The Best of Me

“Don’t know. There’s a lot of magic between you, ain’t no denying that.

And magic makes forgettin’ hard.”

This is Tuck’s response when an 18-year-old Dawson asks him whether he did the right thing by breaking up with his girlfriend, Amanda. This moment occurs in Dawson’s flashback and illuminates his relationships with Amanda and Tuck. As Tuck predicts, Dawson is unable to forget Amanda and reconnects with her 25 years later. In the novel, Tuck is mostly taciturn, and this is a unique instance where he has a personal exchange with Dawson. The lines reveal that Tuck has been keenly observing Amanda and Dawson’s relationship and introduces the theme of magic, or the supernatural, into the story. Finally, the lines characterize Tuck’s folksy speech and wisdom.

“Would she even recognize the woman who now looked back at her in the mirror?”

The line is a part of Amanda’s inner monologue regarding her life choices. She wonders whether her life would have been different if she had married Dawson. The line emphasizes the novel’s theme that one can be one’s true self only in the presence of one’s true love. Likewise, not choosing true love can lead to an unfulfilling life. This line occurs before Amanda meets Dawson; by highlighting the confusions in Amanda’s mind, Nicholas Sparks sets the stage for the emotional turmoil that Amanda will experience on reconnecting with Dawson.