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Characters:
In Sarah Dessen’s works, Dessen explores complex emotions and adolescent struggles in order to convey characters who, despite facing significant challenges, reveal the importance of self-identity and resilience.
In Sarah Dessen’s novel What Happened to Goodbye, Dessen writes about Mclean Sweet, a teenage girl struggling with her parents' resentful divorce. The novel explores Mclean’s common tendency to redefine herself with every move, altering her personality and identity in an attempt to fit in. However, Dessens' writings reveal how trauma shaped the change in Mclean’s identity. Despite her efforts to escape her past, particularly her troubled relationship with her parents, Mclean is obligated to face the parts of herself she has often tried to suppress. Through Mclean’s interactions with other characters such as her friends Deb and Dave, she learns that her growth doesn't come from erasing the past, but by incorporating it into her current, new self. By the end, Mclean understands that her past is part of who she is, yet it does not define her. Mclean is a powerful example of resilience and how past struggles can develop one's identity.
Similarly, in Sarah Dessen’s novel Dreamland, Dessen writes about Caitlin O’Koren, a teenager struggling with the devastating effects of an abusive relationship with her boyfriend. Initially Caitlin’s ignorant to the abuse, convincing herself that Rogerson’s, her boyfriend’s, actions are her fault. Dessen cautiously shows Caitlins internal struggles, showing how trauma can distort one's view of self-worth. However, as Caitlin begins to recognize the abuse and it;s impact on her, she begins to re-establish her sense of identity. Through the support of other characters like her friend, Rina, and her sister, Cass, Cailtin begins to learn that she is not defined by her trauma, but by her ability to overcome it. Caitlins growth throughout the novel highlights resilience and self-identity.
Through Sarah Dessen's writings, Dessen shows that personal growth does not come in a straight line, it requires acceptance of difficult truths and the embrace of change. For example, in both novels, What Happened to Goodbye and Dreamland, relationships play a key role in helping the characters discover their true selves. Mclean and Caitlin both learn that despite challenges their core values and resilience are what establish their identity.
In conclusion, Sarah Dessen uses her writing to explore how personal experiences and relationships allow one to shape their identity. In Sarah Dessen’s works, she illustrates characters in order to display the complexities of growing up, reminding readers that the core of who we are evolves in the face of adversity.
SETTING:
In Sarah Dessen’s works, Dessen portrays strong imagery and powerful emotions through the setting in order to convey emotional atmospheres and physical locations influence the way her characters perceive themselves and others around them.
In Sarah Dessen’s novel What Happened to Goodbye, the setting of each new town Mclean Sweet moves to plays a crucial role in her search for self identity. After her parent’s resentful divorce, Mclean's family relocates frequently, and each new town creates a fresh start for Mclean. However, these settings also reflect the emotional toll Mclean carries with her. Dessen writes about these new locations in ways that mirror the way Mclean feels within these places. In the first town, Mclean feels the heavyweight of her broken family and desperately tries to reinvent herself. The physical isolation of the small town made Mclean feel even more distant from her old life and self. As Mclean navigates through various locations, each place she lives in serves as a reminder of her emotional struggle and her ongoing search for stability and comfort. By the time she settles in a more permanent place, mclean’s understanding of herself completely evolved, and her environment reflects this growth. The final setting, where Mclean finds peace with her parents, symbolizes her acceptance of her past and her ability to integrate it within her present self.
Similarly, in Dessen’s novel Dreamland, Dessen uses setting to illustrate Caitlin O’Koren’s emotional journey through her abusive relationship. The setting of her home, initially a place of comfort and security, becomes suffocating as her relationship grows more manipulating and violent. The imagery of Caitlin’s home devolves from warm and welcoming to cold and isolated in which symbolises Caitlins internal conflict. As Caitlin becomes more withdrawn from her close friends and family, the house begins to reflect a prison, reinforcing the sense of entrapment she feels within her relationship. The contrasting environments of the places Caitlin feels safe, such as time with her sister or friends, offer a distinct contrast to the toxic environment within her home. These shifts in setting illustrate Caitlin’s emotional state, making her realization of the need to escape even more evident. Ultimately, the change in setting represents Caitlins journey toward escaping her destructive relationship and reclaiming her sense of self.
In conclusion, Sarah Dessen illustrates setting in her novels by making it a reflection of her character's emotional and psychological growth. In both novels, What Happened to Goodbye and Dreamland, the setting plays an essential role in revealing the inner lives of Mclean and Caitlin. Dessen’s use of setting as an emotional and symbolic tool demonstrates how deeply the places we inhabit can shape who we are and how we understand ourselves in relation to the world around us.
PLOT/STRUCTURE:
In Sarah Dessen’s works, Dessen establishes deepend themes and character development through the plot/structure in order to convey personal growth, healing, and the impact of past experiences on personal identity.
In Sarah Dessen's novel What Happened to Goodbye, the structure of the novel emphasizes redefinition and self-discovery. The protagonist, Mclean, moves frequently due to her parents' troubled divorce and her fathers active job. Each new town offers Mclean the chance to start over, and the plot is built around her interactions with new people within these new places. These encounters help reveal Mcleans internal conflict and growth to the readers. Flashbacks to her pasts provide insight into the trauma of her parents separation, showing how she grows from these experiences and how they shape her sense of identity. The shifting structure of the novel reflects Mclean’s journey of self-understanding, illustrating how life can unfold in chapters where the protagonist must integrate negative and positive parts of themselves in order to find stability and comfort.
Similarly, in Sarah Dessen's novel Dreamland, Dessen uses the plot to explore Caitlins emotional journey in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend, Rogerson. The structure of the novel shows Caitlins growing awareness of the abuse, and her eventual escape from it. At the beginning, Caitlin is searching for something to hold onto after her sister’s disappearance and the shift in her family dynamic. As her relationship with Rogerson deepens, Caitlin becomes increasingly isolated from her friends and family. The plot progresses slowly, with various moments of reflection and increasingly toxic incidents with Rogerson, reflecting Caitlins internal struggles. This gradual unfolding allows readers to see how abusive relationships can evolve in a way that is both confusing and isolating for those involved.
In Sarah Dessen's works, Dessen demonstrates skillful use of structure to reflect the emotional states of her characters. By carefully designing the progression of events, Dessen allows readers to experience the characters emotional growth first hand. The pacing of her plots help deepen the understanding of her character's evolving identities. These structural choices not only move the plot forward but also reinforce themes of personal discovery, resilience, and the influence of relationships on one's sense of self.
In conclusion, Sarah Dessen illustrates plot and structure through her writing by aligning external and internal events. The alignment of external events with the characters' emotional journeys show how the plot can be a powerful tool for exploring themes of growth and self-discovery.
SPEAKER:
In Sarah Dessen’s works, Desson utilizes a first-person narrative in order to convey deep insight into her protagonist’s inner thoughts and emotional states, allowing readers to experience the personal journey of identity, trauma, and healing.
In Sarah Dessen’s novel What Happened to Goodbye, Mclean’s first person narration provides an intimate insight into her confusion and pain following her parent’s troubled divorce. As she moves from town to town with her father due to his job, Mclean attempts to reinvent herself with each new place she inhabits, readers experience her disconnection and search for identity firsthand. Her inner thoughts reflect a deep longing for stability and belonging, which might not be as impactful without the instance of the first person narrative. When Mclean begins to form meaningful relationships and confront her past, her narration shifts in tone from detached to vulnerable in order to mirror her emotional journey. Through her reflections, readers are able to not only understand her but feel her transformation as she begins to reclaim her true self.
Similarly, in Sarah Dessen's novel Dreamland, Caitlins fall into an abusive relationship is told entirely through her own eyes, making her experience all the more raw and unsettling. The first person perspective traps the reader in Caitlin’s world, capturing her denial, fear, and emotional numbness. Her voice becomes quieter, more isolated, as the abuse intensifies, subtly showing how trauma silences her sense of self. Dessen uses this narrative approach to immerse readers in the psychological effects of abuse. The internal monologue gives voice to the unspoken aspects of Caitlin’s suffering, making her eventual recovery feel even more significant. When Caitlin finally starts to heal, the first person narration once again reflects her growing clarity and strength.
Sarah Dessen's narrative choice is especially effective in her novels What Happened to Goodbye and Dreamland, where the use of the protagonist's voice draws readers into a direct, emotional understanding of the characters internal struggles and growth. Throughout all of Sarah Dessen's works, Dessen’s use of first person narrative enables a powerful, emotional connection between the readers and the characters throughout the novels. By Dessen directly channeling the protagonist's voice, thoughts, and feelings, Sarah Dessen deepens the impact of her themes such as identity, trauma, and healing. Mclean Sweet and Caitlin O’Koren’s personal journeys are not just told, but they are lived through the lens of their own voices, making their growth and self discovery feel authentic and emotionally clear. In this way, Dessen’s narrative technique becomes a crucial tool in conveying the complex emotional transformation of her protagonist.
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