Looking for Alaska
Encyclopedia
Looking for Alaska is the first young adult novel by John Green, published in March 2005 by Dutton Juvenile. It won the 2006 Michael L. Printz Award
from the American Library Association
. It is divided into two parts, Before and After.
home to go to Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama
. Although his parents are disappointed when only two people attend, Miles has learned to expect nothing more; he is not popular at his current school. When pressed, he uses François Rabelais
's last words — "I go to seek a Great Perhaps" — to explain why he is leaving home. Miles' adventurous side made it easy for him to not be nervous as he left the place he had called home so many years before.
Miles moves to Culver Creek and becomes acquainted with his roommate, Chip "The Colonel" Martin. Shortly after being introduced, the Colonel gives Miles a nickname of his own: "Pudge", ironic because Miles is so thin. His friendship with the Colonel introduces him to Alaska Young, a girl on whom Pudge develops a crush. On his first night, Pudge is duct-taped and thrown into a lake by the "Weekday Warriors", privileged Birmingham-area students. The only apparent reason for this is that he and the Colonel are roommates. The Colonel and Alaska are both furious, and an all-out prank war ensues. Being friends with these pranksters also introduces Pudge to a facet of his "Great Perhaps" that he might have only slightly anticipated, if at all: a newfound sense of danger, and over recklessness at breaking rules through such illicit activities as smoking and drinking on campus.
Pudge's affections for Alaska grow as the novel progresses, but as she is dating a college student, he sees his situation as hopeless. However, Alaska consistently makes subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) comments on how she finds Pudge attractive. Even so, she introduces Pudge to a girl in his math class, the shy Romanian Lara Buterskaya, who becomes his girlfriend. Afterwards Pudge, Lara, Alaska, the Colonel, and their friend Takumi play a "pre-prank" against the Weekday Warriors. In the midst of a drinking game, Alaska reveals that when she was 8 years old, her mother died of a brain aneurysm
, and the panic-stricken Alaska watched her mother die, rather than call 911
. Although her father eventually forgave her, she has always carried guilt over her mother's death.
Some time later, Alaska, Pudge, and the Colonel play Truth or Dare
, with Alaska and the Colonel becoming extremely drunk. Alaska gets close to Pudge and the two share a moment where they kiss. Alaska soon falls asleep, only to be awakened later by the phone. After talking for a few minutes, she comes back into the room screaming and crying hysterically about being sorry. She successfully urges Pudge and the Colonel to distract the "Eagle", the Dean of Students, in order to allow her to drive off campus. The two then go to bed and think nothing of what transpired.
In memorial for Alaska, the Colonel and Pudge pull a prank that Alaska had planned before her death.
At the end of the novel, Pudge turns in an essay for school that answers one of Alaska's questions: "How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?" He concludes that to forgive is the way out of the labyrinth of suffering, and Alaska's spirit must still exist somewhere, because it was too full of life to stop existing.
, used the book for eleventh grade
instruction. A letter was sent to parents advising the book contained controversial content. An alternate reading selection was available for those opting out, and a small percentage of parents chose this option. Nevertheless, the book was challenged on the grounds that it is "pornographic" and "disgusting". One parent even went as far as refusing to read the book himself, reportedly saying that "One does not need to have cancer to diagnose cancer". The book was ultimately retained by the school board after the author explained himself.
The main characters in the story are teenagers who also drink, smoke and use explicit language. The author has publicly defended his work. "Some people say, 'You wrote a dirty, dirty book.' But there are very old-fashioned values and even a lot of religion in it," Green said. "There are some adults who think that the only kind of ethics
that matter are sexual ethics. So they miss everything else that is going on in the book." Green also said, "The book has never been marketed to 12-year-olds. Never. It is packaged like an adult book; it doesn't even say it's published by a kids' book imprint on the cover, and it's never shelved in the children's section of bookstores."
Green also defended Looking For Alaska in his vlog on Jan 30, 2008.
Green attended Indian Springs School
, a boarding and day school outside of Birmingham, Alabama
. During the time he was a student there, two students died under circumstances similar to one of the characters in the novel.
According to John Green himself at a book talk
in Rivermont Collegiate
on October 19 2006, he got the idea of Takumi's "fox hat" from a Filipino friend who wore a similar hat while playing pranks at Indian Springs School. From the same book talk, Green also stated that the "possessed" swan in Culver Creek came from his student life at Indian Springs School as well, where there was also a swan of similar nature on the campus. The two pranks that occur in the book are similar to pranks that Green pulled at his high school. Green has also stated, while giving a talk at Indian Springs, that several of Culver Creek's teachers are direct caricatures of multiple faculty members at Indian Springs.
in 2005. The screenplay was going to potentially be written and directed by Josh Schwartz
(creator of The OC), but due to a lack of interest by Paramount Studios the production has been shelved indefinitely.
Michael L. Printz Award
The Michael L. Printz Award is an annual award in the United States for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. It is named for a school librarian from Topeka, Kansas, who was a long-time active member of the Young Adult Library Services Association...
from the American Library Association
American Library Association
The American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
. It is divided into two parts, Before and After.
"Before" synopsis
The book begins with Miles Halter's parents throwing him a goodbye party, as he is leaving his FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
home to go to Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. Although his parents are disappointed when only two people attend, Miles has learned to expect nothing more; he is not popular at his current school. When pressed, he uses François Rabelais
François Rabelais
François Rabelais was a major French Renaissance writer, doctor, Renaissance humanist, monk and Greek scholar. He has historically been regarded as a writer of fantasy, satire, the grotesque, bawdy jokes and songs...
's last words — "I go to seek a Great Perhaps" — to explain why he is leaving home. Miles' adventurous side made it easy for him to not be nervous as he left the place he had called home so many years before.
Miles moves to Culver Creek and becomes acquainted with his roommate, Chip "The Colonel" Martin. Shortly after being introduced, the Colonel gives Miles a nickname of his own: "Pudge", ironic because Miles is so thin. His friendship with the Colonel introduces him to Alaska Young, a girl on whom Pudge develops a crush. On his first night, Pudge is duct-taped and thrown into a lake by the "Weekday Warriors", privileged Birmingham-area students. The only apparent reason for this is that he and the Colonel are roommates. The Colonel and Alaska are both furious, and an all-out prank war ensues. Being friends with these pranksters also introduces Pudge to a facet of his "Great Perhaps" that he might have only slightly anticipated, if at all: a newfound sense of danger, and over recklessness at breaking rules through such illicit activities as smoking and drinking on campus.
Pudge's affections for Alaska grow as the novel progresses, but as she is dating a college student, he sees his situation as hopeless. However, Alaska consistently makes subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) comments on how she finds Pudge attractive. Even so, she introduces Pudge to a girl in his math class, the shy Romanian Lara Buterskaya, who becomes his girlfriend. Afterwards Pudge, Lara, Alaska, the Colonel, and their friend Takumi play a "pre-prank" against the Weekday Warriors. In the midst of a drinking game, Alaska reveals that when she was 8 years old, her mother died of a brain aneurysm
Aneurysm
An aneurysm or aneurism is a localized, blood-filled balloon-like bulge in the wall of a blood vessel. Aneurysms can commonly occur in arteries at the base of the brain and an aortic aneurysm occurs in the main artery carrying blood from the left ventricle of the heart...
, and the panic-stricken Alaska watched her mother die, rather than call 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
. Although her father eventually forgave her, she has always carried guilt over her mother's death.
Some time later, Alaska, Pudge, and the Colonel play Truth or Dare
Truth or Dare?
Truth or Dare? is a party game requiring a minimum of two players. The game is very popular with adolescents and children, but is also played by some adults and seniors.-Rules:...
, with Alaska and the Colonel becoming extremely drunk. Alaska gets close to Pudge and the two share a moment where they kiss. Alaska soon falls asleep, only to be awakened later by the phone. After talking for a few minutes, she comes back into the room screaming and crying hysterically about being sorry. She successfully urges Pudge and the Colonel to distract the "Eagle", the Dean of Students, in order to allow her to drive off campus. The two then go to bed and think nothing of what transpired.
"After" synopsis
The day after Alaska's departure, a schoolwide assembly is called. There, it is revealed that Alaska was killed in a car accident. Heartbroken, Pudge and the Colonel try to uncover the truth about her death: whether it was a suicide or a normal accident, as well as the reasons behind her leaving that night. They must also deal with the guilt of letting her go. They come to realize that the night Alaska left was the anniversary of her mother's death, and she had possibly forgotten to visit the grave. They never find out whether or not she committed suicide.In memorial for Alaska, the Colonel and Pudge pull a prank that Alaska had planned before her death.
At the end of the novel, Pudge turns in an essay for school that answers one of Alaska's questions: "How will we ever get out of this labyrinth of suffering?" He concludes that to forgive is the way out of the labyrinth of suffering, and Alaska's spirit must still exist somewhere, because it was too full of life to stop existing.
Characters
- Miles "Pudge" Halter – The novel's protagonist, who has an unusual interest in learning famous people's last wordsLast wordsLast words are a person's final words spoken before death.Last Words may also refer to:* Last Words , an Australian punk band* Last Words , a memoir by George Carlin* Last Words , a 1968 short film directed by Werner Herzog...
. He goes to the boarding school Culver Creek in search of his own "Great Perhaps". Tall and skinny, his friends at Culver ironically nickname him "Pudge". He is attracted to Alaska Young who does not return his feelings. He is frequently compared to Holden CaulfieldHolden CaulfieldHolden Caulfield is the 16-to-17 years old protagonist of author J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. He is universally recognized for his resistance to growing older and desire to protect childhood innocence...
of J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. Originally published for adults, it has since become popular with adolescent readers for its themes of teenage confusion, angst, alienation, language, and rebellion. It has been translated into almost all of the world's major...
. - Alaska Young – The wild, self-destructive, enigmatic girl who captures Pudge's attention and heart.
- Chip "The Colonel" Martin – Alaska's best friend and Pudge's roommate, who plans out the schemes that Alaska concocts. He is obsessed with loyalty and honor.
- Takumi Hikohito – A friend of Alaska and the Colonel, who often feels left out of Pudge, the Colonel, and Alaska's plans.
- Lara Buterskaya – Alaska's friend and Pudge's girlfriend for a short time.
Controversy
The book has been challenged for content dealing with sexually explicit situations. Two teachers at Depew High School near Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, used the book for eleventh grade
Eleventh grade
Eleventh Grade is the eleventh, and for some countries final, grade of secondary schools. Students are typically 16 or 17 years of age, depending on the country and the students' birthdays.-Brazil:...
instruction. A letter was sent to parents advising the book contained controversial content. An alternate reading selection was available for those opting out, and a small percentage of parents chose this option. Nevertheless, the book was challenged on the grounds that it is "pornographic" and "disgusting". One parent even went as far as refusing to read the book himself, reportedly saying that "One does not need to have cancer to diagnose cancer". The book was ultimately retained by the school board after the author explained himself.
The main characters in the story are teenagers who also drink, smoke and use explicit language. The author has publicly defended his work. "Some people say, 'You wrote a dirty, dirty book.' But there are very old-fashioned values and even a lot of religion in it," Green said. "There are some adults who think that the only kind of ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
that matter are sexual ethics. So they miss everything else that is going on in the book." Green also said, "The book has never been marketed to 12-year-olds. Never. It is packaged like an adult book; it doesn't even say it's published by a kids' book imprint on the cover, and it's never shelved in the children's section of bookstores."
Green also defended Looking For Alaska in his vlog on Jan 30, 2008.
Green attended Indian Springs School
Indian Springs School
Indian Springs School is a private school that includes grades eight through twelve with both boarding and day students. It is at the base of Oak Mountain, in Indian Springs Village, Shelby County, Alabama, United States, near Pelham and just outside Birmingham.-History:Indian Springs School was...
, a boarding and day school outside of Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
. During the time he was a student there, two students died under circumstances similar to one of the characters in the novel.
According to John Green himself at a book talk
Book talk
A booktalk in the broadest terms is what is spoken with the intent to convince someone to read a book. Booktalks are traditionally conducted in a classroom setting for students. However, booktalks can be performed outside a school setting and with a variety of age groups as well. It is not a book...
in Rivermont Collegiate
Rivermont Collegiate
Rivermont Collegiate is a nonsectarian, independent, multicultural, college preparatory school for students - preschool through twelfth grade...
on October 19 2006, he got the idea of Takumi's "fox hat" from a Filipino friend who wore a similar hat while playing pranks at Indian Springs School. From the same book talk, Green also stated that the "possessed" swan in Culver Creek came from his student life at Indian Springs School as well, where there was also a swan of similar nature on the campus. The two pranks that occur in the book are similar to pranks that Green pulled at his high school. Green has also stated, while giving a talk at Indian Springs, that several of Culver Creek's teachers are direct caricatures of multiple faculty members at Indian Springs.
Film adaptation
The film rights to the novel were acquired by Paramount PicturesParamount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
in 2005. The screenplay was going to potentially be written and directed by Josh Schwartz
Josh Schwartz
-Film school at USC:In 1995, Schwartz realized his boyhood dream of attending film school to study screen and television writing at the University of Southern California...
(creator of The OC), but due to a lack of interest by Paramount Studios the production has been shelved indefinitely.
External links
- Looking For Alaska is on the ALA 2005 Teens' Top Ten