31 pages 1 hour read

Nicholas Sparks

The Notebook

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1996

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics.

Symbols & Motifs

The Oak Tree

Noah and Allie both pinpoint their night beneath the large oak tree as the night when they fell in love. Noah will later buy the property the tree sits on just so that it can never be cut down. The tree is one of the first thing’s Allie sees when she returns to New Bern. The couple speaks of it often during their two days together. The oak tree is a symbol of solidity and longevity. It was there before Allie and Noah, and it is possible that it outlives them as well. It is a constant reminder to Noah of what he lost when Allie left.

Allie’s Painting

Allie made a painting for Noah before she left the summer the first met. When she returns fourteen years later, she is surprised to see it hanging over his mantel. When he explains that he sees the painting as an extension of her and that he can tell who she is just by the way she performed the brush strokes, she understands that she never should have stopped painting. Noah putting the painting over his mantel guarantees that he will never be able to forget her, even though the memories of the loss hurt him.

Related Titles

By Nicholas Sparks

Plot Summary

logo

A Bend in the Road

Nicholas Sparks

A Bend in the Road

Nicholas Sparks

Study Guide

logo

Counting Miracles

Nicholas Sparks

Counting Miracles

Nicholas Sparks

Study Guide

logo

Dear John

Nicholas Sparks

Dear John

Nicholas Sparks

Study Guide

logo

Dreamland

Nicholas Sparks

Dreamland

Nicholas Sparks

Plot Summary

logo

Message In A Bottle

Nicholas Sparks

Message In A Bottle

Nicholas Sparks

Plot Summary

logo

Nights in Rodanthe

Nicholas Sparks

Nights in Rodanthe

Nicholas Sparks

Study Guide

logo

Safe Haven

Nicholas Sparks

Safe Haven

Nicholas Sparks

Study Guide

logo

The Best of Me

Nicholas Sparks

The Best of Me

Nicholas Sparks

Study Guide

logo

The Choice

Nicholas Sparks

The Choice

Nicholas Sparks

Plot Summary

logo

The Last Song

Nicholas Sparks

The Last Song

Nicholas Sparks

Study Guide

logo

The Longest Ride

Nicholas Sparks

The Longest Ride

Nicholas Sparks

Plot Summary

logo

The Rescue

Nicholas Sparks

The Rescue

Nicholas Sparks

Plot Summary

logo

The Wedding

Nicholas Sparks

The Wedding

Nicholas Sparks