Discussion Topic
Symbolism and style in Sparks' The Lucky One
Summary:
In The Lucky One, Nicholas Sparks uses symbolism and a straightforward narrative style to enhance the story. Key symbols include the photograph of Beth, representing hope and destiny, and Zeus, the dog, symbolizing loyalty and protection. Sparks' clear and descriptive prose allows readers to connect deeply with the characters and their emotional journeys.
What style and symbolism are used in The Lucky One?
The style in The Lucky One is sentimental, melodramatic, romantic, and a bit magical. One symbol is the picture.
Style describes the author's use of literary techniques to create images and moods.
The style of this book is very sentimental, because it is about war and love. Even when describing simple settings, the language is very descriptive and uses a lot of imagery. Consider this description.
In the distance, the thunder sounded, low and ominous. There was a storm on the way, and the heaviness portended a big one. (p. 218)
This style adds to the mood of the story, which is one of suspense and hope. At many points things are tense and not going well. There is always an element of magic to the story.
A symbol is an object or person that represents an idea larger than itself.
The most important symbol in the book is...
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the photograph of the woman Logan finds. It symbolizes hope and possibility. It is the life he doesn’t have but wants. Once Logan finds the picture, his life changes. His first instinct is to “toss the picture aside” (p. 21), but something about it captures his imagination. Soon, he obsesses about the picture and feels that it begins to give him good luck. He looks for “facts” in the photo to determine where it was taken.
He had a destination, but it wasn’t yet a fact. He just assumed this was the right place. Still, for some reason he could not explain, this place felt right. (p. 27)
Logan looks for the girl in the picture, against all odds. Once he finds Elizabeth, from the picture, he is hopeful but things seem to go downhill. He has trouble getting a real relationship with her, and Deputy Clayton seems to have dibs. He tells Elizabeth the truth, and at first she’s made but then she decides she loves him. So the picture symbolizes a future.
Where is symbolism found in Sparks' The Lucky One?
I think that the symbolism in Sparks' novel is evident in the drive for the picture. The picture is symbolic of much to Logan. It represents the notion of salvation in a setting of war where condemnation surrounds him. It is representative of what can be as opposed to the harsh condition of what is. At the same time, the picture is symbolic of Logan's own desire to find love. The picture in it is one in which Logan sees love, sees the embodiment of his heart's hopes and desires. When Logan comes back from the war, the picture is symbolic of his own journey to find redemption. It is a voyage in which he is a traveller, seeking to find some level of hope and some notion of belonging in a world in which he feels he does not belong. It is here where his notion of luck is embodied in the picture. Logan's own understanding of self is fostered through the picture. It is here where I think that the picture, itself, is an example of symbolism in Sparks' work. The picture comes to represent so much to Logan that it would have to be seen as an example of symbolism in the work.