“Looking for Alaska” gives new outlook

BY ALEXA DUMAS

Web Editor

“The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.”

What is life’s great purpose? This is the question that Miles Halter wants to know. Nicknamed “Pudge” at Culver Creek boarding school in rural Alabama, the teenage boy moved from Florida in order to discover his purpose and “the great perhaps,” all before he heads off to college. There, he meets his roommate Chip “the Colonel” Martin, and becomes close friends with Takumi Hikohito and Alaska Young.

In John Green’s 2005 young adult novel “Looking for Alaska,” everyone at Culver Creek seems to have an interest in something unique: Chip can memorize anything, Alaska loves used books and Miles loves famous last words. The idea of “the great perhaps” comes from the last words of François Rabelais, a French Renaissance writer, who stated, “I go to seek a Great Perhaps.” Miles becomes infatu- ated with Alaska, as her eclectic personality is unlike anyone whom Miles has ever met. Alaska and Miles build a close friendship and they spend almost every minute together. That is, until Alaska is killed in a car accident, which sends Miles into a spiral.

The novel follows the theme of discovery. Miles wants to find out what his “great perhaps” is, while also grappling with how loss and grief can affect someone, especially an adolescent. Miles is on a mission to figure out where Alaska was going when she decided to go driving the night she died. This mystery propels him to discover aspects of Alaska that he didn’t know about or didn’t consider.

“Looking for Alaska” is purely adolescent, as Miles is trying to figure out who he is as an individual, while also grieving the loss of a close friend.

Payro shared how he knew many minute details of the universe, and at one time could discuss them for hours. Payro said his fixation was most prominent from third grade to eighth grade.

Payro feels hateful towards Rowling now.

“I do not agree with her or support her beliefs as a transgender Jewish person. That would be pretty counter-intuitive,” Payro said. Payro has been enraged by the online discourse surrounding Hogwarts Legacy.