For the moment my favorite book happens to be, The Notebook, by Nicholas Sparks, which is also my favorite author. I suppose one could say that they are candy for the romantic in all of us. When Sparks creates his characters he truly knows his way around the heartstrings of a woman. His creation of Noah Calhoun lends itself to be that of the poor boy next door, an all around gentlemen with the only misfortune of falling in love with a girl, Allie Nelson, whose family disapproves of their summer romance. They end that summer in a quarrel that was never resolved, until Allie, soon to marry a wealthy lawyer, returns to find what became of Noah. Apparently the smoldering flame between them never faded out, and in discovering that neither one of them were finished with the other, their love affair reignited. Allie is left with a dilemma of choosing a life with her future husband or one with a boy who has her heart.
Sparks writes this story through the eyes of Noah, who is now in a retirement home where he reads from a notebook, a story of his and Allie’s love affair. He visits with her daily to read to her, for she now no longer remembers who he is. Memory: “the ability to recall and remember; to be something remembered”, this word evokes emotions and/or nostalgia, although it is a function of the brain that unfortunately can be lost. (Webster) This is what Noah is hoping to be, “something remembered”, he longs for her to remember their love for each other once more. In a chapter titled Miracles, Noah says, “I begin to read the notebook aloud, so that she can hear it, in the hope that the miracle that has come to dominate my life will once again prevail.” (Sparks)
Of course this form of therapy has not yet been proven, what can be said is that memories can be sparked with music, a face, or event. I know first hand how memory loss can affect an entire family; my grandmother had a mild case of Alzheimer’s, which was difficult to observe a loved one slowly loose who they once were. Alzheimer’s Association lists key facts of how this disease has infected our society, although, it is not an infectious disease it is one that should gain resonance. Alzheimer’s affects 5.3 million people and is the seventh leading cause of death with a mortality rate on the rise. (Alzheimer's Association) I found it endearing that someone would make it their life’s mission to remind someone of their undying love for the other. Such values are lost in marriages/relationships today. Why else would this novel spend over a year on the best sellers list? (Willow Holdings, Inc.)
The Notebook is a love story should be a mold for the meaning of true love, with Noah as the rustic gentlemen and Allie as the privileged southern girl, it may seem how would one fit that mold. Anyone who values kinship will understand that the need to have a bond with one another is knowing that the other person is a witness to the other’s life. That is merely what Noah is trying to prove every time he reads to Allie, that he is her witness that holds her memory. How else will one remember if the memory is not stored or archived by either them or another?
I’ve often pondered whether memory loss can be prevented, as if there were some miracle drug that would rebuild the dying cells of the brain. As I mentioned before music can rekindle a lost knowledge whether good or bad, a psychology professor once told our class to avoid listening to music when misfortune occurs for that memory will flashback when it is heard again. Perhaps there will someday be a cure, but until then memory could be revived or strengthened through knowledge.
To forget is memory loss; to be forgotten is a careless tragedy. I hope with the memories I make today, my loved ones will carry them through to the moment in my life where they will have faded. I feel it is equally important that I create memorable life events with them too. Every time these words on the pages of The Notebook fill my mind, I imagine myself as Allie and how wonderful it must have felt to be loved by such a devoted man.
To be remembered, to be cherished is what most desire for themselves. They certainly don’t expect to loose their memory. When Allie wrote down the events of her and Noah’s love she hadn’t the slightest thought that it would be the one thing to keep Noah from loosing her once again. It is customary for celebrities or well-known people to have a biography, or write their own memoirs to record their existence. Perhaps, it should not be left for those of popularity to have a log of life events. More of us should view life as an adventure and take record of it daily if not archive it in a way to be preserved.
Alzheimer’s as Noah describes, “is a barren disease, as empty and lifeless as a desert. It is a thief of hearts and souls and memories”, I agree with this whole-heartedly. I also believe that true love knows no boundaries and may conquer any obstacle that comes its way. Memory is not only useful for the remembrance of love; many fields of study require a sturdy memory.
Works Cited
"What Is Alzheimer's." Alzheimer's Association | Home. Ed. Alzheimer's Association. 06 Apr. 2010. Web. 16 July 2010. .
Sparks, Nicholas. The Notebook. New York: Warner, 1996. Print.
Trident Reference Publishing. The New international Webster's standard dictionary. [Naples, Fla.]: Trident Reference Pub., 2006.
Willow Holdings, Inc. "The Books." Nicholas Sparks. 2002-2010. 17 July 2010 .