Plot Summary
Seventeen year old Ronnie Miller and her younger brother, Jonah's, parents are divorced. They live with their mother in New York until this summer when her mother ships them off to spend the entire summer with their father whom they haven't seen in ages, in Wilmington on the beach. Jonah is extremely excited, while Ronnie can only wonder why her parents hate her so much as to send her there for the whole summer. Once Ronnie arrives she finds a nest of Loggerhead turtle eggs in danger of some racoons behind her father's house, she decides to camp out next to it to save it. Will Blakelee, a smoking hot beach volleyball player, works at the aquarium and helps Ronnie look after the eggs. For two months, Will and Ronnie have the most romantic summer, whether it's from lying down in the sand and being being outlined with shells or carving their names into a tree. After the turtle eggs hatch, Ronnie then finds out that her dad, Steve, has stomach cancer which has spread to the pancreas and lungs, and will likely survive only until wintertime. After finding out Jonah and Will finish the stained glass window Jonah and his dad have been spending most of their time working on for the rebuilding of the local church; Ronnie finishes a song for Steve on the piano which she had swore she would never play again after he left the family. Pastor Harris, Steve's friend, installs the window at the new church. Ronnie and Jonah's mom arrives to say goodbye to Steve one last time and take Jonah and Ronnie home, but Ronnie insists she stay with Steve. Will had left in August to go to Vanderbilt, a school his whole family had attended so he was pressured to go; however, he shows up at Steve's funeral. He leaves again for Europe, and Ronnie returns to New York. While at Juilliard auditioning for a spot to get in, Will shows up to surprise Ronnie and reveals that he has decided to go attend Columbia to be closer to her.
Book Vs Movie
I have never met a person that says the movie is better than the book. But I think the overall effect of the movie was outstanding even if it wasn't nearly as amazing as the book. The director captured the central theme of the book perfectly. From the times that you are laughing because of Jonah's cute remarks about what he thinks PMS means to the time when Steve is dying and you are sitting there in a movie theatre and everyone is looking through their purse for tissues, this was a heartwarming movie. Yes, there were many differences between the movie and the book like in the movie they leave out the part where Blaze gets burnt from the fireballs, Steve dies sitting in his chair instead of in the book when he dies in his sleep, and the ending when Will and Ronnie reunite at Juilliard.
Tell Me Something I Don't Know About Themes
One of most prevalent themes in the Last Song is learning to forgive. In the beginning of the story, Ronnie is in the middle of a three year disagreement with her father after her parent's divorce. Ronnie believes that her father is to blame because he was never around and cheated on her mother. We later learn that this statement is false, and that the cheating story is actually reversed. However, even though Ronnie's accusations against her father were false, Steve works all summer to make this his kids' best summer of their lives in order to gain forgiveness and end their dispute.
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Symbolism
Upon Ronnie's arrival in Wilmington, Steve notices a purple streak in her hair.
This streak symbolizes the rebellious nature of Ronnie at the start of the book.
By the end of the book, the purple streak is gone.This represents the immense
change that has occurred within Ronnie. She is no longer trying to purposely
ignore her parent's wishes. The sweet, caring side of Ronnie that lay doormat
for so many years, has now returned.
This streak symbolizes the rebellious nature of Ronnie at the start of the book.
By the end of the book, the purple streak is gone.This represents the immense
change that has occurred within Ronnie. She is no longer trying to purposely
ignore her parent's wishes. The sweet, caring side of Ronnie that lay doormat
for so many years, has now returned.
Let's Go on a Quest
Ronnie Miller embarks on her quest to her dad's house in Wilmington, North Carolina. Her "stated reason to go there" is because her mother believes it would be in everyone's best interest if they spend some time with their father. In North Carolina, Ronnie has challenges and trials like no other. First of all, she gets her drink spilled on her by Will. Next Blaze frames her by slipping an object from the store into her bag and Ronnie might have to go to prison. Thirdly, Marcus ruins Will's sister's wedding by harassing her and Will in front of Will's family, so she ends up ending their relationship because she thinks his family hates her. Fourthly, she finds out her father has stomach cancer and soon dies. But from all these obstacles she had to face, her real reason to go there was for self knowledge, like it always is. Ronnie learns about forgiveness and love through her father and Will.
Is She Cuckoo?
Through the Last Song, Ronnie's struggle to find herself is similar to Chief Bromden's struggle in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Chief Bromden, through his self inflicted isolation, is constantly trying to find his "bigness" while in the mental ward. With the help of Randle McMurphy and the other friends, Chief Bromden comes out of his hiding shell and finds that bigness. He frees himself from the hospital ward by throwing the control panel in a way that symbolically represents all that he overcomes. This is similar to Ronnie because with the help of Will and her dad she realizes who she wants to be and truly finds herself.
When I Look At You
Lyrics:
Everybody needs inspiration
Everybody needs a song
A beautiful melody when the night's so long
'Cause there is no guarantee that this life is easy
Yeah, when my world is falling apart
When there's no light to break up the dark
That's when I, I, I look at you
When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home anymore
That's when I, I, I look at you
When I look at you, I see forgiveness, I see the truth
You love me for who I am like the stars hold the moon
Right there where they belong
And I know I'm not alone
Yeah, when my world is falling apart
When there's no light to break up the dark
That's when I, I, I look at you
When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home anymore
That's when I, I, I look at you
You appear just like a dream to me
Just like kaleidoscope colors that prove to me
All I need, every breath that I breathe
Don't ya know, you're beautiful
Yeah, yeah
When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home anymore
That's when I, I, I look at you
I look at you
Yeah, yeah, oh, oh
You appear just like a dream to me
Everybody needs inspiration
Everybody needs a song
A beautiful melody when the night's so long
'Cause there is no guarantee that this life is easy
Yeah, when my world is falling apart
When there's no light to break up the dark
That's when I, I, I look at you
When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home anymore
That's when I, I, I look at you
When I look at you, I see forgiveness, I see the truth
You love me for who I am like the stars hold the moon
Right there where they belong
And I know I'm not alone
Yeah, when my world is falling apart
When there's no light to break up the dark
That's when I, I, I look at you
When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home anymore
That's when I, I, I look at you
You appear just like a dream to me
Just like kaleidoscope colors that prove to me
All I need, every breath that I breathe
Don't ya know, you're beautiful
Yeah, yeah
When the waves are flooding the shore
And I can't find my way home anymore
That's when I, I, I look at you
I look at you
Yeah, yeah, oh, oh
You appear just like a dream to me