THE TRUE LOVE OF TRAVIS AND GABBY IN
NICHOLAS SPARKS’ NOVEL “THE CHOICE”
A PAPER
BY:
EPA RESLIANTI HARAHAP 092202065
DIPLOMA III ENGLISH STUDY PROGRAM FACULTY OF CULTURE STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH SUMATERA MEDAN
It has been proved by Supervisor,
NIP. 19490423 197412 2 001
Dra. Redita Lubis, Dip.Ling, M.Hum.
Submitted to Faculty of Culture Studies, University of North Sumatera In partial fulfillment of the requirements for DIPLOMA (D-III) in English
Approved by
Head of Diploma III English Study Program,
NIP. 19521126198112 1 001 Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A.
Approved by the Diploma III English Study Program
Accepted by the Board of Examiners in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the D-III Examination of the Diploma III English Study Program, Faculty of Culture Studies, University of North Sumatera.
The examination is held on June 2012
Faculty of Culture Studies, University of North Sumatera Dean,
NIP. 19511013197603 1 001 Dr. Syahron Lubis, M.A.
Board of Examiners Signature
1. Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A. (Head of ESP) 2. Dra. Redita Lubis, Dip.Ling, M.Hum. (Supervisor)
3. Drs. Mohammad. Syafi’i, M.A. (Reader)
AUTHOR’S DECLARATION
I am, EPA RESLIANTI HARAHAP, declare that I am the sole author of this paper. Except where reference is made in the text of this paper, this paper contains
no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a paper by which I have qualified for or awarded another degree.
No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgement in the main text of this paper. This paper has not been submitted for the award of another degree in any tertiary education.
COPYRIGHT DECLARATION
Name : EPA RESLIANTI HARAHAP
Title of Paper : The True Love of Travis and Gabby in Nicholas Sparks’ Novel
“The Choice” Qualification : D-III / Ahli Madya
Study Program : English
1. I am willing that my paper should be available for reproduction at the discretion of the Libertarian of the Diploma III English Study Program
Faculty Of Culture Studies USU on the understanding that users are made aware of their obligation under law of the Republic of Indonesia.
2. I am not willing that my papers be made available for reproduction.
ABSTRAK
ABSTRACT
Literature is a kind of imaginative writing. It reflects a problem of life de by human being. This paper is entitled: THE TRUE LOVE OF TRAVIS AND GABBY IN NICHOLAS SPARKS’ NOVEL THE CHOICE. There are two characters in the novel, namely: Travis Parker and Gabby Holland. Each character has different characters and roles. In writing this paper the writer doesn’t include a supporting character, but this paper is still interesting to read because it implies the meaning of true love in the novel. Travis is a vet in a small town Beaufort who loves a woman named Gabby. The begining of their introduction did not run smoothly, but however there are something that requires Gabby to get in touch with him because Travis as a vet. A sparkling romance had been present in their life and they fall in love each others. Eleven years after they had married and had two girls, their families had faced with the painful fact that almost be seperated them. Gabby got in a comma and Travis faced with a difficult choice, whether he will let go Gabby depends on the testament they made before or still keep her. But Travis could face it at all. He could make all people see, that the true love would exist, despite of the hard times would not make a true love lost. In writing this paper, the writer used the method of library and intrinsic approach. All data had collected by the writer, classified, and finally concluded. Hopefully, by this paper the readers can understand the elements of novel especially the main characters and the meaning of true love which is described by the characters.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude, tribute, and honor to the Almighty Allah SWT and prophet Muhammad SAW, for blessing
and giving me strength, health and wisdom to finish this paper in order to get a Diploma III from English Department Faculty of Culture Studies, University of North Sumatera. It is his charity and beautiful peace plan in my life to give me a
loveable family, friends to share together, and their patience in writing this paper. Then, I would like to express a deep gratitude, love, and appreciation to the dean Faculty of Culture Studies, Drs. Syahron Lubis, M.A and the head of
Diploma III English Study Program, Dr. Matius C.A. Sembiring, M.A who gives me a lot of knowledge about doing in a paper. I also wish to thank all of the
lecturers in English Diploma Study Program for giving me the instruction, tuition, and knowledge especially to Dra. Redita Lubis, Dip.Ling, M.Hum as my supervisor. The writer can work this paper well through of her guidance and I
would like to thank to Drs. Mohammad Syafi’i as reader of my paper. Thank you for your time, care, patience in completing this paper.
I would like to say thank to my lovely family especially to my parents, my father S. Harahap and my lovely mother R. Pasaribu who always praying for me since I was child until now, and thanks to my beloved sisters and brother.
(Yustina Ida Harahap, Aisah Rani Harahap, Irsan Efendi Harahap) Thank you for your kindness, care, advice, and always beside me to give me support in
I also do not forget to express sincere thanks to my special one, Erwin
Novtriansyah. Thank you for your love, care, support, advice, and mind that you have given to me especially in writing this paper. Thanks for everything and all of your favor to me in completing this paper.
Last but not least, I would like to say thanks to all my beloved friends SOLIDAS ’09, for a warm friendship and also to my best friends (Hikmata Zoni,
Yulia Rezeki, Farah Bella, Ummul, and etc). Thank you for being my best friends in my life. We have spending much time in this college, and I will be missing it on someday. I will never forget you all.
Finally, I do realize this paper is still not perfect. I hope for the readers who read this paper will give the contribution in term of critics, suggestion, and
etc. Hopefully, this paper will give inspire for the Junior of D-III English Study Program to explore more topic that I have analyzed.
Medan, 2012
The Writer,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRAK
ABSTRACT
Literature is a kind of imaginative writing. It reflects a problem of life de by human being. This paper is entitled: THE TRUE LOVE OF TRAVIS AND GABBY IN NICHOLAS SPARKS’ NOVEL THE CHOICE. There are two characters in the novel, namely: Travis Parker and Gabby Holland. Each character has different characters and roles. In writing this paper the writer doesn’t include a supporting character, but this paper is still interesting to read because it implies the meaning of true love in the novel. Travis is a vet in a small town Beaufort who loves a woman named Gabby. The begining of their introduction did not run smoothly, but however there are something that requires Gabby to get in touch with him because Travis as a vet. A sparkling romance had been present in their life and they fall in love each others. Eleven years after they had married and had two girls, their families had faced with the painful fact that almost be seperated them. Gabby got in a comma and Travis faced with a difficult choice, whether he will let go Gabby depends on the testament they made before or still keep her. But Travis could face it at all. He could make all people see, that the true love would exist, despite of the hard times would not make a true love lost. In writing this paper, the writer used the method of library and intrinsic approach. All data had collected by the writer, classified, and finally concluded. Hopefully, by this paper the readers can understand the elements of novel especially the main characters and the meaning of true love which is described by the characters.
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study
Literature is the mirror of human life that portrays the human feeling, thought, imagination, and perception. It can be viewed based on personal
judgment. Literature helps us grow, both personally and intellectually. It provides an objective base for knowledge and understanding. Robert (1987:1) says,
“Literature refers to compositions that tell the stories, dramatize situations, expresses emotions, and analyze and advocate ideas.” This statement shows that literature as a reflection of life. Literature contents the emotional expression such
as, felling of sad, happy, disappointed, jealous, and so on. In the story the emotional expression is found like happy because falling in love, sad because
loosing a job, disappointed because leaved a honey.
Literature may be classified into four categories or genres: Prose fiction, poetry, drama and nonfiction prose. Originally, fiction meant anything made up,
crafted, or shaped. Fiction includes myths, parables, romances, novels, and short stories. Wellek & Warren (1989:282) say, “The novel is a picture of real life and
manners, and of the time in which is written. The romance, in lofty and elevated language, describes what never happened nor is likely to happen.” It means that a novel is realistic, while the romance is poetic or epic. Novel is growing from the
In the novel The Choice, the writer is interested to analyze the two main
characters. Robert and Henry (1987:131) say, “In fiction, a character may be defined as a verbal representation of a human being. Through action, speech, description, and commentary, authors portray characters who are worth caring
about, rooting for, and even loving, although there are also characters you may laugh at, dislike, or even hate.”
In writing this paper, the writer is interested to discuss novel entitled “The Choice” by Nicholas Sparks one of his best seller. This novel tells the story of true love and romance story. The writer chooses this topic because this novel has a plot
lightweight and straightforward, so this novel is easy to understand and to read when relaxing by the readers. Besides that, the author of this novel is a very
famous author and he has made a lot of novel into a film. That is why the writer is interested in writing this paper.
1.2 Problem of the Study
The problems in this paper are:
1) There are some people do not know how the true love which described in the
novel.
2) To describe the characteristic of the main characters.
1.3 Scope of the Study
1.4 Significance of the Study
This paper had the main significances. Firstly, I hope from this paper will give to the readers about the two main character in the novel “The Choice” and also the intrinsic elements. Secondly, I hope this paper will increase the
knowledge about theory of the English Literature. Thirdly, To fulfill the partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Diploma III of English study program in
University of North Sumatera. 1.5 Method of the Study
In doing this paper, the writer is using the Library method and Intrinsic
Approach. Library method based on finding resources from the books in the library FIB USU. It means collect data based on the novel then select the
appropriate information and take the conclusion. Intrinsic Approach is the method that analyze from the including in the content of the literary work. Besides, I browsed some information from the internet and read more the books. I hope this
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE TERMS 2.1 Novel
Shaw (1972:189) says, “Novel is a lengthy fictitious prose narrative portraying character and presenting an organized series of events and settings.” A
work of fiction with fewer than 30,000 to 40,000 words is usually considered as a short story, novelette, or tale but the novel has no actual maximum length. Novels
typically have more characters than a short story and a more complicated plot that might take place in various settings, sometimes over a period of months or years.
According to Wellek & Warren (1989:282) say, “The novel is a picture of
real life and manners, and of the time in which it is written. The romance, in lofty and elevated language, describes what never happened nor is likely to happen.”
This statement shows that novel is realistic, while the romance is poetic or epic. Novel is growing from the forms of narrative nonfiction; letters, journals, memoirs or biographies, chronicles or history. In other words the developing
novel is from any documents.
Novels do not present a documentary picture of life. Alongside the fact that
novels look at people in society, the other major characteristic of the genre is that novels tell a story. In fact, novels tend to tell the same few stories repeatedly.
Robert defines novel have many elements, which contain character, plot,
The opinion of the three experts who have discussed about the novel can be
concluded that the novel is a literary who has the outpouring of feelings. In the novel there are many elements such as; character, plot, theme, setting, point of view, and style. Therefore, these elements will be discussed in this chapter.
The first element is the character. Shaw (1972:50) says, “Character also refers to moral qualities and ethical standards and principles. In literature, character has
several other specific meanings notably that of a person represented in a story, novel, play, etc.” In other words a character has many different meaning. Character is also the personality which described by the actors or actress in a
story. A discussion of the character will be further discussed in section 2.2
The second is plot. Plot is a structural series of events in the story which had
been arranged as a sequence of parts in the whole fiction. Shaw (1972:211) says, “A plot is a series of carefully devised and interrelated actions that progresses through a struggle of opposing forces conflict to a climax and denouement events
as they occur.” It is means that plot organized how actions should be related to each other, how some events have relationship with the other events, as well as
how the character is portrayed and played in the accident.
Besides that, similar to Shaw, Perrine (1970:41) says, “Plot is the sequence of incident or events which the story is composed and it may conclude what the
character says or thinks, as well as what he does, but it leaves out the description and analysis and concentrate ordinarily on major happening” Thus, the plot is a
The third is theme. Shaw (1972:273) defines, “Theme is the central idea and
dominating in a literary work.” It is means that when the theme dominates a story, an author is so convinced of his idea that he is willing to subordinate virtually everything else to the specific point. Superficially, the theme of a story or longer
work fiction should be fairly clearly to the readers.
Theme in the novel is the main idea that the writer expresses. Theme can also
be defined as the underlying meaning of the story. All stories have theme or purpose that the author wants to get across to the readers. The process of determining and describing the themes or ideas in the stories never complete,
there is always another theme that we may discuss.
“Remember that theme hunting is possibly the most enjoyable and rewarding part of a short story, but it is also the most dangerous the most open to wild error. If you want to find meaning, you must put yourself in the writer’s hands and efface part of yourself. Otherwise every story regrettably will sound exactly like you.” (Hamalian and Karl, 1967:324)
It is means that is not easy to find the theme, we must read the whole story in
the novel, then we can chooses the suitable theme of our story. Because a little mistake can make an error story and the readers will confuse to read the story.
The fourth is setting. Setting often generates more complex ideas and becomes diffuse leading into several other elements such as theme, character, and plot.
Stanford (2003:44) says, “Setting is the time and place of a literary work.
Setting includes social, political, and economic background as well as geographic and physical locations.” So it means that setting in a literary work includes many things. First, it refers to the time which means when the action occurs in a story.
Second, it refers to the place; this is associates with certain places used by the characters. Third, it refers to the Social. This is related to the behavior of social
life in community of environment and social ways of life, including beliefs, customs, ways of thinking and behaving.
The fifth is point of view. Robert (1987:180) says, “Point of view refers to the
position and stance of the voice, or speaker, that authors adopt for their works.” It supposes a living narrator or persona who tells stories, present arguments, or
expresses attitudes such as love, anger, or excitement. More abstractly and psychologically, the point of view may be considered as the centralizing or guiding intelligence in a work − the mind that filters the fictional experience and
present only the most important details to create the maximum possible impact. Point of view depends on two major factors. First is the situation of the
narrator as an observer. How much is he or she privileged to know? Second are the narrator’s closeness, distance, and involvement in the actions. From what position, both physical and psychological, does the narrator observe the action? In
a story, the author develops point of view in light of these same considerations. Robert (1987:183-184) divides point of view into three kinds. Here are the
1) The First-Person Point of View
If the voice of the work is an “I” the author is using the first-person point of view- the impersonation of a fictional narrator or speaker.
2) The Second-Person Point of View
The second-Person point of view, the least common of the points of view, offers the writer two major possibilities.
3) The Third-Person Point of View
If events in the work are described in the third person (he, she, it, they), the author is using the third-person point of view.
The sixth is style. Style in fiction refers equally to the characteristics of language in a particular story and to the same characteristics in a writer’s
complete works. The more individual’s writer style is the easier it is to write parody or satirical imitation. Stanford (2003:50) defines, “Style is the way an author chooses words; arranges them in lines, sentences, paragraphs, or stanzas;
and conveys meaning through the use of imagery, rhythm, rhyme, figurative language, irony, and other devices.”
A character’s style is established by the way that character speaks and acts. Of course, author chooses the words and phrases that make up their character’s speech, describe their actions, and creates the setting in which they speak and act.
We need to keep this in mind when we consider exactly what it is that distinguishes the style of one writer from that of another. And, of course it’s
2.2 Character
Stanford (2003:38) says, “Character is the fictional people who are part of the action of a literary work.” Sometimes characters may capture our minds and hearts because they are people we can relate to. They may face circumstances
similar to our own or may act in ways that make us feel as though we are looking in a mirror. Frequently a character intrigues us by displaying a special quality or
style, likes a unique sense of humor, a gift for the absurd, or a profoundly wise way of looking at the world.
A story is usually concerned with a major problem that a character must face.
The character may win, lose. He or she may learn and be the better for the experience or may miss the point and be unchanged.
“In fiction, a character may be defined as a verbal representation of a human being. Through action, speech description, and commentary, authors portray characters that are worth caring about, rooting for, and even loving, although there are also characters you may laugh at, dislike, or even hate.” (Robert, 1987:131)
Types of Characters: Round and Flat
No writer can present an entire life history of a protagonist; nor can each
character in a story “equal time” for the development. The British novelist and critic E.M. Foster (In Robert, 1987:133) distinguishes characters on the two major types “round” and “flat”.
Round Characters: The basic trait of round character is that they recognize, change, with, or adjust to circumstance. The round character-usually the main
the affirmation of previous decision, the acceptance of a new condition, or the
discovery of unrecognized truth.
Because round they usually play a major role in a story, round characters are often called the hero. Many main characters are anything but heroic, however, and
it is therefore preferable to use the moral neutral word protagonist.
Flat Characters: In contrast, flat characters do not grow. They remain the
same because they may be stupid or insensitive or lacking in knowledge or insight. They end where they begin and are static, not dynamic. But flat characters are not therefore worthless, because they usually highlight the development of the
round characters. Usually, flat characters are minor, although not all minor characters are necessarily flat.
Sometimes flat characters are prominent in certain types of literature, such as cowboy, police, and detective stories, where the focus is less on character than on performance.
How is the character disclosed in fiction?
Authors use five ways to present their characters. Remember that you must use your own knowledge and experience to make judgment about the qualities of
the characters being revealed.
1) Actions. What characters do is our best to understand what they are. For
example, walking in the woods is recreation for most people and it shows little about their character. Based on the ordinary human beings, fictional characters do not necessarily understand how they may be changing or why
characters. Action may also be the signal qualities such as weakness, deceit,
scheming personality, strong inner conflicts, or growth of some sort.
2) Description, both personal and environmental. Appearance and
environmental reveal must be about a character’s social and economic status,
of course but they also tell us more about character traits.
3) Dramatic statements and thoughts. Although the speeches of most characters
are functional-essential to keep the story moving along, they provide material from which you can draw conclusion. Often, characters use speech to hide their motives we as readers should see through such a ploy.
4) Statements by other characters. By studying what characters say about each
other, you can enhance you understanding of the character being discussed.
Ironically, the characters doing the talking often indicate something other than what they intend, perhaps because of prejudice, stupidity, or foolishness. 5) Statements by the author speaking as storyteller or observer. What the author
is speaking with the authorial voice, says about character is usually accurate and the authorial voice can be accepted factually. However, when the
2.3 Intrinsic Approach
According to Wellek and Warren (1989:75) define, “Intrinsic approach based on the text and development structure in literary work.” Thus, the intrinsic approach describes the elements of prose that pictured before. In intrinsic
approach, the critic is mainly concerned with the form, language, style, symbols, images, contrasts, structure and development of plot in a literary work. Words on
the page are of utmost importance for him. Intrinsic approach is also called formalism as the critic’s basic interest is in the form of the text.
“Intrinsic approach as a flat canvas when a critic wants to draw all his judgments and criticisms on what is in front of him. A critic of literature using intrinsic approach if judges a painting, he will be more interested in the colors, the size of the painting, style of painter and color contrasts.” (Robert Eaglestone, 2000:40)
Therefore, intrinsic approach to literature is concerned to the inner meaning of a text and gives no importance to an author. For intrinsic critics, the author is dead. They only see the text in terms of its own self. According to intrinsic critics,
a text is complete in itself. In contrast to intrinsic approach, all the emphasis in extrinsic approach is given to context. The history, background, autobiography
3. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS 3.1 Travis Parker
In this novel Travis Parker is a main character. Travis is a thirty two years old, vet, energetic, handsome, and single. He has wavy brown hair, and loving
dog. Travis started the clinic of vet with his dad. He joins with his dad after finished his school in Beaufort. Travis has everything a man could want: a good
job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. He thinks his life is already full of joy and happiness.
Growing up, Travis had been organized and capable when it came to school,
getting good grades with a minimum anxiety but he was just as happy with a B instead of A because he thought that good grades was not everything for his life. It
drove his mother crazy. Travis has a hobby that is challenging and fun with the outdoor passion life. Travis considered that life was for living.
“But school didn’t excite him the way riding his bike at breakneck speed or surfing in the Outer Banks did. While other kids thought about sports in terms of baseball and soccer, he thought of floating on air on his motorbike as he soared of a dirt ramp of the rush of energy he felt when he successfully landed it. He was an X games kind of kid, even before there was such a thing, and by thirty two he had pretty much done it all.” (Nicholas Sparks, the Choice, P. 62)
Travis had a high level assessment of the woman. That was why Travis did not have someone special in his life and became a single man among his friends.
He loved having with his six close married friends and pursuit full of good life boating, swimming, and barbecues with them. Travis thought that all six of them,
The trouble with married people was that they seemed to believe that
everyone they knew should get married. Every woman Travis dated was thus subjected, subtle though unyielding, evaluation especially by Megan. She was usually the ringleader at moments like these, always trying to figure out what
made Travis ticked when it came to women. And Travis, of course loved nothing more than to push her buttons in return.
Travis considered that his friends as his own family. When his friends to get married, Travis had been the best man in all their weddings. Since his all friends were married, of course there is something had changed. Sometimes his friends
could not be able to accompany him as before. They were busy to take care of childreen and families. But that’s okay, because they were still available enough
and Travis still able to take the most of weekends.
Travis seldom thought about finding permanence or his soul mate, but in the rare times he did, he always ended up imagining finding someone who shared the
same active like him. He did not want to be involved with the affairs of love that boring. During courtship, Travis never had a serious relationship.
“He was proud of the fact that he would never have what could even remotely be considered a painful breakup for either him or one of his exes. The breakups were almost always mutual, petering out like a soggy fuse on a firecracker as opposed to the big kabob of fireworks overhead. He considered him self friends with all of his execs included his latest love, Monica and figured they’d say the same thing about him. He wasn’t right for them, and they weren’t right for him. He had watched three former girlfriends get married off to great guys, and he had been invited to all three weddings.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 61)
He separated
with his ex-girlfriend always amicably and quickly gets his bride. None of them becomes his soul mate.
Travis had purchased a plot of land in Front Street, with the thought that one
day he would build his dream home there. For the most part, he led a simple life. He didn’t need much space a bedroom and maybe an office in addition to the living area but as soon as he had start the process, he had a lot of reason that he
was better suited for family. That rendered the image of his dream home fuzzier, since it was no doubt included a future wife and kids, neither of which he was
even close to imagining.
Sometimes, Travis wonders himself and remembered that he and his daughter were both not want to get married. Their parents had been married for almost
thirty-five years, and Travis cloud not imagine one of them single then he could picture himself flapping his arms and zooming into the clouds. Travis had dated a
lot of women but none of those turned into a serious relationship. Until he meets Gabby Holland moves in next door. Gabby is the new neighbor who is new to town, has no few friends.
The introduction of Travis and Gabby did not go smoothly. They don’t communicate until a few days. Travis had been trying to be a good neighbor, but
he got a bad response. Gabby accuses Travis that his dog had knocked up her dog and she tried to distance them selves from Travis. But not long after that, there is something that requires him to connect with Travis, Travis regarding the
profession as a vet and take care of her dog. Along with his dad, he started the clinic of vet. Along with this introduction they know each other
Travis felt that he had found the woman who had been looking for and he
begins to fall in love with Gabby. Travis wanted a relationship with her and trying to get her attention. Travis knew that Gabby had a boyfriend but still insisted on
approaching her. Travis wanted to take Gabby to boarding holiday with her
friends.
“I’m having a little get-together tomorrow with friends, and I was hoping you would be able to swing by. I’ll tell you what. You are welcome to come if you would like. But no pressure, okay? I just figured it would give us a chance to get to know each other.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 88)
He made this chance to get to know more about Gabby, and hoped Gabby would.
Travis introduced his friends and her daughter to Gabby. He told a lot of his life and personality. He felt very comfortable when he had expressed his heart as
if hadn’t any coercion. It had never been the feeling like this before to other people. When he was dating to his ex-girlfriend , he couldn’t shares many things to them. His ex-girlfriend had never supported his activities, and always thought
that Travis was a person who did not have a good future, even though he had seperrated on a good terms without any problems. Travis told the meaning of
travelling to Gabby. Travis said that arround the world was very wonderful and many things that we did know before.
Travis more and more convinced that Gabby had been his life partner. He was
definitely interested in her. It was odd, because he thought that Gabby is wasn’t in his type. Travis liked her full of passion character’s, as well as he had controlled and confidence. When Travis would ridicule him, she immediately replied. When
he crossed the line, Gabby did not hesitate to call it. Travis wanted to express love to Gabby, and make plans for dinner.
“I don’t’ know what else I can tell you, other than that I can imagine spending the rest of my life with you. I know that sounds curacy. I know we were just getting to know each other, and even admitting what I just did might make you think I’m nuts, but I have never been more sure about anything. And if you give me a chance, if you give us a chance I’m going to live the rest of my life proving to you that you made the right decision. I love you, Gabby. And not just for the person you are, but for the way you make me think we can be.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 219)
At the dinner, Travis revealed his feelings to
Gabby. He started to his feelings with confidence.
They decided to get married. Eleven years after having a happy family with
two girls there had been a tragedy occurred. It was originated from the carelessness that makes their family into a big trouble. Gabby got a coma for three months and Travis faced with difficult choice and he had to choose the right
choice, whether he would release what had been expected from Gabby’s promise before the accident came. This promise was had made the heart of Travis
The living had been signed by Gabby in the attorney’s office, it specified that
her feeding tubes were to be removed after twelve weeks. In other words, she could not to consuming the food. But, in fact Travis could not keep his promise, because he thought without her, his life had little meaning.
“I thought I could, and I even rehearsed the words I would say when telling the doctors to remove her feeding tube. I know that’s what Gabby wanted, but… in the end I just couldn’t do it. Even if I spend the rest of my life visiting her in the nursing home, it is a better life than one I could spend with anyone else. I love her too much to let her go.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 300)
Travis is thirty two years old, a vet, handsome, loving dog, and has everything. He loved having with his married friends and considered that his
friends as his own family, even though his friends took a bit much in his love life. Travis had an adventure’s soul and ended up to find up soul mate. He had
purchased a home for his future and he wanted to get a woman as the same active like him. Until he meet Gabby and change his life. Travis felt interested with her and tried to make a relationship. They fall in love each others and get married, but
a tragedy was occurred in their family and Travis could face it all. Travis proved that true love maybe does exist in his life.
Although Travis could not keep his promise, he can make all people see, that
maybe true love should be, despite of the hard times would not make a true love lost, though love is not going to make us see what will be happened next in the
3.2 Gabby Holland
In this novel, Gabby Holland is the second main character. Gabby is twenty six years old, came from savannah Georgia, single, and inherited her father's Irish skin. She worked as an assistant doctor at the Pediatric (child specialist) in
Beaufort for Dr. Bender, Dr. Furman, and Dr. Melton.
Initially Gabby wanted to work at the hospital cardiology unit, which already
had been plan based on her education as a physician assistant. However, Dr. Bender revealed her to work in the children specialists that are more privileged. Dr.
“In Cardiology, everything is an emergency and your patients always seem to get sicker, no matter what you do. After a while, that has to be draining. It can be burn you out quick if you are not careful. But caring for a little fell like this… this is the highest calling in the world.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice P. 46)
Bender is a gray-haired medical veteran, who never stopped smiling and knew
practically every child in Sumter, South Carolina. He convinced her that while cardiology might pay better and seem more glamorous, there was nothing quite as
rewarding as holding newborns and watching them develop over the critical first years of life
Gabby had moved from her parents' house because she wanted to show that she could live independently. She wanted to organize her life and her own dream. Gabby was very different from her sisters. Her sisters was like her mother
more than her. Since childhood she was always at odds with her mother. Her mother wanted Gabby to be a good woman but she could not be. Gabby thought
“Much to her mother’s endless disappointment, Gabby unlike her three honey blond sisters, had always been more like her father. Even as a child, she preferred overalls to dresses, adored climbing in trees, and spent hours playing in the dirt. Her dad taught her to bait a hook and to fish and she loved riding beside him in his old, rumble truck with it is broken audio, a truck he had never bothered to trade in. After work, they would either play catch or shoot in a way that always struck Gabby as not only disapproving, but uncomprehending.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 39)
Gabby’s mother was a lady of high society and upholds the dignity of women. Her mother wanted Gabby to be a respectable woman, but Gabby could not want to be like her mother. She had chosen to live her life alone.
Enter with Gabby’s father. Her dad was a successful real estate developer and general contractor, was twelve years older than his wife when they were married.
While her mom loved the pheasant at the country club, Dad preferred biscuits and gravy at the local dinner; while Mom never walked as far as the mailbox without
her makeup. Her dad wore jeans, and his hair always a bit disheveled. But they love each other of this. In the morning, she would sometimes catch her parents in a tender embrace and never once had she heard them argue. Nor did they have
separate beds, like so many of Gabby’s friend parents.
Her mother
was walking cliché of Southern womanhood, had been grown up wearing frilly dresses and being presented to be community’s elite at the Savannah Christmas
Cotillion, one of the most exclusive debutante balls in the country. While in college she had apparently been the opinion that academy was far less important than working toward a “Mrs.” degree, which she believed the only carrier for a
Gabby had a boyfriend who named Kevin and had a relationship for four
years. Gabby wonder Kevin is going to ask marry with her, but her lover never applied it for Gabby. Kevin considered a wedding was not clear idea, something that would be happened. Occasionally, gabby felt that Kevin was the only person
who did not have a clear plan.
“Kevin’s dad had started one of the largest insurance brokerages in eastern North Carolina, and Kevin was taking on more responsibility with every passing year at their office in Morehead City while his dad edged closer to retirement. Despite the whiff of nepotism, it wasn’t as if Kevin didn’t earn his way; his dad spent fewer than twenty hours a week in the office these days, which usually left Kevin working closer to sixty. With almost thirty employees, management problems were endless, but Kevin had a knack for dealing with people.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 68)
Gabby proud of the work of Kevin, though Gabby thought there are elements of nepotism in his company.
Gabby and Kevin had been a couple since their senior year at the University of North Carolina. They had met on a cold, miserable evening when her hat had
blown off after she had left Spank’s with her friends. Kevin had darted onto Franklin Street and threaded between cars to retrieve it, and if sparks hadn’t flown at that moment, there might have been an ember, even if she wasn’t fully aware of
it. At the time the last thing she had wanted anything as complicated as a relationship, for it felt as though there were enough complications in her life
already.
During Gabby moved to the Beaufort, she could only communicate by phone with Kevin. Increasingly, Gabby felt the emptiness in her life. She thought that
Kevin just busy with his job. Gabby wanted to Kevin always beside her. She wished that Kevin was more concerned about their relationship, because spending
“She wished Kevin weren’t working late so they could do something together. He had a late meeting with a dentist who has opening an office and thus needed all sort odd insurance. That wasn’t so bad, he was heading off with his dad to Myrtle Beach for a convention first thing in the morning, and she would not have a chance to see him until next Wednesday, which meant she have to spend even more time cooped up like a chicken.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 68)
Not many things can be done by Gabby. People would think she didn’t have a single friend in the world, which wasn’t true. Gabby had no a lot friend. It just
happened that none of them was within a hundred miles of her town, and the realization didn’t make her feel much better. Gabby thought Kevin could always came to her house to amuse her, but it's just wishful thinking for her.
Gabby : “I’m glad you came over. I really needed you here tonight.” Kevin
visited Gabby only briefly because after that he must go to work the next day.
Kevin : “Where else would I be?”
Gabby : “I know, nut you had that meeting, and you are leaving early tomorrow.”
Kevin : “No big deal. It is just a convention. It will take me ten minutes to pack, tops. I just wish I could have gotten here sooner.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 76)
Since Gabby decided to move from his parents' house, he did not get a lot of friends and get to know people well. The first person to greet her was that his
neighbor, Travis. At first Gaby thought Travis was annoying neighbor, and she doesn’t like him much. He seemed like an insensitive neighbor. But she misjudged it. Gabby who initially seemed annoyed at Travis, but it will eventually
Gabby found a lot of fun as a new neighbor. She felt very happy since Travis
had been present in her life. Gabby's heart had faltered as he must to choose between Kevin and Travis as her life companion. Initially, Gabby wanted to maintain her relationship with Kevin because it had been over four years, but
unconsciously she could not lie to her felling.
“I like you, Travis. And I love you too, of course but hopefully you already know that. I was just trying to tell you that I like the way you talk to me. I like the fact that when you say something, I know that you really mean it. I like the fact that I can tell when you are teasing or telling the truth and when you are not. It is one of your more endearing qualities.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 219)
She considered that Travis has everything that can be an entertainment Gabby, and with Travis she could get rid
of all the emptiness of her life so far.
Gabby had aware of the emptiness of her life over the years, and finally decided to get married to Travis. Eleven years later after married and blessed with
two girls, their families had faced with the painful reality. Gabby got into a coma, and before they got an accident Gabby had made a will. S
“It would not be fair to you or the kids to put your lives on hold, because in time resentment would be inevitable. You would suffer and the kids would suffer too. But I don’t want you to ever be bitter about anything we shared. I love all of you too much for that. Death is always sad, but it is also inevitable, and that is why I signed the living will in the first place, because I love all you so much. I don’t want to have to find another attorney and redraft the documents. I want to be able to trust that you will do what I want. And that is why I want you to promise me that you will honor my wishes.” (Nicholas Sparks, The Choice, P. 288)
he made a will on the ground that she did not want to burden her family if an accident occurred on
someday. This decision she had made, because she had seen a bitter incident that made the destruction in family.
A miracle had been happened in their families. Gabby was unconscious in her
bed and had tried to live as life before. It took days before she could stand upright without being support. The therapy was maddeningly slow. She hated her gaunt appearance in the mirror and commented she looked had aged fifteen years.
Gabby’s kid need a bit of time to adjust. They seemed want to get close to their mother. Gabby had a little to say about the comma it self. She didn’t remember
anything; no aromas, no sounds from the television, nothing about touch. It’s like time just vanished.
Gabby is twenty six years old, came from Savannah Georgia and worked as
an assistant doctor with Dr Bender at the Pediatric (child specialist) in Beaufort. She had moved from her parent’s house because she always got odds with her
mother. Her mother was a lady of high society and her father was a successful real estate developer. She had a boyfriend who named Kevin and they had been couple since their senior at University of North Carolina. Gabby felt bored in the new
areas because she could only communicate by phone with her boyfriend. She wished that her boyfriend could amuse but he can do it. Gabby didn’t get a lot of
friends but only Travis was the first person to greet her and makes her life happy.
4. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 4.1 Conclusion
After having analyzed the description of the main characters in this novel, it is proved that true love between Travis and Gabby is does exist which can see by
describing their characteristic. Despite of the hard times would not make a true love lost, even though love was not going to make us see what would happened
next in the future. In this analysis, there are two main characters in the novel “The Choice” they are; Travis and Gabby. Travis is a thirty two years old, vet, handsome, loving dog, and has everything. He loved having with his married
friends and considered that his friends as his own family, even though his friends took a bit much in his love life. Travis had an adventure’s soul and ended up to
find up soul mate. He had purchased a home for his future and he wanted to get a woman as the same active like him. Until he meet Gabby and change his life. Travis felt interested with her and tried to make a relationship. They fall in love
each others and get married, but tragedy had occurred in their family and Travis could face it all. Travis proved that the true love may exist in his life.
Gabby is twenty six years old, came from Savannah Georgia and worked as an assistant doctor for Dr Bender at the Pediatric (child specialist) in Beaufort. She had moved from her parent’s house because she always got odds with her
mother. Her mother was a lady of high society and her father was a successful real estate developer and general contractor. She had a boyfriend who named Kevin
with her boyfriend. Gabby didn’t get a lot of friends, but only Travis was the first
person to greet her and makes her life happy.
4.2 Suggestion
Hopefully, this paper will give some advantage to the readers. It can also increase the knowledge about many things through the characters in this novel. If
we want to analyze the main characters, we have to make the accurate thing about their characteristic to make the reader understand what our paper discusses about.
It is expected that the students of Diploma-III of English Study Program to
read this novel so that they will find and understand that the sense of faithfulness is very important to us. It will be hapenned in our life as Travis Parker states that
the true love begins with one’s faithfulness person.
In the novel, there are six elements such as plot, characters, settings, theme, point of view, and style. These elements are very important, because it can
REFERENCES
Eaglestone, Robert. 2000. Doing English: A Guide for Literature Students. London: Routledge Publishers.
Gwynn, R.S. 2002. Fiction : a pocket anthologhy. New York: Addison Wesley Educational Publishers.
Hamalian, Leo and Frederick R. Karl. 1967. The Shape of Fiction. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc
Perrine, Laurence. 1970. Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense. New York: Harcourt, Brace & Word.
Rees, R.J. 1979. English Literature an Introduction for Foreign Readers. London: The Macmillan Press Limited.
Robert, Edgar V and Henry E. Jacobs. 1987. Literature: An Introduction to reading and writing. New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Shaw, Harry. 1972. Concise dictionary of literary terms. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Stanford, A. Judith. 2003. Responding to Literature: stories, poems, plays, and
essays. North America: McGraw-Hill.
Sparks, Nicholas. 2007. The Choice. New York: Hachette Book Group.
APPENDICES a. Biography of Nicholas Sparks
Nicholas Charles Sparks was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on December 31, 1965, the second
son of Patrick Michael (1942-1996) and Jill Emma Marie (Thorne) Sparks (1942-1989). His
siblings are Michael Earl Sparks (b. Dec. 1964), and Danielle Sparks (December 1966 - June 2000). As a child, he lived in Minnesota, Los
Angeles, and Grand Island, Nebraska, finally settling in Fair Oaks, California, at the age of eight. His father was a professor, his
mother a homemaker, then an optometrist’s assistant. He lived in Fair Oaks through high school, graduated valedictorian in 1984, and received a full track scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.
His father was pursuing graduate studies, and the family moved a great deal, so by the time Sparks was 8, he had lived in Watertow
After breaking the Notre Dame
school record as part of a relay team in 1985 as a freshman (a record which still stands), he was injured and spent the summer recovering. During that summer, he
wrote his first novel, though it was never published.
He majored in Business Finance and graduated with high honors in
1988. He and his wife Catherine, who met on spring break in l988, were married in July 1989. While living in Sacramento, he wrote a second novel that same year, though that novel wasn’t published, either. He worked a variety of jobs over the
next three years, including real estate appraisal, waiting tables, selling dental products by phone, and starting his own small manufacturing business which
struggled from the beginning. In l990, he collaborated on a book with Billy Mills, the Olympic Gold Medalist, and it was published by Feather Publishing before later being picked up by Random House. (It was recently re-issued by Hay House
Books.) Though it received scant publicity, sales topped 50,000 copies in the first year of release. He began selling pharmaceuticals and moved from Sacramento,
California to North Carolina in l992. In l994, at the age of 28, he wrote The
Notebook over a period of six months. In October 1995, rights to The
Notebook
Published Works
were sold to Warner Books.
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traveling with his brother after the men lost both parents and their sister in quick succession.
10) True Believer (April 2005)
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16) Safe Haven (September 2010)
17) The Best Of Me (October 2011)
Film Adaptations
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b. Summary of the Choice Novel
This novel about true love between Travis Parker and Gabby Holland. This novel pressed to the readers " How far should a person go in the name of love.” It is an easy question, but can make impreesed people. This novel is also tells about
the meaning of true love, faith, and how to overcoming problem with the loved ones. This novel is very romantic and worth to reading.
The beginning story of this novel is a man named Travis Parker who struggling to get love Gabby. They are neighbors but don’t communicate until Gabby suspects that Travis’s dog got her dog pregnant. After a night of ranting he
advises her to take her dog to the vet, little does she know that the vet is him. After assisting the dog during her pregnancy Gabby and Travis begin to spend
time together.
The conflict of this novel is when Gabby had to choose between Travis or
Kevin to be escort of her life. Gabby who has dating for 4 years, wavering with the presence of Travis who has always amuse her. But ultimately, he decided to pick Travis and raise a family.
Gabby has had a boyfriend and she want to keep the relationship even though she also felt a sense of bored with her boyfriend. Travis with all the charm and try to find a soulmate, Gabby with her bored love story, and finally
they falling in love.
Travis and Gabby have been happily married and
have two daughters. However, 11 years later there had been a car accident. Travis escaped with minor injuries; Gabby had gone into a coma and had yet to come out
Climax problem in this novel is increasing. As time drew longer Travis began
to be faced with a choice, honor his wife’s plans and wishes, or keep his hope of love alive. The question he must answer is what he will do for his hope of love to continue of.
But, Travis could face it at all the trials that have been encountered. Eventhough the fact that Travis should denied his promise, he has made everyone to see, that maybe true love does exist, that despite the hard times
will not make a true love lost, though love is not going to make us see what will happen next in the future .
He hopes to get the right answer from others. Hhowever he knows
that he must answer that question yourself. Travis did not feel all that choice on his side. A very difficult choice for him and did not deserve him.
