Summary:
As a teenager, John Tyree is labeled as a rebel and drops out of high school. In the few years that follow, John falls in and out of several jobs and spends most of his nights at his favorite bar, Leroy’s. After discovering that the life he has chosen isn’t all that he thought it would be, he decides to enlist in the army at the age of twenty. Three years later—while he is home on leave—he meets Savannah Lynn Curtis, the girl that changes his life as he knows it. Within weeks, he and Savannah fall in love. Knowing that John has only a little over a year left in service, Savannah vows to wait for him to return. With only months left before of his return, though, September 11th occurs. Like many other soldiers, John immediately reenlists for an additional two years. Initially, Savannah is very supportive. As time wears on, though, the force keeping them together begins to slowly fade. Eventually, John receives a heart-breaking letter from Savannah that leaves him both angry and embittered. After returning home from war, John discovers something that will leave him facing the hardest decision of his life.
Response:
After reading the summary, you might be wondering how Dear John actually relates to my topic of Asperger’s Syndrome, but let me assure you, it most certainly does. John’s father actually suffers from the developmental disorder. Though the story is mainly centered around the relationship between John and Savannah, John’s relationship with his father functions as a major subplot. Interestingly, you do not actually discover that Mr. Tyree has Asperger’s until almost halfway through the story. On the other hand, you are made aware of Mr. Tyree’s odd, social behavior early on. In the beginning of the story, John describes his father as a “social misfit” (Sparks 82). Apparently John and his father are polar opposites. While John is “always in motion and hates to be alone,” his father is “passive and introspective” (Sparks 8). Mr. Tyree shows very little emotion; he is extremely quiet and he rarely ever jokes. John also describes his father as a man of routine. He becomes quite uncomfortable when his routine is altered in any way (Sparks 9).
Initially, I regarded Mr. Tyree just as John did, as a social misfit. This is why I was quite surprised when Savannah—who is majoring in special education—tells John that she thinks his father has Asperger’s. John is quite angry at first, and he claims that his father is not mentally challenged and has led a fairly normal life (Sparks 115). I thought it was interesting when Savannah tells him that one can have Asperger’s and still function, for it is a very mild form of autism (Sparks 116). As the story of his father developed, I became more and more intrigued. This is my second time to read Dear John, and it is actually the reason I chose to do my research project on Asperger’s. Sparks created an amazing story that pulls at you heart strings, while creatively portraying real-life issues such as September 11th and Asperger’s Syndrome. I believe everything about this story is fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Sparks, Nicholas. Dear John. New York, NY: Warner Books, 2006.
As a teenager, John Tyree is labeled as a rebel and drops out of high school. In the few years that follow, John falls in and out of several jobs and spends most of his nights at his favorite bar, Leroy’s. After discovering that the life he has chosen isn’t all that he thought it would be, he decides to enlist in the army at the age of twenty. Three years later—while he is home on leave—he meets Savannah Lynn Curtis, the girl that changes his life as he knows it. Within weeks, he and Savannah fall in love. Knowing that John has only a little over a year left in service, Savannah vows to wait for him to return. With only months left before of his return, though, September 11th occurs. Like many other soldiers, John immediately reenlists for an additional two years. Initially, Savannah is very supportive. As time wears on, though, the force keeping them together begins to slowly fade. Eventually, John receives a heart-breaking letter from Savannah that leaves him both angry and embittered. After returning home from war, John discovers something that will leave him facing the hardest decision of his life.
Response:
After reading the summary, you might be wondering how Dear John actually relates to my topic of Asperger’s Syndrome, but let me assure you, it most certainly does. John’s father actually suffers from the developmental disorder. Though the story is mainly centered around the relationship between John and Savannah, John’s relationship with his father functions as a major subplot. Interestingly, you do not actually discover that Mr. Tyree has Asperger’s until almost halfway through the story. On the other hand, you are made aware of Mr. Tyree’s odd, social behavior early on. In the beginning of the story, John describes his father as a “social misfit” (Sparks 82). Apparently John and his father are polar opposites. While John is “always in motion and hates to be alone,” his father is “passive and introspective” (Sparks 8). Mr. Tyree shows very little emotion; he is extremely quiet and he rarely ever jokes. John also describes his father as a man of routine. He becomes quite uncomfortable when his routine is altered in any way (Sparks 9).
Initially, I regarded Mr. Tyree just as John did, as a social misfit. This is why I was quite surprised when Savannah—who is majoring in special education—tells John that she thinks his father has Asperger’s. John is quite angry at first, and he claims that his father is not mentally challenged and has led a fairly normal life (Sparks 115). I thought it was interesting when Savannah tells him that one can have Asperger’s and still function, for it is a very mild form of autism (Sparks 116). As the story of his father developed, I became more and more intrigued. This is my second time to read Dear John, and it is actually the reason I chose to do my research project on Asperger’s. Sparks created an amazing story that pulls at you heart strings, while creatively portraying real-life issues such as September 11th and Asperger’s Syndrome. I believe everything about this story is fantastic, and I highly recommend it to anyone.
Sparks, Nicholas. Dear John. New York, NY: Warner Books, 2006.
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