WebThis quote comes from the chapter 8 days after, and is the question Alaska asks in her final religion paper before she dies. Usually when characters die in books, it happens at the very end or the very beginning. Neither one of these theories has been confirmed (and probably never will be). And it was damn far away from Vine Station, Alabama, just like I wanted to be., Jesus, Im not going to be one of those people who sits around talking about what theyre gonna do. The Colonel still wants revenge. Thomas Edisons last words were: Its very beautiful over there. I dont know where there is, but I believe its somewhere, and I hope its beautiful., Instant downloads of all 1748 LitChart PDFs Our, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. After the call, the Eagle approves the speaker, unaware that Dr. William Morse is not real. This clears up a lot of things for Miles. They try to find answers, but soon give up, convincing themselves they will find the answers they need eventually. Chip also identifies the people Miles should consider his enemies, like the Weekday Warriors and the Eagle, creating an us-versus-them social dynamic. Christ. The way the content is organized, LitCharts makes it easy to find quotes by Looking for Alaska Summary and Analysis of nine days after Later that day, Alaska apologizes to Miles for not taking him seriously the night before because she didnt realize that the pranksters had bound him before throwing him in the lake. Lara, Miles, the Colonel and Takumi spend most their time studying together, and not talking much. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. That night, Miles, Takumi, Lara and the Colonel go to smoking hole to discuss the possible theories about Alaskas death. The weekend warriors try to make truce with Miles and the Colonel by explaining they pulled the prank on Miles as revenge for the Colonel snitching. Alaska died in a car accident. | The Colonel and Miles hug and comfort each other, and keep saying how sorry they are to one another. Miles tries to speak to Alaska, but she acts very cold and condescending towards him. Miless way with words and intellectual curiosity are evident in his narration, which is in stark contrast to the vastly, deeply uninteresting friends that come to his going away party. The next day was the beginning of the new semester. Although his parents insist that Miles invite all his school friends, only two acquaintances show up for the party. The novel concludes with Miles returning to his quest for the Great Perhaps and deciding that forgiveness is the best way out of the labyrinth of suffering., Instant downloads of all 1748 LitChart PDFs Maxx does a speech in front of the school about adolescent sexuality. Choose your question wisely, and then examine how Islam, Buddhism and Christianity attempt to answer it. Alaska informs Miles and the Colonel that the weekend warriors have played a prank on her that ended up flooding her entire room and ruining most of her stuff. When Miles first arrives on campus, Kevin and Longwell, two Weekday Warriors (wealthy kids who dont board at the school), pull him out of bed in the middle of the night, wrap him in duct tape, and throw him into the schools lake. The Colonel is furious when he finds out that Alaska was responsible, because he takes loyalty very seriously. In the end, Miles forgives Alaska and hopes he will forever remember her. In forgiving Takumi for his role in Alaskas death, Miles also comes to understand that Alaska has forgiven all of them and, more broadly, that we had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth. The paper itself represents radically different thinking from the Miles at the beginning of the book who built a small, self-sufficient world in the back corner of an endless maze. His perspective is much broader now and filled with acceptance. They do, until Alaska says that she is sleepy, and she asks Miles, To be continued? Everyone falls asleep until Miles and the Colonel are woken up by a hysterical Alaska. on 2-49 accounts, Save 30% Alaskas Death Looking for Alaska FAQ John Green Takumi's best day was the day he first had sex. The question as to whether or not her death was My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Chip instructs Miles to call him The Colonel and he gives Miles the nickname Pudge.. Miles spends a lot of time trying to understand her better, although he makes little progress. Miles thinks about what he going to write his essay in religion class about, regarding the labyrinth. Definitions and examples of 136 literary terms and devices. Surely I must.But heres the thing: I left it ambiguous on purpose, right? During the triple date, with Takumi tagging along, the group go to the gym to watch one of the basketball games. I still did not know her as I wanted to, but I never could. Chip Martin She drove six miles of campus and got into a car accident. Alaska started screaming and crying and didn't call 9-1-1, just sat there with her mom; and her dad came home an hour later and asked why she didn't call 9-1-1, but it was too lateher mom was dead of an aneurysm. Is it possible to live a hopeful life in a world riddled with ambiguity? Alaska was caught smoking with The Colonel, Takumi, and Miles but she and The Colonel take the fall for everyone. Later that night, the Eagle stops by Chip and Miless dorm to warn them never to pull a stunt like that again, as well as to acknowledge his amusement since the prank was clearly Alaskas idea. This reminds him more and more of Alaska. The Eagle introduces the performer to the student body and he begins to deliver the speech Chip and Miles prepared for him. It feels empty without Alaska there, but Miles and Takumi get some time to discuss things for the first time. Miles is immediately attracted to her. While everybody has gone home for Thanksgiving, Alaska and Miles spend time alone, and the first night they read and drink together under the stars. Finally, after all this time, Takumi, Miles and the Colonel find a theory that makes sense to them all. Everyone else is shocked. The Colonel brings together Miles, Takumi and Lara in order to explain to prank and explain how it will be executed. The person who wins doesnt have to drink. Did you know you can highlight text to take a note? Later that evening Miles and Lara start dating. Alaska Young | John Green Wiki | Fandom WebThey realize that Alaskas mother passed away on January 9th, and Alaska died on the 10th. Miles goes to see the Eagle to talk to him about how the Colonel is doing bad in latin because of how hard Alaskas death has been on him, while the Colonel steals the breathalyzer. I made this conscious decision not to be in that car with her, and to force all of usincluding meto try to find a way to live hopefully even in the face of eternally unanswerable questions.If I were now to speculate about that question, I would be giving you an out. It is fear like if someone lost his glasses and went to the glasses store and they told him that the world had run out of glasses and he would just have to do without.. Id be letting you off the hook, and erasing the ambiguity. How does Alaska die? | Looking for Alaska Questions | Q & A Miles and Chip smoke in the steamy bathroom in the hopes that the steam will get the wrinkles out of Chips shirt as well as cover up the smoke from their cigarettes. The Eagle explains to Miles that the road was blocked off as a truck had an accident, Alaska who was both intoxicated and upset drove straight into the cop car. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. Miles and the Colonel get very irritated by this, knowing that she is only saying such things to get attention. In short: What are the rules of this game, and how might we best play it?, Yall smoke to enjoy it. SparkNotes PLUS Chapter 56 - One hundred eighteen days after. Alaska's worst day: the day after her mom took her to the zoo, she found her mom fallen over at the kitchen table after school. Chip tells Miles it is called Subverting the Patriarchal Paradigm, and that it is worthy of her memory. Alaska dares Miles to make out with her. This mirrors the book, which makes little mention of the circumstances surrounding Alaska's death and follows Miles et al obsessing over the few details they do know about. WebThe Eagle wakes Miles and Chip up and tells them they need to go to the gym because something terrible has happened. WebHe gives Alaska white tulips for their anniversary and calls her the evening that she dies. Alaska admits that she was the one who ratted out Paul and Myra. The Dean of Students (called the Eagle by some) stops by to welcome Miles and warn him to behave. One way this is evident is in the way Miles cooperates for the greater good. Miles and the Colonel attend the first basketball game of the season at Culver Creek. SparkNotes PLUS WebDeath Alaska died in a fatal car accident. By asking his father to help with the prank, Miles bridges this gap and achieves both. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. They borrow Takumis car and drive the route she drove, speeding up as she must have through the point where the accident would have taken place. They talk about two people who were expelled the previous yearMarya and Paulbecause someone ratted on them. Complete your free account to request a guide. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. Yes, Culver Creek has opened the doors of excitement and possibility for Miles, but Alaska and the lake incident show that with excitement comes the possibility of physical and emotional danger. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. Dr. Alaska and the Colonel get very drunk, and they end up playing truth or dare. Chapter Summaries | LOOKING FOR ALASKA - Tumblr They want to do this in order to drink as much as Alaska did that night to see how drunk she really was. Miles and Lara spend some time together and get to second base. This approach is consistent with other novels in the coming-of-age genre, in which a young protagonist experiences growth and maturation, but through a trying process he or she could not have predicted. Alaska also tells Miles that she somehow manages to screw everything up, but Miles cant figure out exactly what she is referring to. The Colonel and Alaska inform Miles about the the main rule at Culver Creek : to not snitch. Even the Eagle seems to enjoy the prank, breaking the most rigid social barrier in the book, that between students and school staff. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Chip guesses that the Old Man died and the staff is going Miles returns to his room to find Chip describing the night of Alaskas death to Takumi, Anythingeverythingcan wait. Chapter 58- One hundred twenty-two days after. Alaska tries to convince Miles to stay behind at Culver Creek during Thanksgiving. Dr. Hyde gives the student their essay topic for their exam, which is What is the most important question human beings must answer? Miles attends his french class, his world religions class and his biology class. Despite their rivalry, the pranksters enlist the help of Longwell Chase and the Weekday Warriors. Best summary PDF, themes, and quotes. Chip drinks vodka mixed with milk until he gets a call from Sara, who yells at him and says that the Weekday Warriors are angry because they believe that it was he who ratted out Paul and Marya, getting them expelled. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. The Colonel tells Miles he has decided to wait to talk to Jake, because he wants to investigate other theories first. Here, Miles shows he has grown considerably, and has the maturity and self-awareness to know it. Sara arrives at their dorm and argues with Chip, leading him to decide to not go out with her. It is thus no wonder that Miles seeks more interesting and meaningful relationships and experiences. He meets his new roommate, who introduces himself as Chip Martin. He leaves Chip and Miles a letter, explaining that he saw Alaska the night that she died. He explains to Miles that it was Jake that called her on the pay phone, they got in a fight, and she drove off extremely angry. Want 100 or more? His final religion paper is the perfect opportunity for Miles to tie this loose thread up, proving once again the importance and relevance of Dr. Hydes class. We have to live with ambiguity. You just use the future to escape the past., Sometimes you lose a battle. Chapter 59 - One hundred thirty-six days after. On cue, Takumi plays a song on the loudspeakers, the performer dedicates his performance to Alaska, and he tears off his clothes to begin dancing in leather briefs. Looking for Alaska - SparkNotes Alaska had done something that could have sent her home, but the Eagle asks her for any information she had in order to stay at the boarding school, so she ratted them out. Over time, the group discovers that Kevin and Longwell thought that the Colonel had ratted to the Eagle, the dean of students, about two students named Marya and Paul. The pre-prank is to light fireworks so that the Eagle comes out to find out who is doing it, and while this happens, the Colonel breaks into the faculty computer network to send out letters to the weekend warriors families to tell them theyre failing classes. At the end of the night, Miles and Lara share a sleeping bag together, start kissing and eventually Miles asks Lara to be his girlfriend, and she agrees. She didnt leave me enough to discover her, but she left me enough to rediscover the Great Perhaps., And POOF we are driving through the moment of her death. When Miles asks Chip about Alaska the next day, Chip tells him that he does not know much about her home life and that Miles should not be so nosy. Looking for Alaska Chapter 29 | Shmoop Sometimes, there are questions that NEED answeringdid my friend kill herself or was it an accident, for instancebut that never get answered.I wrote the book because I wanted to explore whether it is possible to reconcile yourself to that ambiguity, to live with it and not let your anger and sadness over the lack of resolution take over your life. Alaska heads to a store, Coosa Liquors, where she flirts with the clerk and he lets her buy alcohol and cigarettes. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. The Colonel reveals that they have exhausted all other strategies and it is time for him to call Jake and find out what he knows. Takumi and Miles cant figure out why Alaska would be so afraid of getting expelled that she ratted on her friend, because not ratting on anyone, no matter what they do, is the most important social code at Culver Creek. Miles now knows that the death of Alaska's mom "was the central moment of Alaska's life" (2before.77). Alaska states that shes tired to Miles, and tells him that this will be continued later. The Colonel comes up with a new theory regarding Alaskas death. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Miles and Alaska spend the next day trying to find ways to prank the weekend warriors while everyone is away. PDFs of modern translations of every Shakespeare play and poem. Takumi admits to Miles and the Colonel that he knows they set off the fireworks that night, and he also says he let her go too. Pudge and the Alaska and Miles spend Thanksgiving break on campus together, and then everyone goes home for Christmas. Continue to start your free trial. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken., So I know she forgives me, just as I forgive her. Chapter 1 - One hundred thirty-six days before. I knew when I started the book that we would never be inside Blue Citrus with her that night, and so I still dont have any idea what happened to Alaskawhich is to say that I genuinely dont have an opinion. The funeral will be the next day, and Miles has a nightmare about Alaska that night. Miles feels paralyzed and is unable to sleep after this. Miles remembers January 10th because that was the day Alaska died. You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more! Miles is overly happy because he gets to share a bed with Alaska, although nothing happens between them. Even though Alaska was intoxicated during the makeout session she had with Miles, she remembers that she had to go bring flowers on her mother's grave, causing her to panic and then ultimately die. Later, Miles and Longwell Chase, the student body president, arrange for the Eagle to call Miless father, who is posing as the fictional psychologist. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Its from an Aleut word, Alyeska. You'll be billed after your free trial ends. Miles tells Chip that, similar to how Chip learns geography, he memorizes peoples final words. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. The Colonel comes back after talking to Jake, and he tells them how Jake said they didnt fight about anything. KUIU, via Instagram. The plan goes well, and the Eagle chases after Miles and Takumi, but does not catch or see them. He enters the gym with Miles, posing as the fictional Dr. William Morse. She is paralyzed by the memory of freezing when her mother needed her, so she compensates with constant action. According to Miles, it is the best Thanksgiving food he has ever had. Alaska then proceeds to lay down across Miles, and this makes him fall even more for her. The Jury is a group of 12 students elected by the faculty who decide the consequences for non-expellable offenses, like smoking. They also inform him about the Eagle, who is the dean of students and disciplines the students. Miles manages get out of the lake without drowning. They get out of the car and cry and hug. Dr. Hydes lesson that day makes Miles think intensely about Alaska and how he cannot fantom the idea of her kissing him, and then going to call Jake and talk to him the way she did. Share. Renew your subscription to regain access to all of our exclusive, ad-free study tools. Miles, Takumi and the Colonel go see the Eagle in order to tell him they will be at the Colonels trailer this weekend, so that they could execute the pre-prank without the Eagle being able to accuse them. It is not okay. The way the content is organized, Would not have made it through AP Literature without the printable PDFs. Alaska is both beautiful and smart; a cool nerd who loves to read. You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles. The Colonel,Pudge,and Alaska were playing Truth or Dare. 'Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan Confirms Season 3 Stays "Very True" To Original Books, How One Of Hayley Kiyokos Most Popular Music Videos Became A Novel, The 'Heartstopper' Cast Revealed Season 2's Release Date With A Behind-The-Scenes Video, FX Canceled 'Kindred' Ahead Of A Potential Season 2, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. Miles spends time with Takumi after class, and they go to McDonalds. With the help of other juniors at school, Chip and Miles execute the next part of the plan by hiring a male stripper to appear on Speaker Day. Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! The prank is to get the Eagle to agree to letting Dr. William Morse come as a speaker, who is a professor in adolescent sexuality. I cant believe she was so stupid!, So we gave up. For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more! A few days later, with Takumis help, Miles and the Colonel realize that the night Alaska died was the anniversary of her mothers death. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. One Hundred Thirty-Six Days Before The book begins with Miles Halter leaving his home in Florida to attend the Culver Creek boarding school in Birmingham, AL. Eventually the friends decide to memorialize Alaska by pulling the prank she had planned for their senior year. Chip and Miles decide that what they need for closure is to drive through the accident site like Alaska would have. Alaska comes up with a plan to put blue industrial strength hair dye in their hair products while theyre away. How does Alaska die? Dont have an account? Youve successfully purchased a group discount. Miles is very upset because he does not want to make a bad impression upon Dr. Hyde.