1. The Last Song is about relationships, music, and the unifying effect music can have on relationships. Which art form is most important in your life? Instead of writing an essay, use that genre to explore an important theme of The Last Song. Share your artistic creation with your classmates. […]

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1. Forgiveness is an important thematic topic in The Last Song. Which act of forgiveness is most significant? Why? What do all of these individual examples of forgiveness say about the role of forgiveness in our lives? 2. Authors develop characters in a variety of ways, but one of the […]

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Adrenaline a hormone, known as epinephrine, that is secreted during times of stress Anna Karenina Russian novel by Leo Tolstoy Babe the Pig title character of a 1995 movie about a pig that wants to be a sheepdog Beethoven German composer of the early 1800s Bob Marley Jamaican reggae singer […]

Read more Study Help Full Glossary for The Last Song

During the past decade or so, the emphasis of literary studies has been moving away from the studying of specific works and moving toward students’ participation and involvement with writing. This shift has included the idea that students need to take an active role in discovering knowledge rather than being […]

Read more Critical Essays The Value of Popular Fiction

An allusion is an indirect reference. Sometimes the reference is to a person; other times it’s to the Bible, a historical event, or another literary text. Mythology, the arts, religion, and popular culture are also some of the most common forms of allusions. The purpose of an allusion is to […]

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Personal Background Nicholas Sparks was born in 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska, the second of three children. His father, Patrick Michael (Mike), was a graduate student for much of Nicholas’ early life, so the family lived in a number of college towns before settling in Fair Oaks, California, when Nicholas was […]

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Initially, Will also appears to be too good to be true. He seems to have it all — good looks, athletic ability, a family of means, good friends, and a good job. But Will has secrets, and these good things are only what are on the surface. Will is privately […]

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Steve is almost an ideal father. Even though he is dying, he keeps his illness a secret and puts the wants and needs of his children ahead of his own. Through his words and actions, Steve demonstrates to his children, but most significantly to Ronnie, what it means to love […]

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Veronica “Ronnie” Miller, the protagonist of The Last Song, comes of age in this novel, progressing from a self-centered teenager who is mad at the world — but mostly her parents — to a caring, mature young woman who finally learns to focus on her family, talents, and gifts. At […]

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Summary Although Ronnie experiences the emotional upheaval of dealing with the death of a loved one, she uses the knowledge of her father and their summer together to go on living rather than mourning him for too long. Ronnie and her mom no longer fight, and Jonah is concerned that […]

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