ROMANCE-ID

Neely 1

Don’Keisha Neely

Professor Jiao

FMSC-1377-8B

4 September 2026

Neely 2

The Notebook (2004)

Romantic Couple and Relationship Stage

The movie that is chosen is The Notebook (2004) directed by Nick Cassavetes. The

romantic pair is Noah Calhoun and Allie Hamilton who grow from an attraction in youth to a

strong lifelong bond. Noah and Allie are young adults in the beginning, and they fall in love

during their summer vacation. They struggle in their relationship due to class differences, family

expectations, and geographic separation. They split up, make other connections and then they

meet again. They are committed to one another, have shared experiences and experience ageing

and memory loss.

Observation 1: Initial Attraction and Relationship Development

When Noah meets Allie at a carnival, it is an important observation. Noah is immediately

attracted to Allie and persistently attempts to get her attention. Allie is initially reluctant to give

him time, but she eventually becomes intrigued and agrees to spend time with him. They begin to

playfully interact with one another, be emotionally charged, and show physical affection. They

talk a lot, visit places together and express love interest during their summer stay. How attraction

can become emotional closeness in their interactions.

Observation 2: Social Class and Family Expectations

The other important scene is when Allie's parents realize her brother Noah's class is not

high. Allie's mother especially disapproves of this, because she feels that Noah can't offer her

daughter the future she deserves. Allie finds herself caught between her emotions for Noah and

the expectations of her family. Her parents eventually separate her from Noah, which facilitates

their separation further. The scene depicts the impact of outside expectations on a romantic

relationship.

Neely 3

Observation 3: Breakup and Emotional Separation

Once Allie is gone, Noah tries to stay in touch by sending letters to Allie. He writes

letters regularly over an extended period of time, but they can't be sent to Allie by her mother.

After not receiving any reply, Noah ceases to write. Allie feels that Noa has ceased to

communicate with her, so she starts to move on. The scene illustrates the potential for

misunderstandings and emotional distance when there is no direct communication. Their later

choices are impacted by the separation.

Observation 4: Allie's Engagement to Lon

At a later date, Allie is engaged to a successful man, Lon Hammond, who is well

respected in the community. She loves Lon and has a good feeling about their stable relationship,

but when she sees Noah again, some feelings emerge once more. Noah also has recollections of

their previous connection. Allie finds herself torn between staying the same and changing how

she relates to Noah. She has a conflict between safety and her emotional past in her

communication with the men. Things get complicated when Allie is sure that the attraction she

feels for Noah has not gone away, and it hasn't yet been replaced by the feeling of being

engaged.

Observation 5: Reunification and Conflict

The reunion between Noah and Allie is not a healthy one. They discuss the past such as

the reasons for their split-up, and if Noah really attempted to reach her. Meanwhile, their

emotional and physical appeal is evident. In one fight, Allie shows anger and doubt, and Noah

pushes back on her, asking her to admit what it is that she truly desires. Their differences cause

them to be more honest in their emotions. The group reunion highlights the un-resolved conflict

due to separation.

Neely 4

Observation 6: Commitment During Aging and Memory Loss

A good portion of the story has to do with Noah and Allie being older. Allie has

Alzheimer's disease and often forgets her husband and his past. Noah is still coming to see her

and telling her the story of her life with her to bring it back to her. Noah is patient and

emotionally involved when Allie doesn't even know him. Sometimes she recalls him for a

fleeting moment, it is a moment of connection, but it is short-lived. Later relationship

demonstrates that commitment can endure and continue in the face of significant alterations in

health, identity and memory.

Relationship Development

Throughout the film, Noah and Allie's relationship progresses from young love to

division, other relationships, reunion, marriage, and commitment for life. They can be related

later to attraction, communication, conflict, intimacy, commitment, and maintenance of a

relationship. Their mutual feelings seem to be not only romantic, but also involve

communication problems, social expectations, personal preferences, and problems with

partnership and old age. The scenes illustrate how their relationship evolves over the course of

their lives, due to life, communication, and personal choices.

Neely 5

References

Cassavetes, N. (Director). (2004). The notebook [Film]. New Line Cinema.

Don’Keisha Neely

Professor Jiao

FMSC-1377-8B

10 September 2026

Relationship/Romance Movie Analysis Part 2: The Notebook (2004)

Concept Planning for ‘The Notebook’

Part 1

Observation

Course Area Specific

Concept

Definition of Concept/Rationale

Observation 1:

Initial

Attraction and

Relationship

Development

Falling in Love Triangular

Theory of

Love

The theory of love consists of three

elements: intimacy, passion and

commitment. The idea is applicable

to the change from attraction to

love in the case of Noah and Allie,

as their relationship transitions

from attraction to emotional

closeness and physical affection.

Observation 2:

Social Class and

Family

Expectations

Selecting a Life

Partner

Homogamy Homogamy is a tendency for

individuals to seek partners whose

social traits are similar, such as

socioeconomic status, education,

religion and values. This concept is

also relevant to the family's worries

about their relationship and Allie's

future husband, as they are from

different social statuses.

Observation 2:

Social Class and

Family

Expectations

Dating and

Romantic

Relationships

Family

Influence on

Partner

Selection

Family expectations, social norms

and beliefs regarding

appropriateness of selection of a

romantic partner can impact

romantic partner selection. Allie’s

parents try to sway her attraction to

Noah because they feel he is not the

right social and economic status for

their daughter.

Observation 3:

Breakup and

Emotional

Separation

Dating and

Romantic

Relationships

Relationship

Dissolution

Relationship Dissolution is the

dissolution of an intimate

relationship or separation from that

relationship. By separating Noah

and Allie, the story shows how

distance, family issues, and not

communicating can start to disrupt

a romantic relationship.

Observation 4:

Allie’s

Engagement to

Lon

Marriage and

Getting Married

Partner

Selection

Partners are those that an individual

can select to build a long-term

relationship or marriage with. The

search for stability/social

status/social security/emotional

connection and marriage can be

explored through Allie's

engagement to Lon.

Observation 4:

Allie’s

Engagement to

Lon

Falling in Love Passion,

Intimacy, and

Commitment

How strong and what mix of parts

love has can change. The theory

could be valuable for comparison

later on as Allie's relationship with

Lon seems to be stable and

committed, and the sense of

emotion and physicality is clearly

reactivated with Noah.

Observation 5:

Reunification

and Conflict

Communication To Be Added

Later

Communication can help to clarify

Noah and Allie's past separation

and errors. Their discussions of the

past indicate that communication

had an impact on perceptions of the

others and on how they

reconnected.

Observation 5:

Reunification

and Conflict

Conflict and

Conflict

Management

To Be Added

Later

Their arguments and emotional

squabbles suggest that conflict

management might have a role to

play in the way that they will

resolve unsolved problems and

conflicting emotions.

Observation 6:

Commitment

During Aging

and Memory

Loss

Family Trends

and Changes in

Intimate

Relationships

Commitment

in Long-Term

Relationships

Long-term intimate relationships

can evolve as people get older, sick,

and go through other life

transitions. For Noah, his devotion

to Allie is an example of one

commitment that can be important

even as health and memory

deteriorate.

Observation 6:

Commitment

During Aging

and Memory

Loss

Family Stress To Be Added

Later

The stressors of the family could

contribute to the difficulties that

arose from Allie's forgetfulness and

Noah's continued care-giving. This

subject may present other strategies

that can be used to understand the

impact of significant health changes

on intimate relationships.

Topics to Revisit in Chapters 9–15

As more course material becomes available, several observations should be reviewed.

Communication is especially important in the confusion about Noah's letters and Allie's feeling

that he didn't talk to her anymore. Conflict and conflict management can be used to understand

the reasons for their disagreement and unresolved emotions. The power and decision making

over Allie may give clues to how she has been influenced by her parents' influence in her choice

of relationships. The relationship of family stress is significant to the subsequent issues related to

aging and memory loss. Parenthood and work-family balance do not seem to be that prominent

in the present observations but may come back to mind as a result of further lessons in the

course. Separation and divorce could also be helpful ideas to consider when thinking about

relation breakup, but Noah and Allie are determined to stay committed to their marriage.

References

Cassavetes, N. (Director). (2004). The notebook [Film]. New Line Cinema.