Lon Hammond, Jr. Character Analysis in The Notebook

Lon Hammond, Jr. is Allie’s fiancé; he’s an intelligent and hardworking lawyer who comes from a wealthy, powerful family who made their money in the cotton industry long ago. Allie describes Lon as caring, gentlemanly, hardworking, and steady—yet as she reconnects with Noah 14 years after their summer fling, she finds herself comparing Lon to Noah in more nuanced ways. Lon has never understood Allie’s ambitions as an artist—when she’s showed him her paintings in the past, he’s reacted with indifference or confusion. Lon is a hardworking provider, but his hours are so long and his cases so demanding that he and Allie rarely talk deeply about their lives, memories, or opinions—Lon is barely even home for dinner once a week. Allie also begins to realize that while she does love Lon, the love she feels for him is chaste—she has no passion for him. Though scheduled to be wed in three weeks, the two of them have never had sex. Most of what the reader knows of Lon comes through Allie, though there are two short chapters which show Lon’s inquisitive, analytical brain at work as he puzzles over Allie’s sudden trip to the coast to go “antiquing.” It is clear that while Lon genuinely cares for Allie, he sees her as a practical match or even a possession—he does not appreciate the fullness of who she is as Noah does. When Allie tells Lon that she wants to be with Noah, Lon is gracious, understanding, and even wishes Allie well, demonstrating that he is exactly the cool, logical gentleman she has always known him to be.

Lon Hammond, Jr. Quotes in The Notebook

The The Notebook quotes below are all either spoken by Lon Hammond, Jr. or refer to Lon Hammond, Jr.. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

[Lon] was handsome, intelligent, and driven, a successful lawyer eight years older than she, and he pursued his job with passion. […] [Allie] understood his vigorous pursuit of success… […] In the caste system of the South, family name and accomplishments were often the most important consideration in marriage. In some cases, they were the only consideration. Though she had quietly rebelled against this idea since childhood and had dated a few men best described as reckless, she found herself drawn to Lon's easy ways and had gradually come to love him.

Related Characters: Allie Nelson, Lon Hammond, Jr.

Page Number and Citation: 18

Explanation and Analysis:

"You did a wonderful job restoring it. It looks perfect, just like I knew it would someday."

[Noah] turned his head in the same direction as hers while he wondered about the small talk and what she was holding back.

“Thanks, that's nice of you. It was quite a project, though. I don't know if I would do it again."

"Of course you would," she said. [Allie] knew exactly how he felt about this place.

Related Characters: Noah Calhoun (speaker), Allie Nelson (speaker), Lon Hammond, Jr.

Related Symbols: Noah’s House

Page Number and Citation: 41

Explanation and Analysis:

"When's the big day?"

"Three weeks from Saturday. Lon wanted a November wedding."

“Lon?"

"Lon Hammond Jr. My fiancé."

[Noah] nodded, not surprised. The Hammonds were one of the most powerful and influential families in the state. Cotton money. […] "With his name, he must be busy."

"He is. He works a lot."

He thought he heard something in her tone, and the next question came automatically.

"Does he treat you well?"

Related Characters: Noah Calhoun (speaker), Allie Nelson (speaker), Lon Hammond, Jr.

Page Number and Citation: 43-44

Explanation and Analysis:

"Lon's handsome, charming, and successful, and most of my friends are insanely jealous. They think he's perfect, and in a lot of ways he is. "But there's always going to be something missing in our relationship." […]

"Why?"

[…] "I guess I still look for the kind of love we had that summer."

Related Characters: Noah Calhoun (speaker), Allie Nelson (speaker), Lon Hammond, Jr.

Page Number and Citation: 61

Explanation and Analysis:

"C'mon," he said, reaching for her hand, "I want to show you something."

She got up and followed him through the door to the living room. He stopped in front of the fireplace and pointed to the painting that hung above the mantel. […]

"You kept it?"

"Of course I kept it. […] It makes me feel alive when I look at it. Sometimes I have to get up and touch it. It's just so real—the shapes, the shadows, the colors. I even dream about it sometimes. It's incredible, Allie—I can stare at it for hours."

Related Characters: Noah Calhoun (speaker), Allie Nelson (speaker), Lon Hammond, Jr.

Related Symbols: Allie’s Paintings

Page Number and Citation: 63

Explanation and Analysis:

Would Lon encourage her painting? She remembered showing him one of her paintings a couple of months after they had first started going out. It was an abstract painting and was meant to inspire thought. In a way, it resembled the painting above Noah's fireplace, the one Noah understood completely, though it may have been a touch less passionate. Lon had stared at it, studied it almost, and then had asked her what it was supposed to be. She hadn't bothered to answer.

Related Characters: Noah Calhoun, Allie Nelson, Lon Hammond, Jr.

Related Symbols: Allie’s Paintings

Page Number and Citation: 105

Explanation and Analysis:

Though he wasn't Noah, Lon was a good man, the kind of man she'd always known she would marry. With Lon there would be no surprises, and there was comfort in knowing what the future would bring. He would be a kind husband to her, and she would be a good wife. She would have a home near friends and family, children, a respectable place in society. […] And though she wouldn't describe theirs as a passionate relationship, she had convinced herself long ago that this wasn't necessary… […] Passion would fade in time, and things like companionship and compatibility would take its place.

Related Characters: Noah Calhoun, Allie Nelson, Lon Hammond, Jr.

Page Number and Citation: 106

Explanation and Analysis:

"Noah, what are they doing here?"

"I don't know. I know the swans from up north migrate to Lake Mattamuskeet every winter, but I guess they came here this time. I don't know why. Maybe the early blizzard had something to do with it. Maybe they got off track or something. They'll find their way back, though."

"They won't stay?"

"I doubt it. They're driven by instinct, and this isn't their place."

Related Characters: Noah Calhoun (speaker), Allie Nelson (speaker), Lon Hammond, Jr.

Page Number and Citation: 108

Explanation and Analysis:

'What are you going to do?" her mother asked, pulling back. There was a long pause.

"I don't know," Allie finally answered. They stood together for another minute, just holding each other. […]

On her way out the door, Allie thought that she heard her mother whisper, "Follow your heart," but she couldn't be sure.

Related Characters: Allie Nelson (speaker), Anne Nelson (speaker), Noah Calhoun, Lon Hammond, Jr.

Related Symbols: Writing

Page Number and Citation: 137

Explanation and Analysis:

Lon Hammond, Jr. Character Timeline in The Notebook

The timeline below shows where the character Lon Hammond, Jr. appears in The Notebook. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...advantage of the opportunity before her, she’ll always regret it. She has told her fiancé Lon that she is heading to the coast of North Carolina to do some antiquing and... (full context)

...afternoon she is back in her room, her cover story taken care of. She calls Lon to give him the phone number of the inn. He hurries off the phone—he is... (full context)

Allie has known Lon for four years. When they met, she was volunteering at a hospital in Raleigh, tending... (full context)

...bath and dressing in a casual, modest dress, Allie—tormented by how disappointed her parents and Lon would be in her behavior yet determined to follow through with the purpose of her... (full context)

...shake. Over the last several weeks, her erratic behavior has alarmed her family and even Lon, yet Allie has blamed her moods on the stress of planning a wedding for over... (full context)

...married—and that the wedding is just three weeks away. When Allie mentions her fiancé’s name, Lon Hammond, Jr., Noah instantly recognizes the family name. Lon is part of a powerful, influential... (full context)

...ago and talk about their present lives. When Noah asks Allie how long she and Lon are staying in New Bern, Allie tells him that she has come here alone—and that... (full context)

Noah asks Allie about Lon. Allie tells him that Lon is the perfect man in many ways—yet there is something... (full context)

...they each had during the war. Halfway through the conversation, Allie realizes that she and Lon never talk this way—they don’t truly share their feelings and thoughts the way she and... (full context)

...from memory, and Allie feels soothed as she listens to Noah’s voice. She realizes that Lon never has—and likely never will—evoke such feelings in her. She has never had sex with... (full context)

Meanwhile, in Raleigh, Lon is growing agitated. He has called Allie’s hotel from his office several times—once at seven,... (full context)

As Lon thinks carefully about Allie’s behavior in recent weeks, he finds himself not annoyed or concerned... (full context)

...nature. As Noah paddles up and down the river, his thoughts turn to Allie and Lon—he wonders what has made Allie decide to come to New Bern. He continues mulling the... (full context)

...at the country club, meetings with her local women’s league, and dinner with the overworked Lon just once a week. Allie stops in at an art gallery and takes in the... (full context)

...hotel clerk tells Allie that she missed several calls the night before from a Mr. Lon Hammond—Allie is horrified, frightened that Lon could have found out the true purpose of her... (full context)

...to be a painter. She becomes determined to give art another shot, no matter what Lon, her parents, or anyone else might think. (full context)

Allie thinks back to a time several years ago when she showed Lon one of her abstract paintings—he didn’t understand the work at all. Allie knows that Lon... (full context)

The next morning, back in Raleigh, Lon, another lawyer, and the judge in the case they are arguing sit together in chambers.... (full context)

Anne turns to Allie and tells her that Lon called the house last night deeply concerned after being unable to get a hold of... (full context)

...Anne asks if Allie loves Noah. Allie says she does. Anne asks if Allie loves Lon. Allie says she loves Lon too, but in a very different way. Anne acknowledges the... (full context)

...must figure out the way forward alone. She has no idea what to say to Lon, though, and she is unsure of whether she should tell him the truth of what’s... (full context)

...Allie says she couldn’t. Noah points out that such a life wouldn’t be fair to Lon. He begs Allie to see that they are adults now and can make their own... (full context)

...tears in her eyes. She has no idea what she is going to say to Lon, but she knows she must come up with something. As she arrives at the parking... (full context)

...of the car. She still has no idea what she is going to say to Lon—but when she opens the front door, enters the lobby, and sees Lon standing there, the... (full context)

...children the story of their reunion, Noah fills in the blanks about what happened between Lon and Allie at the inn. When Allie walked into the lobby and saw Lon, she... (full context)

...lengthy letter describes the day she came back to him at last, after meeting with Lon at the inn in New Bern and telling him the engagement was off. She recalls... (full context)