Labyrinth In Looking For Alaska

“You left me Perhapsless, stuck in your goddamned labyrinth” (Green 172). Miles “Pudge” Halter has an obsession with people’s last words. This obsession has led him to boarding school in search of the “Great Perhaps.” This is where he meets the intriguing Alaska Young who introduces him to the “labyrinth.” This eccentric girl helps him begin his journey in search of the “Great Perhaps,” but leaves him stuck in the labyrinth after a devastating event. I will be questioning whether or not Alaska killed herself, questioning what would have happened had she lived, and predicting what occurred after the events of this book. Did Alaska kill herself or was it just an accident? Alaska Young died in a car crash, and after her death, her friends discovered
evidence that led them to believe she killed herself. In the book, readers are never able to determine whether or not she killed herself because the only one who would know that is Alaska.
First of all, there is a great deal of evidence supporting the conclusion that Alaska killed herself. On the night she died, Alaska was not thinking rationally because she was incredibly upset and drunk. Alaska had woken up in the middle of the night and realized she forgot the anniversary of her mother’s death. Alaska is blamed, by both herself and her father, for the death of her mother. She felt she was betraying and disappointing her mother by forgetting. Alaska was angry with herself when she drunkenly drove off in the middle of the night. Another reason supporting this explanation is that Alaska was always a highly spontaneous and unpredictable person. Alaska liked shocking people with her actions, and her death was no different: “But a lot of times, people die how they live. And so last words tell me a lot about who people were, and why they became the sort of people biographies get written about” (Green 128). Alaska’s death was spontaneous, surprising, and dangerous, almost identical to her personality. Regardless of all these details, Alaska still had so much to live for that would have kept her from killing herself. First of all, Alaska was surrounded by people who loved and supported
her. The most important people on this list were Takumi, Colonel, and Pudge. Takumi and Colonel were Alaska’s only friends throughout boarding school. They were the ones always standing behind her for all her crazy antics. Alaska’s most recently acquired friend was Pudge. Soon after arriving at Culver Creek, Pudge became involved with all of Alaska’s rebellious behavior also. Alaska had numerous people who loved her, and she would not have wanted to leave them behind. Also, Alaska seemed to have a promising future ahead of her. She was accepted into Culver Creek on a scholarship and always did particularly well in school. Alaska was extremely intelligent and had many plans for her future. Overall, there is a great deal of evidence that Alaska committed suicide; however, there is also great indication that it was just an accident. How would things have been different had Alaska lived? The life of every character was highly impacted by Alaska’s death. If she had lived, everyone’s lives would have turned out differently. The lives of her friends Takumi and Colonel shifted drastically by her death, and would have turned out very differently had she lived. Both of them felt guilty for weeks after her death because they had allowed her to leave in the middle of the night. They blamed themselves for her death and allowing her to leave knowing she was drunk. If Alaska had lived, they would have not went through the suffering they did. They would have been able to finish up the school year unaffected. The two of them could have continued on with their joyous lives and continued their various antics. Alaska and Pudge would have been impacted the greatest by this situation. The night before Alaska’s death the two of them kissed, despite them both being in relationships. Although their personalities are very different, they would have worked well together. Alaska and Pudge would have most likely worked through all the hardships to pursue a relationship. If Alaska had lived, she would have probably broken up with her boyfriend in order to be with Pudge. The two of them would have eventually formed a happy relationship. Pudge could have been saved a lot of heartbreak had Alaska lived: “ ‘Oh God, Alaska, I love you. I love you’ and the Colonel whispered, ‘I’m so sorry, Pudge. I know you did,’ and I said ‘No. Not past tense.’ She wasn’t even a person anymore, just flesh rotting, but I loved her present tense” (Green 152). Pudge also had great compunction after Alaska’s death because he, along with the others, allowed her to leave and even helped her leave. Pudge encountered a lot of regret and unhappiness due to this decision in his life. All of this would have been avoided if Alaska had not died. Everyone’s lives would not have been affected in anyway, and Alaska would have been able to live a full, peaceful life. All in all, Alaska’s death impacted each character differently, but all of their lives would have been simpler had she lived. I think that the characters in this book went on to live pleasant lives, but always remembered their friend Alaska Young. First, Alaska’s friends proceed to have exceptionally good futures. Both the Colonel and Takumi were highly intelligent individuals. They two of them most likely went on to college and received high-paying jobs later on. Pudge plausibly went on to have a delightful future also. I believe that Pudge eventually got back together with Lara, his girlfriend from before Alaska’s death. The two of them most likely went on to get married. Despite this, it can be presumed that his love for Alaska remained, but faded overtime. The three of these boys formed a strong bond throughout the school year: “But we knew what could be found out, and in finding out, she had made us closer-the colonel and Takumi and me, anyway. And that was it. She didn’t leave me enough to discover her, but she left me enough to rediscover the Great Perhaps” (Greed 212). The relationship they formed was a very strong one and most likely lasted beyond their high school years. Next, I think that Alaska Young was never forgotten by anyone who ever was given the privilege of knowing her because she was an extremely indelible. Alaska was a highly unforgettable person and every student at Culver Creek is likely to remember her. Alaska’s major hobbies included pulling pranks and breaking rules. Alaska was a fearless individual when it came to pulling pranks. She executed some of the best pranks ever done at Culver Creek and they are likely to be remembered. Her friends even carried out one of her pranks that she had planned before she died. This remarkable prank was strikingly memorable, and will be remembered for generations. Alaska impacted the lives everyone invarious ways and they will never forget her due to her trenchant personality. Overall, Alaska’s death will never be forgotten, but everyone will eventually move on with their lives. All in all, weather or not Alaska killed herself is unknown, if she had lived everything would have been different, and she was never forgotten by her friends even as they moved on in their lives. For the short time he knew her, Alaska had a large impact on Pudge’s life as she introduced him into the “labyrinth” and aided him in his search of the “Great Perhaps.”