A Walk To Remember A Coming Of Age Novel

Nicholas Sparks’s A Walk to Remember is a coming-of-age novel in which the protagonist is developed from a rebellious adolescent into a mature adult. Landon Carter, grows into a responsible man after he experiences his tragic love for Jamie Sullivan. After reading How to Read Literature Like a Professor, readers might interpret certain events in the novel based on the elements that Thomas C. Foster finds significant in understanding a story. Sparks uses character markings, a mysterious illness, and seasonal changes to signify Landon Carter’s coming-of-age. Landon never thought that he would fall in love with a girl like Jamie because she was so different from everyone else. Although Jamie wasn’t hideous, she wasn’t considered attractive either. People rarely noticed her because she was very plain; she always had her hair in a tight bun, never applied makeup, and wore the same brown cardigan and plaid skirt. “But …show more content…
The story’s plot mainly took place in the winter, which has to do with, “old age and resentment and death” (Foster 94). The winter season in the novel represented Jamie’s illness and upcoming death that would change Landon forever. As the winter got colder, Jamie became more ill. She would feel a little better when the winter days were warmer. Jamie’s tragic illness would require Landon to be selfless and make him realize he would have to follow his heart. One thing Jamie always wanted was to get married, and so Landon selflessly asked her to marry him. He loved Jamie and he always would, so he wanted to do something special for her before she died. They got married in the spring when the weather was warmer, and this represented the love in the air on their wedding day. Since Jamie was marked to be a special character, she was able to make Landon mirror her moral values. Landon’s developed character allowed him to be selfless toward Jamie’s progressive illness and handle difficult