Read our complete notes on the novel “Looking for Alaska” by John Green. Our notes cover Looking for Alaska summary, themes, and critical analysis.
Introduction
Looking for Alaska is written by John Green. It is his first novel. It was published in March 2005. This novel is based on John Green’s time in Indian Spring School. This novel won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2006 from The American Library Association.
Overview
This novel is a journey in search of the last words of Francois Rabelais “Great Perhaps.” The protagonist of this novel, Miles, moves to his new school. He befriends Martin Chip, Takumi Hikohito and Alaska young. They come close to one another in the due course of time. They enjoy the time being together and all of them are with various dreams to pursue. They do a number of pranks and dare games. Ultimately, Alaska dies in a car accident. The school mourns her death and Miles becomes hysterical with her death.
Afterwards, the boys arrange a party in the memory of Alaska. These boys do not accept the reason for the death of Alaska that is supposed to be a car accident. These boys start investigating the murder of Alaska. They go to the police station and other things are jotted down to know the reason for her death. Towards the end of the novel, they dig out the real cause of her death but in this journey Miles grasps the journey of Great Perhaps and the true meanings of life.
Background of the novel
This novel is based on the early life of John Green. Growing up, Green constantly cherished composition, yet when it came to his experience of middle school, he said that life remained bleak for him. As an understudy, Green portrays that he was horrendous to his parents and instructors as a student. He was a sort of guy who remained introverted and could not make friends. Green’s circumstance didn’t change after his change to secondary school, so he inquired his parents as to whether he could go to Indian Springs School in Alabama.
His father concurred, and he moved to secondary school at Indian Springs School shaping important associations with instructors and friends. Green’s involvement with life experience roused him to compose Looking for Alaska. A large number of the characters and occasions that occur in the novel depend on what Green experienced at Indian Springs, remembering the death of a focal character for the novel.
During talk of the book at Rivermont Collegiate on October 19, 2006, Green shared that the possibility of Takumi’s “fox cap” in Looking for Alaska started from a Filipino companion. who wore a comparable cap while playing tricks during his school life. He noticed that his motivation for the swan in Culver Creek came from a swan he recalls at Indian Springs.
The two tricks that happened in the book are like tricks that Green pulled at school, yet Green underlines that while the setting depends on his life, the novel is completely fictional. As a young boy, Green got in love with renowned final words, explicitly those of John Adams. His interest in final words leads him to search the final words of different celebrated persons. Green passes this affection for final words onto the fundamental character, Miles, and uses the final words of Bolivar to rouse a quest for significance even with catastrophe for the characters of his novel.
Looking for Alaska Summary
Chapter 1
It is the end of the summer season. The parents of Miles Halter are arranging a going away party for him. His parents are very much aware of the social status of the family and expect that not many people would attend the party. The party is attended by only two people. Miles’ parents are very much concerned about the moving of Miles from Florida to Alabama. Miles is going from a public school to a private school. His parents think that lack of friends has forced Miles to leave the place and move away. Miles washes away the thoughts of his parents and tells them that he is going to a better school which his father attended as well. He quotes the words of Francois Rabelais as “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.”
The weather is very hot when he moves to Culver Creek. In his new residence, Miles meets his new roommate. The roommate has a hilarious expression of Miles when he meets Miles because Miles is half-naked and has just come out of the bathtub. The roommate introduces himself as Chip Martin, being a son of separated parents. He also tells Miles that he is on a scholarship. He also informs Miles that he has a talent for memorizing the names of the countries in alphabetical order. Miles tells him that he has memorized the last names of the famous people in the world. Both of them start to decorate the room. Chip also tells Miles his nickname the Colonel and he gives Miles a nickname of Pudge.
Afterwards, Colonel makes him know things about Alaska. He also introduces Miles to the neighbors. In the neighborhood, there lives a girl Alaska and when Colonel introduces Pudge to the girl he is carried away by the beauty and the books of the girl. Slowly and gradually, Pudge starts to move in his new friendship. He also buys some cigarettes from Alaska for Colonel and then they walk towards the lake located on the campus.
While sitting on the lake, Miles gets to know that the dean of the students of the campus is Mr. Starnes and he is known as the Eagle. Miles or Pudge also gets to smoke his very first cigarette of life. The Colonel tells him that there is a swan in the lake and the swan watches the property on the behalf of the dean. Afterwards, they discuss the boyfriend of Alaska. The Colonel knows things about him. Pudge tells Colonel that he does not have a girlfriend and Colonel promises to find a girlfriend for Pudge.
The next day, Pudge meets the Eagle. Afterwards, he meets Takumi who is the close friend of Colonel. At lunch, all these boys engage in a conversation about the former roommate of Alaska. After this discussion, Pudge goes into his room and decides to sleep early so that he could get a good sleep. In the middle of the night, he is taken by some unknown boys and thrown into the campus lake. Pudge escapes his death by drowning in the water. He soothes himself and returns to his room.
The next day is his first day of school. Pudge has difficulty with the French language. He also meets Dr. Hyde who is supposed to teach him World Religions. Colonel also introduces Pudge to his girlfriend Sara.
Chapter 2
In his first few days, Dr. Hyde asks Pudge to leave his class because he is daydreaming and not concentrating on studies. Alaska stands for Pudge and defends him but she, too, is asked to leave the class. This gives Pudge a new sort of excitement and he starts to spend more time with the Colonel, Alaska and other friends on smoking spots.
The next day there is a basketball game at Culver Creek. Pudge goes with the Colonel to see the match. There they also meet a person who was there when Pudge was thrown into the lake. The person is Kevin Richman. Colonel challenges Kevin to name the president and Pudge gives a correct answer by stating the correct name. From the match, they can easily take it that Culver Creek is losing the game but Colonel is cheering the team up with his shouts and slogans. He starts insulting the players of the opponents’ team and for this, he is asked to leave the courtroom.
In the school, Pudge comes across Dr. Hyde and he reprimands Pudge for not taking interest in the studies. He also warns him to be mentally in present in the class. He asks him to avoid daydreaming. Alaska and Pudge come closer to each other because Alaska helps Pudge in his preparation for the Precalculus exam. The two spend a great deal of time together. He asks Alaska to explain her name. She tells him that her parents let her choose the name and she chose the name because it means ‘which the seas break against.’
They get close to each other and are about to enter into an illicit moment but Alaska tells him that she is not the one who can live on the hopes of the present because she is more into the present. Pudge does not understand the concept.
After a few days, the group of Pudge is caught by the Eagle. They are caught right at the time when they all are smoking. Thus are directed to appear before the jury. The Jury is a bench of students who impose punishments on those who violate the rules of the school. Alaska tries to take the responsibility of the whole group and the Jury charges and punishes Alaska and Colonel in the end.
In the meanwhile, Alaska finds a girlfriend for Pudge. The girl is Lara Buterskaya. They then go on a date. The place selected for the date is the basketball court of Culver Creek basketball team. The date does not go according to the plan. Alaska does not allow Lara and Pudge to sit together. The game is continued and Colonel shouts at the player of the opponent team. He hits the ball and Pudge gets hurt with the ball.
The rest of Pudge’s day is spent at the hospital because he is diagnosed with a concussion. Colonel tries to distract the thoughts of Pudge and tells him that his girlfriend Sara has parted ways with Colonel. The Colonel shows that he is very sad about the break-up.
Afterwards, there is rainfall for almost 10 days. Pudges gets sustained for his concussion. These days, Pudge tries to avoid Lara and he is happy in the company of Alaska.
Dr. Hyde hands out the question for the final exam.
“What is the most important question human beings must answer?”
Colonel and Pudge rush to the room of Alaska for help but there are Weekday Warriors in her room.
After 10 days, the rain stops and Takumi and Pudge join the smoking spot.
Chapter 3
Pudge meets Alaska and she tells Pudge that he must stay with her at the campus because others might go in the week of Thanksgiving. Pudge informs his parents that he is unable to visit them because he is trying to make some friends.
Colonel meets Pudge and tells him not to abandon his parents for making any sexual affair with Alaska. Pudge feels the idea and calls his parents again but they are fine with the wish of Pudge.
Pudge and Alaska spend their time reading and drinking. A day before the thanksgiving week, they add wax to the candle, and Colonel surprisingly comes to invite them to his house. They visit him and find that Colonel and his mother reside in a trailer and they do not have a house.
Colonel then drops both of them back at the school. After some time, Alaska comes to Pudge`s room and tells him that she has betrayed the trust of Colonel because she has confessed in front of him that she has ratted out Marya. Pudge tries to comfort her. The students return after a week. Pudge is happy that he has a family and can go anytime he wants to meet his family, unlike Alaska.
After Christmas, Alaska plans a prank for the juniors. The Colonel asks Pudge to wear a black dress but he does not share the details of the prank. The prank day arrives and Colonel asks Takumi and Pudge to visit his house at the weekend. Alaska tells them that she is going to pay a visit to Jake. Lara informs her that she is spending a weekend with her friend in Atlanta. When they meet again, they vow to remain faithful so that prank could be executed in a good way.
Takumi and Pudge are paired together. They are assigned the task to distract the Eagle with fireworks so that he goes out of the campus. This would give the other an opportunity to execute the plan. The plan is carefully made but the swan is bitten by a swan in the butt.
They all spend the night in the smoking spot in the woods. Afterwards, each of them shares their best and worst memories of life. Pudge shares that the day of the prank is the best ever day of his life. Alaska shares that the best day for her was when she visited the zoo in the company of her mother. The Colonel shares that his best day has not yet arrived. He thinks that the best day for him would be the day when he would be able to buy a fancy house for her mother.
The Colonel thinks that his worst day was the day when her father abandoned her mother. Pudge shares that the worst day was when he was forced to wear the gym clothes that embarrassed him. The day of the mother’s death was the worst day for Alaska. During the night, Pudge kisses Lara and requests her to be his girlfriend.
Chapter 4
The following morning they wake up. They feel the hangover but they move towards the dormitories. The next semester starts. Pudge and Lara develop their relationship. Colonel and Pudge go to Alaska’s room and drink heavily. After drinking, they play games together. After the game, Pudge falls asleep next to Alaska. In the middle of the night, Alaska gets a phone call and she answers it but it makes her uncomfortable. She requests Colonel and Pudge to help her so that she could go out of the campus. They do not ask her any reason or explanation. They set the firework and distract the guards. In the meanwhile, Alaska drives out of the campus.
The next morning, Eagle asks Pudge and Colonel to go to the gym. In the gym, all the students are assembled. They get to know that they have been asked to come to the gym because Dr. Hydes has died. The Eagle starts talking about Dr. Hyde but Pudge shouts and interrupts him that they all must wait for Alaska because she is not present. The Eagle shockingly reveals that Alaska got killed in a car accident, the previous night.
This shocks Pudge. He vomits outside the gym and is helped by many students and teachers. Colonel helps Pudge to return to the room where they cry and try to console each other. Both of them deal with this shock very differently. Pudge tries to comfort himself by talking to his parents. Colonel returns to campus after two days and he walks for miles. The funeral of Alaska is held. The students come to Alaska`s room and clear her room. They all wonder about the death of Alaska whether she died in a car accident or she has committed suicide.
Chapter 5
Both the boys are unable to understand the death of Alaska. They decide to investigate the reasons for Alaska`s unhappiness. They also think of the possible reasons for Alaska’s going in the night. Both of them go to the Police Department to take some information about the car accident. Colonel introduces himself as her brother. They get the information that on the night of the accident, the car of Alaska hit a truck. Her alcohol level was very high. They also get to know that the car had white tulip flowers as well at the time of the accident. Colonel thinks that it is something related to Jake but Pudge does not believe it.
The next day, there is a discussion about a sect of Islam that is Sufism. Pudge thinks where Alaska would be as she is not physically present with them.
After a few days, Colonel tells Pudge that the only way to know about the mental state of Alaska is to experience the same state of being drunk. Colonel then drinks to the same level as Alaska drank on the night of her death. Colonel starts drinking vodka but the Eagle comes and asks Pudge not to smoke after the specific hours. Several hours after their drink they are unable to feel the situation of Alaska.
They do not get any success in their investigation so they include Takumi as well. Takumi is very upset when he gets to know that they did not include him in the investigation earlier.
Takumi also blames Pudge for being selfish. Colonel then tells them that Jake called Alaska in the middle of the night.
Forty-six days pass, Pudge meets Lara and tells her that he doesn’t love her, rather he loves Alaska. Lara tells him that she knew about it.
Pudge begins to be normal and he starts taking interest in the classes and studies. He calls his parents and talks to them which soothes him. He returns to his normal life but does not know the reason for the distress of Alaska.
After a few days, they arrange a hilarious prank in the memory of Alaska. They act as a male stripper as a dancer. The Eagle gets to know and he becomes angry but he forgives the boys because he believes that they did all this in the memory of Alaska.
A week later, Takumi again starts the investigation of Alaska`s death. He gets to know that the date of Alaska’s death is the same date at which her mother died. She got to know about the date and went to deliver flowers at the grave of her mother and got an accident in the way.
Themes in Looking for Alaska
Way of Life and Death
Death and life are positively significant subjects in this novel, while how to spend life and how to die are greater topics of this novel. Undoubtedly, the novel isn’t titled Alaska, yet rather Looking for Alaska because the novel deals with a search. Miles and Alaska are both normally slanted toward searching for the importance and meaning of life. Miles remembers final words since they assist him with seeing how individuals live, and Alaska peruses and retains verses from her Life’s Library, which causes her to discover words for what she is feeling.
The Old Man’s World Religions class at that point advances Miles’ comprehension of how to live beyond words and the way to die. The class opens him to how an assortment of societies and religions has addressed life’s greatest inquiries. Alaska’s answer to her pursuit is straight and quick because she needs to escape from her maze of torment as fast and effectively as could reasonably be expected.
When Alaska dies, Miles’ enthusiasm for how to live and how to die escalates on the grounds that it currently has a functional application. However, when Alaska escapes from the labyrinth, she makes another maze for Mile. He becomes mixed up in an example of sadness where he at the same time needs to discover answers and abstains from searching for them. In spite of his affection for Alaska, Miles, at last, understands that she surrendered, regardless of whether she ended it all. Defeated by blame, she concludes that her life must be a pitiful one. At the point when Miles picks forgiveness for himself, and for Alaska, he decides to prop up forward and look for his “Great Perhaps.” He gains from Alaska’s mistakes that it is the vulnerability of life that makes it worth living.
Identity
Stories about growing up, known as bildungsroman, frequently start with a youngster searching for the solutions to the inquiries of life, as Miles does in this novel. In a conventional bildungsroman, misfortune or sadness would persuade the primary character to withdraw from home and go on a journey for information, while in this novel death of Alaska intrudes on the inquiry on which Miles has just set out. Looking for Alaska, be that as it may, a coming-of-age novel closes with its fundamental character having picked up development and self-information. The character that grows up (Miles) has a more reasonable way to deal with life because of his encounters.
While all the novels of coming-of-age deal with the issue of identity, Looking for Alaska is especially worried about it. At the point when Miles initially shows up at Culver Creek, he feels that he is aware of himself. He is popular with educators, has no interest in games, and is flawlessly happy being separated from everyone else. His mission, at that point, is for experience as opposed to mindfulness. When Alaska dies, Miles directs his concentration toward attempting to make sense of who she truly was.
While she remains alive, Miles could recognize Alaska as delightful and secretive and shrewd, yet she was mean and narrow-minded and unreasonable, and he battles to grapple with the numerous aspects of her character. At last, Miles understands that while the way toward “Looking for Alaska” never presented to him any genuine answers about Alaska, it helped him develop nearer to his companions and get familiar with himself. Miles develops into somebody who knows the worth of family and pardoning, and it is just once he understands that he thinks about these things that he really knows himself.
Desires versus Reality
As a new student Indian Spring School, Pudge has numerous assumptions regarding how his new life at the school will be and how extraordinary it will be from the existence he had at his old fashioned. He invokes situations in which he makes various companions, however, his desires are broken when the Colonel reports himself to be disliked and reluctant to assist Pudge with making companions. One of the most significant arrangements of desires that Pudge has is his relationship with Alaska.
After her demise, he battles to comprehend her activities and to rethink his relationship with her. He loves her when she is alive however just comes to comprehend her multifaceted nature after she is no more.
Friendship
Looking for Alaska starts with the party arranged for Miles to leave home in which only two friends come to attend the party. With no friends in school, Miles shifts to Culver Creek. From the outset, Miles is reluctant with his fellowships yet he gradually figures out how to act naturally around his new companions. We discover that Miles esteems his new fellowships by the way that he carefully sticks to the Colonel’s “no ratting” strategy and offers the two his time and cash so as to smoke and drink liquor, exercises in which he had not recently locked in. As the novel advances, Miles changes from a recluse to an average adolescent attempting to comprehend the complexities of entangled companionships, especially with Alaska.
Pursuit of the Great Perhaps
As he advances from his school to Culver Creek for his new life, Pudge goes looking for the Great Perhaps. Continually unsatisfied with his present, the quest for the Great Perhaps gives Pudge trust in a better and more energizing life. Nonetheless, the Great Perhaps is anything but a particular moment, yet rather the demonstration of valuing the moments that one has. It turns out to be progressively evident that the Great Perhaps is all around Pudge, however, he is just ready to see that when he lives at the time as he does during the infamous firecrackers trick on the Eagle. The quest for the Great Perhaps keeps Pudge from encountering the Great Perhaps as it occurs. Simply after the death of Alaska does Pudge understand that the Great Perhaps has consistently been there and will keep on being there in light of the fact that he is alive.
Trust
As a student, Pudge’s developmental connections with his companions are based upon trust. When executing tricks on the Weekday Warriors, the Colonel puts forth for Pudge the significance of not ratting each other out to the organization. Pudge comes to completely confide in the Colonel; however, he stays uncertain of Alaska regardless of his fascination with her. With regard to the fact that Alaska was a student who betrayed her flatmate the prior year Pudge joined the new school, the Colonel is profoundly hurt and befuddled. Since Pudge believes the Colonel he can frame a genuine companionship with him, however his hesitancy to believe Alaska constrains Pudge to make an envisioned, better form of his relationship with her.
Mystery
The mystery is at the core of this novel and it is to such an extent that it is installed in the structure of the book. As opposed to isolating the novel into parts, Green divides this novel into days, every one of which is titled with various days. For instance, the main segment of the book is designated “one-hundred thirty-six days before.” Before what, notwithstanding, isn’t clarified to the reader until they read more than half of the book.
Similarly to the secretive structure of Looking for Alaska makes the novel interesting, mystery is a charming piece of Miles’ life. At the book’s start, Miles chooses to shift to Alabama to look for his “Great Perhaps.” He is amped up for the mystery that anticipates him, and he quickly gets fixated on getting Alaska, who herself is a mystery. In any case, while Alaska’s dynamic development of a baffling air makes her fascinating to other people, she suffers as a result of it.
She isn’t happy to give others access and is apprehensive for others to see the unpleasant individual that she believes herself to be. Accordingly, Alaska keeps her companions from becoming acquainted with her just as they need to. For sure, Miles and the Colonel let her drive away the evening of her death since they don’t understand how sad she is, or that it is the commemoration of the death of her mother.
Miles tries to know the actual reason for Alaska’s death. He at last gets to know the reason of the death.Further, when he quits pursuing Alaska, he seeks his own Great Perhaps. Eventually, Miles approves of not knowing precisely what befell Alaska since it doesn’t make a difference in what occurred. The answers for mysteries aren’t constantly significant. Miles understands that whether she executed herself, he despite everything adores her and thinks about her and accepts that her soul lives on. For him, that is sufficient.
Looking for Alaska Characters Analysis
Miles Halter
Miles Halter known as Pudge is the narrator of this novel. He is the protagonist of this novel as well. He is an introverted boy who is unable to cope with friendship so he decides to move to a new school in Alabama. He is infatuated with the last words of famous people. He joins the new school and makes several friends in due course of time. He gets in love feelings with Alaska and when she dies, he takes a good deal of time to come out of the trans. Throughout the novel, Miles is in search of Great Perhaps.
Chip Martin
Chip Martin is known as the Colonel. He is the roommate of Miles at the new school. He becomes a confident and trustworthy friend of Miles. He takes interest in playing pranks with others. He belongs to a poor class family and lives in a trailer. He does not have a home and it is his biggest dream to have a home for his lonely mother as his father has abandoned his mother.
Alaska Young
She becomes a good friend of Miles in the new school. Miles takes romantic interest in her. She is a perplexed lady and is usually in despair. Collecting books is her hobby. She drinks excessively. She is moody and her mood can change anytime. She dies young while she is taking flowers to her mother’s grave.
Alaska is one of the principal characters of the story. Alaska has a bipolar sort of character. She is amusing, insane, and strange, and she can some of the time be impolite and mean yet above all she is extremely savvy. Alaska has been suffering since the death of her mother, in one way or another Alaska feels remorseful for the death of her mother.
Despite the fact that Alaska has carried on an extreme past, she is still joyous and energetic; or perhaps that is exactly how she needs others to see her. Alaska is the sort of individual that can be having a great time one day and the following one is absolutely another individual by being mean and inconsiderate. Alaska is extremely lovely or perhaps is beautiful because Miles considers her beautiful.
Throughout the story, Alaska`s character changes. She advances from being a sure and solid young lady to a befuddled and depressive character. In the wake of recalling what befell her mother, she can’t stand the blame she feels and she turns into a cold individual. Alaska consistently considers life as a maze of misery and she needs to realize the way to exit from it. She finds that her solitary way out of the maze of enduring is to pardon. Alaska needs to pardon herself for what befell her mother and getting all the blame for something she has not done.
Takumi Hikohito
He is a very good friend of Miles in the Indian Spring School. He is a very talented rapper. He also takes interest in Pranks. Though he remains in good friendship with Miles and the Colonel yet they leave him outside while they start investigating the death of Alaska. But later on, it is Takumi who finds the real reason for her death.
Lara Buterskaya
She belongs to Romania. She is a friend of Alaska and Alaska makes her a girlfriend of Miles. Miles takes interest in her but he ultimately finds that he is more interested in Alaska.
Mr. Starness
He is the dean of students at Culver Creek. He is known as the Eagle among the students. He is a strict person and is usually targeted in various pranks. But he has a soft and mild heart towards the students.
Dr. Hyde
He teaches World Religions. He takes keen interest in teaching and does not allow the students to miss his lectures.
Looking for Alaska Literary Analysis
The Chapter Titles
This novel is narrated by Miles and it is written in two parts. Instead of the regular numerical framework, every section is meant through the number of days before the death of Alaska or the number of days after. The beginning of this structure comes about because of John Green’s impact of open responses to the occasions of September 11, 2001. In a meeting with Random House Publishing, Green reviews that anchorpersons express that individuals would now see the world through the perspective of either previously or after 9/11.
Green says in a similar meeting, he says that we look back to the most significant crossroads in our history, and that turns into the separating line between what we are and what we were. So he said that he needs to consider the manner in which we measure and consider time. For the characters in this novel, death of Alaska demonstrates a life changing second, and Green needs to mirror this significance by making the structure of the novel around the pivot of death of Alaska.
Alaska: A Victim of Depression
The death of Alaska is equivocal in its decision – neither Pudge nor the friends know whether her death was a mishap or suicide. From Alaska’s sporadic conduct and the investigation of Pudge and the Colonel, apparently Alaska was experiencing depression. In the United States, roughly 11% of individuals beneath the age of 18 suffer from depressive disorders. A significant number of those like Alaska go undiscovered in light of the fact that the examination into immature sorrow has just approached as of late.
One of the significant issues with the treatment of Depression in youngsters is that it regularly goes unnoticed.. Luckily, various investigations have been directed in the years since the publication of Looking for Alaska in 2005, and awareness has been raised encompassing teenager sorrow. An ongoing report finished by the National Institute of Mental Health reasoned that the best strategy for treating young people with depression is a blend of drug and psychotherapy.
Researchers are at present taking a shot at strategies to enhance the treatment and dealing of depression. Maybe one day the length of treatment will be abbreviated from weeks and years to hours in the expectation of forestalling further suicides. There is still a lot to be investigated; however understanding depression in youths stays one of science’s top needs.
Quest for meaning of life
After the death of Alaska, Pudge and Colonel explore the conditions encompassing the awful accident. While searching for answers, the young men are intuitively managing their misery and their fixation on discovering answers changes into a quest for meaning. Pudge and Colonel need to discover the responses to specific inquiries encompassing the death of Alaska, however, actually, they are bearing their own mazes of affliction, an ideal key to the novel.
At the point when their philosophy instructor Mr. Hyde offers a conversation to his group about the significance of life, Pudge accepts this open door to expound on it as a maze of affliction. He acknowledges that it exists and concedes that despite the fact that the lamentable loss of Alaska made his own maze of affliction, he keeps on having confidence in the “Great Perhaps,'” implying that Pudge must scan for importance in his life through inescapable sorrow and languishing.
A researcher from the University of Northern British Columbia Barb Dean dissects Pudge and the Colonel’s journey for answers as they adventure into finding further significance in life. Because this examination transforms into something that is utilized to manage the unforgiving truth of losing Alaska, it prompts Pudge to discover his way through his very own maze of torment and finding further importance to his life.
Death of Alaska
The whole novel is set around Alaska`s death. Section one of the novel is designated “before Alaska’s death, and section two is classified “after”, as in after the passing of Alaska. The passages are not set apart by dates, yet in the number of days comparable to the death of Alaska, for instance, when Miles depicts smoking his first cigarette that is “one hundred and twenty-eight days before” the demise of Alaska, not a month, day, and year.
There are a few records of anticipating the death of Alaska, a large portion of them are said by Alaska herself, for example, she says that she might die young.
The specific idea of Alaska`s death remains a secret: did Alaska murder herself? Or on the other hand, was it a mishap?
One hypothesis about the death of Alaska is that it was really a mishap. Since she was heavily drunk, it is truly conceivable that when she saw the police cruiser and the truck she accepted that she would have the option to move through the two cars.
Pudge contends that Alaska would not have killed herself because she says that she will resume the meeting with them. Colonel then tells them that she might have changed her perspective when she received the call. At the point when the Colonel and Pudge look into suicide indications on the web, they understand that Alaska just fits two of the thirteen side effects. The Colonel additionally says that she is kidding when she offers remarks about death.
In any case, there are numerous contentions that back up the likelihood that Alaska ended her life by suicide. She says that she previously felt regretful that she has not called 911 when her mother is experiencing an aneurysm and she dies at home.
Obviously Alaska is likewise not sincerely steady, and considerably more so considering the way that she is drunk at the hour of death of her mother. She says to Pudge that he should comprehend that she is a profoundly troubled individual. She is entangled in her maze of anguish. The Colonel likewise contends that the car of police she collides with has its lights on, and she is calm enough to see them and swerved, considering she is calm enough to make out with Pudge. Nonetheless, she never hit the brakes.
The two choose to play out a test: the Colonel will raise his BAC to .24 that is around the blood liquor level Alaska has when she dies and perceive how practical he is. He could obviously observe, however, he says he is tired. They from the start imagined that she could have nodded off while driving and slammed, however they understood that it is about difficult to drive straight while snoozing. It is uncovered that the evening of her death is the evening of the commemoration of the death of her mother.
It is conceivable that the call helped her to remember the commemoration and in light of the fact that it is past 12 PM and she has missed it. All things considered, she is so furious with herself since she has messed again with her mother as she does not call 911 when she is eight and now she has missed the commemoration that she chose to take her life, taking the straight and quick way out of the maze.
The Labyrinth
Labyrinth is one of the clear images in this novel. Alaska adores the final expressions of Simón Bolívar: “Damn it, how will I ever get out of this labyrinth!” At the start of the book, Alaska isn’t sure if the labyrinth of Bolívar symbolizes death or life, however she in the end concludes that life’s most significant inquiry is that by what method will we get away from this labyrinth of anguish?” Labyrinths contrast from mazes in that mazes have just a single conceivable way, twisting however it may be, while labyrinths have a wide range of potential ways.
Regardless of whether Alaska proposes to die, she appears to be sure that her life, followed through labyrinth, will be a despondent one, and that the best way to endure will be straight and quick— either to experience it wildly or not experience it by any means. Miles has an increasingly Christian comprehension of the labyrinth, despite the fact that he isn’t especially religious.
In Christianity, the understanding Green is well because he is a Christian, labyrinths symbolize an excursion towards salvation. It’s anything but a simple road, and it’s brimming with exciting bends in the road, yet in the event that one follows the way, one will show up at the doorstep of God. Since life isn’t a labyrinth, there are no impasses. Miles grasps the overly complex nature of life, and once he chooses to push ahead instead of thinking back, he is amped up for where his way may take him.
