Tragedy in "The Notebook" By Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is an emotional love story that show the strong connection of two soulmates and their lives after a summer the two cannot forget. Some opine that the novel is not tragic due to the fact that their love is unbroken as they are arguably soulmates. However, others may say that it was tragic due to Allie having Alzheimer's as well as her getting engaged to the successful lawyer, Lon.

The Notebook is a tragic novel because Allie and Noah have both lost their freedom when they end up being confined at the retirement home.

Firstly, Noah is restricted from sleeping with Allie at night because Allie has Alzheimer's which holds Noah back from being with the person he considers a soulmate. However, due to Allie having Alzheimer's, one could argue that keeping Noah away from Allie in the night would stop allegations such as rape. Allie would fail to identify who Noah is (like she usually does) the next morning.

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The excellent care of the nurses made Allie and Noah more comfortable with their situation which made it less tragic. The nurses in the home also show support to the strong relationship that Noah and Allie have when the nurse tells Noah "It's love it's the most incredible thing I have ever seen.". The hyperbole suggests the strong bond the two have, showing that love is real even at all ages and circumstances.

Moving on, one could say the notebook is tragic due to the fact that Allie and Noah "boarded up [their] home" in order to live in a retirement home.

Their dream home which Noah spent many years with a lot of help building as well as the house where the two shared special memoires such as losing their virginity, is left behind with the memories shared between the two. Some opine that they have not entirely lost the house as their children are able to live in the house. Noah adds that it is an "exchange for some of the freedom for which we [they] had worked a lifetime". This quote suggests Allie and Noah gave up the house for their children which ends up not being tragic but an act of kindness from the parents.

To continue, some say that the novel is tragic due to the fact that Noah has rheumatism, cataracts cancer three times ("my third bout with the unseen enemy", heart attacks and a stroke. Noah's body is slowly shutting down as the reader knows his death is soon arriving. In spite of that, Noah is not afraid to die as he says he does not even want to live a long life. The quote "I don’t want to" is Noah as the narrator when he states the bible saying you can live up to one hundred and twenty just before he said he did not. Noah knows himself that his body won't make it and he is not worried which does not make it tragic. The quote " the doctors are worried about me, but I am not" (1, shows how unbothered he is with is situation as he knows everyone's time will come. Furthermore, the forty-nine years of Noah and Allie's marriage somewhat represents a failure as they did not reach the fifty years of marriage which is considered the golden anniversary. The golden anniversary would be more of a success for the two and the fact that they almost made it and failed, is tragic. Despite that, the forty-nine years of their marriage is a milestone as not many people can reach that stage together.