“The Notebook”: tragic or not? “The Notebook,” written by Nicholas Sparks, is a classic story of love found, lost and regained. It is a beautiful and romantic story that has moved many readers. However, there are different opinions on whether it is a tragic story or not. After deep reflection, I agree that the novel is tragic but beautiful. The reasons why it is a tragic story can be listed as follows: the literary devices used by Nicholas Sparks, which foil an atmosphere of sadness; pitiful secondary characters and the health problems Noah and Allie have as they get older. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay To begin with, there are many claims that in favor of "The Notebook" being not a tragic but a hopeful story, seem convincing. Many believe that since Allie and Noah are together at the end, facing life and problems together, being well cared for in a retirement home and visited by their children from time to time, then it is somehow a perfect ending. Some proponents suggest that the "night and day" metaphor, which appears near the end of the story, is actually a symbolization of the fact that Noah and Allie are always connected. Also, even though Allie has memory loss, she always remembered Noah when listening from the notebook, yet she eventually remembered Noah without one. Another point they had is that even though Noah has cancer, he has normal aging and a wonderful life. Although Noah is battling arthritis, strokes, and heart attacks, the love between Noah and Allie always makes him feel warm and strong, like a midnight bandit. Furthermore, Noah is not afraid of death because he thinks it is a natural progression. In general, such arguments initially seem convincing. However, a deeper investigation of the literary devices used by the writer reveals that it is more appropriate to say that the book is tragic. First, by examining the poems that appeared in the story, which are quotes from Whitman's Poem, one finds evidence to show that it is tragic. For example, one of the poems that Noah reads to Allie: “Not until the sun shuts you out, I don't shut you out, not until the water shines for you” (157) shows that death is an incredibly lonely feeling. Next, the “day and night” metaphor mentioned: “I know what it's like to be day and night now; always together forever apart.” (176) which symbolizes that Noah and Allie will be separated forever, which is a tragic ending. Finally, examining the “letter on reincarnation”: “we can learn that Allie and Noah are always forced to separate. Yet, they were unlucky and could never be together. In summary, analyzing the literary devices used by the writer, it is fair to say that the novel is tragic. Furthermore, a quick look at the secondary characters also demonstrates the unfortunate aspect of the work. First of all, although it is stated that the two protagonists finally have a happy life together with their four children, they have lost their four-year-old son. When Noah reads the letters he sent Allie over the years, he remembers his dead baby who resembled his beloved: "It's a terrible thing to outlive your child, a tragedy I wouldn't wish on anyone." (171) He thinks the worst thing a parent can ever suffer is losing their child to death. He would definitely trade his life for his son if he could. Then, the death of Fin, Noah's best friend, also makes the text a tragedy. His death is harsh, as his destroyer was torpedoed during the war; makes the protagonist think about him a lot and sometimes yes,)