

         Most of my blogs have been about what I think of the book I was reading at that time.  I did, however, focus on only setting or characterization in a few.  Even though it is not my longest post, I think the blog where I talked about the main character in 'Dear John' really sticks out because I feel as though i explained him thouroughly enough for the reader to get a good understanding of who he is.  Using words such as his 'traits', his 'personality' how he likes 'different' 'charming' girls; those are a few word choices i used to describe who he is as a person.  I didnt have to include what he looked like because even though Nicholas Sparks doesnt describe his appearence very much, except for the fact that he has random tattoos on him, I feel like it is better to have the reader imagine what he would look like.  I have an image of what I think John looks like, and my image is probably different than everyone elses.  The reason I did not make the post very lengthy is because there wasnt enough description of John to last two paragraphs.  All the reader needs to understand is some personality traits, and the rest is all up to the imagination.

          Next trimester my main goal is to read more and write with more meaning.  I read most nights now, but if i am not at a really great part of my book, I cant focus and usually last about a chapter.  I need  to find books that always have me hooked, enough for me to continue on no matter what.  There are so many options to choose from , and me being the picky person that I am, its hard to find a book that I absolutely love.  As for writing, I feel like I need to focus more about what the writing means, instead of how much I am writing or what i am writing.  I feel like being in the Creative Writing class this trimester has really opened up my eyes to what writing should really be about.  I definetly enjoy it more than I used to, so that class has really impacted me.  I like writing when I am not told exactly what to write, and when I can be creative.  Next trimester, I hope that my reading and writing skills improve a lot. 

Dear John- Setting

    I am currently on Part 2 of 'Dear John'.  Up until now, the entire story has taken place on a beach in North Carolina.  However, all of the Nicholas Sparks books I have read have also taken place in NC.  I think I remember reading that Sparks lives there, so he probably knows the place so well he is easily able to write about it.  The story takes place during the time of a big war, because John is a soldier stationed in Germany.  John is on a break and is spending time back home in NC, and that is where he meets Savannah, who is there to help build homes as a project for church.  they spend time together on the beach and also in Savannah's beach home which she is staying at with a lot of other people.  
   John and Savannah spend the entire first half of the book on that beach, and in local spots around it, where they fall in love.  By part 2, John has to go back to Germany for the army, and he leaves Savannah.  They still continue to write each other, but they are very far apart.  I think this story takes place not long ago, because they use calling and emailing to communicate as well.  I do not know what happens after John is in Germany, because he is stationed there for an entire year, but I hope he gets a chance to visit Savannah again.

Dear John- Characterization

      John is the main character in "Dear John".  His life has been different than others, growing up with only his father, who is a man of very few words.  John was a troublemaker in high school, and joined the army after school to get away from his life snd hopefully get some discipline.  He returns home for a little bit where he meets Savannah, who he likes very much.  He likes her diffefent charming personality, which says a lot about his traits.  Savannah is only there for a church trip where she helps build homes, so she will not stay there long.  John loves spending time.with her, and i think she makes him a better person, even though they havent known each other long.  Not much has been revealed about John so far in this story, but i hope i can get to know his character more because he seems to really open up to Savannah, which will hopefully lead to a great future for the two of them.  Not much is described about John's appearence besides the fact that he has tattoos on him that mean random things, but Sparks does not need to describe his appearence for the reader to imagine what John may look like to them.  John is definetly the protagonist, and I think his view on his life, and especially on his dad changes for the better when Savannah enters his life.

Nicholas Sparks

 
       I ave placed a hold on the book "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks on the Mason Public Library eBook website, so i will be able to read it on my Kindle.  It should take a few days to be available, so I will wait until it is available so i dont have to start another book.  I know I will enjoy this book because I have read lots of books by Sparks, such as 'The Last Song" and "Safe Haven"and "The Notebook" and loved all of these books and movies, and I have heard that the "Dear John" book and movie were amazing, so I decided to read it since I love his other books.
     Nicholas Sparks has all sorts of books, almost all are romance novels and they are all very amazing.  All of his stories have been New York Times Bestsellers, and has had over 89 million prints worldwide in almost 50 different languages.  He is a very well known author and has never disappointed me with one of his stories.  I could not choose one favorite, but "The Last Song" and "Safe Haven" are a few of the ones I have loved.  I cant wait to start "Dear John" because I know I will love it.