Prompt- Talk about 3 of the major themes that are included in your novel.
Looking For Alaska has a lot of major themes throughout the novel. I find this a bit peculiar because usually you find between one and four themes in a novel. Though, this novel has probably at least ten that I could think of! Now, not all of those themes are exactly "major". They're not all a main part of the central idea of the story. Though there are three pretty big themes conveyed throughout the book. They are Friendship, the Pursuit of a Great Perhaps, and The Labyrinth. The character's actions, interactions, and motives, all really help develop and reflect these three themes.
One of the first themes that we can really see throughout the novel, is Friendship. The novel begins with Miles Halter's going away party. Only two "acquaintances" of Miles even attend this party. He barely even knew these two people! With no true friends from his old school, Miles moved to Culver Creek. In Culver Creek, Miles attended a boarding school. This was like a fresh start for him. At first, he was hesitant with his friendships and was awkwardly unable to engage and interact with others. He was also unsure of whom to follow or become friends with. Though, he slowly learns to be himself around four new people. They are now considered to be his new friends. Little did he know how close and tight knit they would all really become. We learn that Miles values his new friendships by the way that he strictly does what his friends ask of him, and how he helps them out when they are in need. He especially adheres to his roommate, the Colonel’s, “no ratting” policy. He also shares both his time and money in order to smoke and drink alcohol, activities in which he had previously not participated in. As the novel progresses, Miles transforms from a loner to a typical teenager trying to understand the complication of friendships. He particularly finds it hard to understand his friendship with Alaska. Miles goes through thick and thin with his new best friends. He learns what it's like to really care about someone, because he'd only really had small interactions with others before (besides his parents). Now, Miles has changed, and acts a little bit differently. His friends had a great impact on his life, and the story. The novel really shows what a huge impact a couple close friends can have on your life. It can change you for the better, but it can also change you for the worse.
Another theme that we can really see throughout the novel, is this pursuit of a "Great Perhaps". As Miles transitions from his old school to his new life at Culver Creek, he goes in search of the Great Perhaps. Miles is constantly unsatisfied with his state of being. The pursuit of the Great Perhaps gives Miles hope for a better, more exciting life and future. He wants something more! He wants a more appealing and interesting life. Miles is really sick of how he's living life. However, he begins to discover this Great Perhaps when he goes to Culver Creek. Though, this Great Perhaps that Miles discovers, is not a singular moment. It's rather appreciating all of the moments that he's had. It becomes increasingly clear that the Great Perhaps is all around Miles, but he is only able to see that when he lives in the moment. An example of this would be what he does during the notorious fireworks prank on the Eagle. He is living on the edge, and taking part in activities that are compelling! Though, he spends so much time thinking about the Great Perhaps, that he doesn't realize that he's had the opportunity for a "Great Perhaps" all along. If he would just live in the moment and embark on something exciting, like he did at the Creek, then he would have found his Great Perhaps a long time ago. He just needed to find the right setting and people to help him realize that he could actually have his Great Perhaps. This really shows you that anyone can live an exhilarating life! All you need is the right place and people to help you realize this! Your Great Perhaps also doesn't even have to be something crazy and dramatic. You can find a Great Perhaps in anything! Even just setting off fireworks to help pull prank!
One last theme that we can really see throughout the novel, is the Labyrinth. When Alaska quotes Simón Bolívar’s last words as ‘Damn it. How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?’ Miles becomes entranced and interested with the famous leader’s last words. Over the course of the school year at Culver Creek, he comes to realize that we are all living in a labyrinth. Though, not everyone is in the same labyrinth. For some people, the labyrinth represents the suffering of life and for others it symbolizes an escape from death. Each character has many ‘labyrinths’ in which they find themselves trapped in. Miles struggles with making friends and figuring out Alaska. Alaska struggles with the coping of her mother’s death and romantic tangles. The labyrinth does not have a singular meaning, it rather represents the individual struggles that people have. This shows us that life is just like one big maze. Solving the maze is different for everyone. Everyone has different ideals, and ways of problem solving. If people decide that solving the maze, means death, then they think that when they die, they'll have gotten out of the labyrinth. If people decide that solving the maze, means being able to live life problem free, then they think the'll still be alive when they have gotten out of the labyrinth. Everyone is different. This theme really helps to show that everyone encounters problems in life. Whether you think that solving your problems will end with death, or being able to live a problem free life, is a personal view. Everyone's problems, also,influence how they see "solving the Labyrinth".
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