English 10 Mrs. Reddish

1. English 10Mrs. Reddish Genre Project

2. The Last SongNicholas Sparks Created By: Cheyanne Warren

3. What is it? This book is about a girl Ronnie who is very rebellious and doesn't care about anything anymore until she moves to her dad’s house for the summer and experiences true love and her love for music that her and her dad have a very strong passion for. Attribute: The setting makes this novel a Narrative Nonfiction story. The events that occur in this novel contribute to this story being classified as a Narrative Nonfiction. Slide 4 Title: The Last Song What is your book’s genre? Write it here: Narrative Nonfiction Attribute: The story is based on the main character Ronnie and events that happen during her lifetime. Slide 5 Attribute: This novel talks about Ronnie’s feeling and emotions about the events that happen during her lifetime. Slide 6 Example: Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer Example:My Life in France by Julia Child Example: A Child Called It by David Pelzer

4. Attribute: The setting makes this novel a Narrative Nonfiction story. The events that occur in this novel contribute to this story being classified as a Narrative Nonfiction. “The house was anything but awesome. The bungalow was easily the oldest property on Wrightsville Beach and sandwiched between two massive homes that had gone up within the last ten years, making it seem even more diminutive. The paint was peeling, the roof was missing numerous shingles, and the porch was rotting” (15). “Above her, the stars were out in full, the moon floating near the horizon. The scent of salt and brine rode on the mist from the ocean, a vaguely primordial smell. In another context, she might have found something soothing about it; right now, it felt as foreign as everything else” (120). “The back of the house had been completely restyled, and the pool had been covered with a temporary deck that looked anything but temporary. Scores of white chairs fanned across the surface, facing a white trellis where Megan and her fiancé would exchange their vows. New walkways had been constructed in the yard, making it easy to access the few dozen tables where they’d eventually dine, beneath the vault of a massive white tent. There were five or six intricately carved ice sculptures, large enough to hold their form for hours, but what really drew her my interest were the flowers. The grounds were a sea of brilliant gladiolus and lilies” (259-260).

5. Attribute: The novel is based on the main character, Ronnie’s events that happen during her lifetime. “He’d ended up quitting Juilliard so he could hit the road as a concert pianist and found himself playing in rinky-dink venues to audiences that barely filled the first couple of rows. He traveled forty weeks a year, long enough to put a strain on the marriage . Next thing she knew, Mom was yelling all the time and Dad was retreating into his shell like he usually did, until one day he simply didn’t return from a n extended southern tour” (10). http://www.juilliard.edu/ “ He wasn’t really her type, but as she watched him play, she began to wonder whether that was such a bad thing. She hadn’t had the best luck when it came to choosing guys in the past, Rick being a prime example. Lord knows Will was smarter than any of the other guys she’d dated, and more than that, he seemed to be doing something with his life. He worked, he volunteered, he was a pretty good athlete; he even got along with his family. And even though he liked to play things off in an “aw, shucks” sort of way, he wasn’t a pushover” (147). “Her mind flashed on a dozen different images: Suddenly she knew why her dad had wanted her and Jonah to come to North Carolina. And she understood that her mom had known the truth all along. With so little time left together, he had no desire to argue with her. And his ceaseless work on the window now made perfect sense. She recalled his coughing fit in the church and the times he’d winced in pain. In hindsight, the pieces all fit together. Yet everything was falling apart” (310).

6. Attribute: This novel talks about Ronnie’s feeling and emotions about the events that happen during her lifetime. “Ronnie hated the piano and swore she’d never play again, a decision even some of my friends thought was strange, since it had been a major part of her life for as long as she’d known them. Her dad, once a teacher at Julliard, had been her teacher as well, and for a long time, she’d been consumed by the desire not only to play, but to compose original music with her father. She was pretty good actually and because her father’s connection to Julliard, the administration and teachers there were well aware of her ability. Word slowly began to spread, a couple of articles in classical music magazines followed. A moderately long piece in The New York Times that focused on the father-daughter connection came next. She wasn’t naïve about what she’d accomplished and she knew how rare the opportunity was, but lately she’d found herself wondering whether the sacrifices had been worth it” (9-10). “Ronnie felt the blood drain from her face. She told herself not to listen, not to believe it, that Will wasn’t that way. But the words kept echoing in her mind…. Let me guess. He took you fishing, right? Either that or he brings her to the aquarium… Had she really misjudged him? It seemed like she was wrong about everyone she’d met down here. Which made sense, considering she’d never wanted to come down here at all. When she drew a long breath. she noticed that Ashley was studying here. The words kept ringing through her head. In silence, Ashley went on, her voice sympathetic, “Well, don’t feel to bad, because he’s pretty much the most charming guy in the world when he wants to be. Trust me, I know, because I fell for it, too” She nodded at the crowd. “And so have half the other girls you see around here” Ronnie instinctively surveyed the crowd, taking in the sight of half a dozen pretty girls in bikinis, all of their gazes fixed on Will” (149-150). “She didn’t believe in miracles. She knew that some people did, but j=he couldn't force herself to think that her dad was somehow going to make it. Not after what she’d seen, not after way the doctor explained it. The cancer , she’d learned, had metastahope seemed…dangerous. She couldn’t imagine having to come to terms a second time with what was happening to him. It was hard enough already, especially late at night when the house was quiet and she was alone with her thoughts. Instead she prayed for the strength she needed to help her dad; she prayed for the ability to stay positive in his presence, instead of crying every time she saw him. She knew he needed her laughter and he needed the daughter she’d recently become” (347).

7. Evaluation: Is The Last Song a good example of the Narrative Nonfiction? My novel The Last Song is a good example of the genre Narrative Nonfiction. Narrative non-fiction is a term that presents a true story written in a style more closely associated with fiction. The writer pays close attention to elements of plot structure, character development and themes to make the story as compelling as possible. In my book the author focuses on the main character Ronnie and her development as a person through out the story by the events that happen during her lifetime that effect her as a person and make the decisions she makes. The author Nicholas Sparks does a great job describing the surroundings in the book he makes it feel very realistic almost like you are there . The book had a very interesting theme and unique characters , it had unexpected twists through out the book that would catch the reader of guard. The book had a very upsetting ending but I like how the author used the ending to tie together the characters and events through out the story to come to a conclusion in the ending of the book.