Entry Two: Looking For Alaska

Everyone has wants and desires. In my opinion, John Green did a wonderful job creating and explaining the major characters’ wants and desires. He carried them all throughout the entire book. Pudge’s desire is to find his Great Perhaps. That is why he went to Culver College, to find his Great Perhaps. Alaska’s desire was to find the way out of the labyrinth. She found it, that’s why she allegedly killed herself. The Colonel was more difficult to decipher his desire. I think that his main desire was to find answers. After Alaska died, he wanted to know everything. The answers to the what, why, how questions. All of these desires and wants lead to the themes developed in Looking For Alaska. The themes include, the Great Perhaps, the labyrinth, drugs, and pranks. The Great Perhaps and the labyrinth are themes because they are mentioned in the book multiple times. Drugs and pranks are somewhat of a theme because they are meaningful. These are the two things that became rituals when Alaska died. In Looking For Alaska it describes the ritual for Alaska and cigarettes, “The Colonel pulled a cigarette out of his pack and threw it into the water. ‘What the hell?’ I asked. ‘For her,’ he said” (page 193, Green). When Alaska died, they pulled a prank and started the annual Alaska Young Memorial Prank. That is why I think pranking and drugs are somewhat themes, because they are meaningful. The structure of Looking For Alaska is a journal type of organization. This book is separated into two parts, After and Before, referring to the death of Alaska.

Entry One: Looking For Alaska

The major characters in Looking For Alaska are Pudge, Alaska, and the Colonel. Miles Pudge Halter was nicknamed Pudge at Culver College. Pudge is the narrator in this particular book. He was tall and scrawny. He was awkward, but he fell in love with Alaska, just like any other guy. Alaska was a character that everyone loved. Pudge made a great deal about her beauty and her mood swings. Alaska died in the middle of the book, where Before ends and After begins. The Colonel introduced Pudge and Alaska. The Colonel was a friend to both Alaska and Pudge. He was introduced as a small, but a don’t-mess-with-me type of person. Takumi, Lara, and The Eagle were all important characters, but not as important as Pudge, Alaska, and the Colonel.

The main setting is Culver College where Pudge, Alaska, the Colonel, Takumi, and Lara attended. This is where most of the book was located. Two other settings that show importance is the Highway I-65 and Pudge’s house. Highway I-65 is important to the story because that is where Alaska died. Pudge’s house is important because that is where the story began and where he found his desire for the Great Perhaps. The main conflict in Looking For Alaska was that Alaska died. In Looking For Alaska it states, “‘Last night, Alaska Young was in a terrible accident.’ His tears came faster, then. ‘And she was killed. Alaska has passed away’” (page 139, Green). Throughout the book, I had predicted that Alaska was going to end up dying and I predicted that Pudge would fall in love with her. I predicted that Alaska was going to die because the author, John Green gave little hints (foreshadowing). An example of John Green’s foreshadowing is when Alaska said, “Y’all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die” (page 44, Green). Another example in Looking For Alaska is, “‘I may die young,’ she said. ‘But at least I’ll die smart. Now, back to tangents’” (page 52, Green). Connections from this book include the book/movie, The Vow. They are connected because in both books there was a terrible accident. Another connection is The Fault In Our Stars and Looking For Alaska because in both books a major character dies. Some questions I had for the author include, Why did you continue the book after Alaska died and why did you make the part after she died as long as before?, Why did you not tell whether Alaska committed suicide or not?, and my last question is, Why did you choose to end the book with Pudge’s exam answer?.