The Last Song: A Novel about Love, Struggle, and Affection, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Literature

Download The Last Song: A Novel about Love, Struggle, and Affection and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Literature in PDF only on Docsity! 1 BOOK REVIEW OF THE LAST SONG WRITTEN BY NICHOLAS SPARKS Submitted By : Ari Bayu N P 13020110141004 Advisor, Dra. Christina Resnitriwati M. Hum FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DIPONEGORO UNIVERSITY 2015 Abstract Literature such DV QRYHO LV RQH RI KXPDQZRUNV SUHVHQWV VRPH FKDUDFWHU¶V VWUXJJOH LQ several circumstances. In which influences and entertain the reader. The purpose of The Last Song written by Nicholas Sparks review are explains the theme and the struggle of the main character as the strength of the novel, and the weakness. Based on the review, the novel has theme about the affection for God, Family members, friends, and nature. Affection is something beautiful. Someone is getting affection to get happiness. This novel has the struggle of a main character that is a struggle from father to reconcile his relationship with his daughter. On the other hand, the weakness from this novel is about the song finished by main character, the readers may be disappointed with the ending from this novel. There is no detail or description about the lyrics and intonation about that song. The Last Song is a suitable novel read by people who wants to struggle and to have affection in daily life. It reminds the readers of the truly important things in life and gives the readers a look at love, joy, peace, patience and kindness. Keywords: struggle of life, affection, the strength and the weakness. Abstrak 2 Karya literatur seperti novel merupakan salah satu hasil karya manusia, yang menampilkan beberapa perjuangan tokoh dalam beberapa keadaan. Yang mempengaruhi dan menghibur para pembaca. Tujuan dari novel The Last Song yang ditulis oleh Nicholas Sparks menjelaskan tentang tema dan perjuangan dari tokoh utama sebagai kelebihan dari novel, dan kelemahan dari novel. Berdasarkan tinjauan, novel ini memiliki tema tentang kasih sayang untuk Tuhan, anggota keluarga, teman dan alam. Kasih sayang merupakan sesuatu yang indah. Seseorang yang mendapatkan kasih sayang akan mendapatkan kebahagiaan. Novel ini memiliki perjuangan dari tokoh utama, yaitu perjuangan dari seorang ayah untuk memperbaiki hubungan dengan anak perempuannya. Disisi lain, kelemahan dari novel ini yaitu tentang lagu yang diselesaikan oleh tokoh utama, pembaca mungkin akan kecewa dengan akhir dari cerita novel ini. Karena dalam novel ini tidak dijelaskan tentang lirik, nada dan intonasi tentang lagu yang dimainkan. The Last Song adalah novel yang pantas untuk dibaca oleh orang-orang yang ingin tentang perjuangan dan memiliki kasih sayang dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Ini mengingatkan pembaca tentang hal terpenting dalam hidup dan memberikan kepada para pembaca tentang cinta, kesenangan, kedamaian, kesabaran dan kebaikan. Kata kunci : perjuangan hidup, kasih sayang, kekuatan, dan kelemahan 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Study Literature such as novel is one of human works. Nowadays, novels are dominated by romantic stories. By reading the novel, the reader can understand about story and meaning inside it. According to Wellek and Warren in Theory of Literature, literature cannoWEHµVWXGLHG¶DWDOO:H can only read, enjoy, and appreciate it. Overall, we can only accumulate all kinds of information about literature (1948:15). Literature works can become a lesson in life. There are many aspects in life that is discussed in literary work. One of them is affection. Affection is something beautiful. Someone is getting affection to get happiness. Someone has the various kinds of affection such as affection for God, with family members and friends and affection for the nature. The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks shows a story of a stubborn and rebellious girl, Veronica Miller or Ronnie has not talked to her father since after her parents divorced. She kept angry until three years especially with KHUIDWKHU5RQQLH¶VPRWKHUGHFLGHVfor Ronnie and her younger brother to spend the summer in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina ZLWK KHU IDWKHU5RQQLH¶V mother believes that they can restore the relationship to be better. 5 On a dark night in August, Steve walked to the beach, when suddenly he was coughing up blood and needed to go to the hospital. Ronnie was at the same room with her father and when her father told everything about his cDQFHUVKHEHJDQWRFU\KDUG'D\E\GD\5RQQLH¶V father felt better, and could go home. Ronnie helped her father when he needed help, and made a good quality time with him. Ronnie finished the song that she and her father did before and played it. Soon after that her father died and Ronnie returned to New York, where she applied to Juilliard School to study there. 3 REVIEW 3.1 The Strengths of the novels In this review, the writer presents the strength of The Last Song included the analysis of the theme and the struggle of the main character. 3.1.1 The theme Theme is the main idea which constructs a literary work. According to Kenny in NurgiyantoroTeoriPengkajianFiksi   ³Tema (Theme) adalahmakna yang terkandungdalamsebuahcerita. The themes of The Last Song are affection. 3.1.1.1 Affection Affection is very important part to express your loves from that people to other people, by verbal, sacrifice, and action. The meaning of affection that is how we can do the best and to give the happiness for other people that we loves and affection not only for sweetheart but also relationship with God, family members, friend and nature. 6 7KHILUVWLVDIIHFWLRQIURP6WHYHIRUKLVIDPLO\¶VZKHQKHis being treated at the hospital because of cancer. Steve is almost an ideal father, even though he is dying. I will always love you, and I will always love Jonah. I will always love your mother, and she will always have my respect. She is the giver of the WZR JUHDWHVW JLIWV ,¶YH HYHU received, and she is been a wonderful mother. (2009-164) )URPSDUDJUDSKDERYH VKRZV WKDW6WHYH JLYHV WKH DIIHFWLRQVZLWKYHUEDO DQG VD\LQJ³, ORYH\RX´PRUHWKDQRQH6WHYHORYHVKLVIDPLO\PRUHWKDQOLIHLWVHOIKHIHHOVWKDt Ronnie and Jonah always been the greatest blessings in his life and no father has ever been as blessed as him. The other affection can happen not only between people with people but also people with nature and animal. ³7KHWXUWOHVDUHFOLPELQJRYHUHDFKRWKHUWRJHWRXWRIWKHKROHDQGWKHQWKH\KLWWKHVDQG and head toward the water in this little crablike parade. It¶VDPD]LQJ´ -67) From the paragraph above it shows that Steve, Ronnie and Jonah have a moment of joy and satisfaction, because this is the first time for Ronnie and Jonah to see the amazing moment like this and what they do for the turtles to keep them away from the raccoons and extinction was successful. The writer shows much affection from this novel. Affection can change every people to be better, with affection we can feels the peace, love, kindness and patience. 3.1.2. The Struggle of the Main Character In The Last Song the author Nicholas Sparks writes beautifully a story aboutthe struggle of the main character. Steve Miller knows his daughter is disappointed when her parents divorced. For this reason, Ronnie stopped playing a piano, refused the scholarship from Julliard School and has not spoken to her father for three yearsand Steve wants a chance to ease her pain in this summer holiday. According Oxford /HDUQHU¶s Pocket Dictionary (2008: 441)struggle as ³try hard to do something´ Even though Stevesufferings about cancer and wondering what to 7 do with the little time he had remaining, Steve still shows unconditional loves and affection for Ronnie to reconcile the relationship to be better. 3.1.2.1 Steve persistence in showing his love for his daughter Nicholas Sparks creates Steve Miller become interesting character and it seems to be real. Steve lives alone after his marriage ended, and never meets with his children, Ronnie and Jonah almost for three years. He was forty eight years old. His marriage had ended, his daughter avoided him, and his son growing up without him. Last year, he would move back here, to the town where he would grown up, a place he never thought he would see again. Now he was about to spend the summer with his children, Ronnie and -RQQDK´  From the paragraph above, it shows that Nicholas Sparks describes Steve as a character in details. He shows that Steve lives alone after his marriage was ended and has a bad relation with his daughter after his divorce. Steve knows about this bad situation and he try to visit his daughter in New York to reconcile the relationship. Every time he came to New York to see you and Jonah, you always ignored him and hung out with your friends. ³,GRQ¶WZDQWWRVHHRUWDONWRKLP´5RQQLHVDLG<RXUIDWKHU is a good man and he loves you. (2009:4) Every chance Steve visit Ronnie in New York she always ignored him, Steve know his daughter still angry and disappointed about his decision to leaving the family without explanation and moved to North Carolina. 3.1.2.2 Steve struggle to endure the pain of cancer 6WHYHGLGQ¶WZDQWKLVGDXJKWHU to know about his cancer, he tries doinganything even though he feels sick. Steve still hides his cancer, because he wants his children not to worry about his real condition and he hopes his children have nice summer. It would be the summer filled with lies.