looking for alaska thesis

Death and Life in John Green’s in “Looking for Alaska” Essay

• To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
• As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
• As a template for you assignment

In Looking for Alaska, John Green presents one of the most outstanding coming-of-age novels that explore profound existential questions about life, death, and the meaning of life. Green creates witty, well-drawn characters, full of individual quirks — to whom he affords the privilege of finding closure on their terms instead of resorting to the rather elusive happily ever after. In the book, the theme of death features prominently, and much of the plot is based on its events. Death shapes the lives of various characters, such as the protagonists, Miles, and Alaska. Alaska embodies the very nature through which death can change an individual’s life trajectory, as illustrated by her encounter with her mother’s death, and in more literal terms, by her death.

Popular critique of the novel emphasizes the inevitability of death, and how despite the starkness of this reality, people can never really come to terms with death. However, in this essay, a different contention is taken. While the importance of death in the book is fully appreciated, this essay argues for Green using death as a means rather than an end. Death is used as a sort of midpoint, a signaler towards more urgent thematic preoccupations of this text: how to live and die. In addition, it shall be argued that the mediating process between how to live and how to die is another process in itself of finding the meaning of life.

Death plays an instrumental role in this story, not only as a philosophical musing by the author and the characters but also as a midpoint that effectively separates the story into before and after. Death moves the story as much as it moves the readers in the way it propels the characters’ actions. The first death in the story, and arguably one from which much of the action is premised or proceeds, is Alaska’s mother’s death. Alaska witnessed this death and failed to act at that critical moment, something she eternally felt guilty about throughout the rest of the story. Thoyyibah asserts that through this encounter, Alaska was burdened with self-blame, as she watched her mother dying on the floor, yet did not attempt to help her in any way, and instead resorts to screaming and crying (34). This self-blame was exacerbated by the fact that her father seemed to blame her for her mother’s death, and she thought he was justified so, “…so I just sat there on the floor with her until my dad came home an hour later and he’s screaming ‘Why didn’t you call 911?’” (Green 120). Alaska’s disposition throughout the story can be attributed to this feeling of guilt.

The death of Alaska’s mother and the circumstances of her death changes Alaska completely, not only just her but the discourse of the life of those close to her. Thoyiba cites this event as the significant childhood trauma that shaped Alaska’s characterization as a coping mechanism (1). It influences her worldview, especially on the process of living. Alaska takes on a nihilistic approach to life as evidenced by her interpretation of the metaphor of labyrinth “… It’s not life or death, the labyrinth. /Um, okay. So what is it? /Suffering,” she said. “Doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you. That’s the problem…” (Green 52). Her death, whether it was suicide or an accident, resulted from this impulsive worldview.

The death of Alaska was the midpoint of the stories of various characters in the book and both literal and metaphorical senses of the word. In the literal sense, since Alaska’s death reinforces the storyline, the first part of the book traces the events of her life, and the second, the aftermath of her death. In the metaphorical sense, death serves to cause a remarked change in the other characters and fuels the processes of living and finding the meaning of life. In addition, the reader benefits from this event’s lessons on the continuation of life after grief and the hope of overcoming sorrow (Logara 12). One of the most immediate changes in Alaska’s death effects is in leading other characters to introspect about the nature of death. Takumi and Miles have a candid discussion in which they seem to concur on death being natural, despite a certain sense of dread permeating their conversation. Takumi contends, “It’s natural. I mean, it must be natural” (Green 253). To this, Miles expresses to have given it earlier thought, asserting that despite its goriness, death was universal.

Apart from introspection on life and death, another effect that strongly comes out is the unbridled guilt that grasps those near Alaska. For one reason or the other, many characters felt they could have somehow prevented this death. In particular, the feeling of guilt drives Miles to investigate whether the death was a suicide—a process through which Miles ends up discovering a lot about himself. A new part of him filled with love, grief, regret, sadness, and bitterness gets revealed, and by this Miles gains a more profound understanding of himself by experiencing all these thoughts and feelings.

Despite death occupying a central role as a dominant theme in the book, it is inextricably tied to life and hope on the one hand and how to die on the other one. In the frequently asked questions page of his website, Green tackles this concern by properly contextualizing the role of death in this story. Green asserts that characters conventionally die in literature at the beginning or end. However, the book’s major death (that of Alaska) happens in the middle as he intended the readers to meet and get attached to Alaska and then lose her (“Looking For Alaska FAQ — John Green”). This, he says, would enable them to follow Pudge and Colonel make and the rest of the characters make in finding healing. Through journey would allow the readers to fight off nihilism that could accompany such loss and feelings of pointlessness and find hope amidst unresolved and unresolvable grief. Although an author’s interpretation of their text is in no way superior to a reader’s, a fact Green accedes to, these remarks by the author go a long way in supporting this essay’s thesis.

This essay contends that despite the instrumental role death plays in the text, it is merely meditating. The profoundness of death provides appropriate fodder for dialogue about other life’s phenomena. This is precisely how Green uses death in the novel. For instance, readers are opened to a discussion over profound societal concerns through the death of Alaska’s mother and the subsequent procession of Alaska. For example, Dunder subjects the book to postfeminist theory analysis and feminist criticism in her study. She posits that Alaska is a “Manic Pixie Dream Girls” character that perpetuates stereotypical gender roles and, in effect helps to preserve a glorified image of the muse (1). For example, Dunder cites Green’s representation of Alaska’s body through Miles’s distraction by her “sizeable cleavage” (p 53). This, she says, was Green choosing a stereotypical representation of female traits in conformity with the patriarchy and society by depicting Alaska as hot or pretty in the eyes of Miles.

Such analysis as Dunder’s became so rampant, creating a dialogue among the readers and the general public that the novel remains the most challenging novel of 2015 under the young adult category. The main concerns that occasioned a ban on the book include issues on sex and language, especially a description of oral sex performed on Miles (Coles). However, the contention surrounding the scene is not this essay’s preoccupation. Instead, such conversations that arose from the culmination of the death of a character underscore the relevance of the role death played in the text.

In addition, the ephemerality of the role of death in the text is epitomized by the renewed vigor Alaska’s death sparked in the several characters towards defining how to live or die. Alaska’s death stops time, especially for Miles, who splits events into a before and after Alaska’s death timeline. For Miles, reality only exists within two-time intervals, and the death demonstrates his love for Alaska, a girl he could never be with (Hatmoko 2). Alaska’s death Miles and his best friends are on a whole new mission, to investigate what happened if the death was Alaska’s final step towards escaping the labyrinth.

The novel is set in motion by two great philosophical pursuits by Miles and Alaska. The first pursuit is Miles’s search for “the great perhaps,” while the second is Alaska’s conviction in the “labyrinth.” The story is effectively set in motion by Miles’s decision to ask his parents to send him away for his junior year in Florida. He explains his decision as his way of seeking the great perhaps, quoting 15th-century French writer Francois Rabelais. While Miles interprets Rabelais’s quote as living rather than dying, initially, in seeking the great perhaps, Rabelais referred to the mystery surrounding what awaited him after death (Kinser 34). In this phrase, Miles intertwines the concepts of life and death, objectively setting the ground for the novel’s central theme: how to live and how to die. “That’s why I’m going…So I don’t have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps,” Miles said to his parents (Green 5). And with those words, the story and the lives of many of the characters were set into motion.

Despite this fervent display of an adventurous spirit, Miles is, to a large extent, a studious, rule-following kid. Probably, Miles frequently fell victim to bullying back in Florida, and as a result, he remained laid back, not wanting to ruffle any feathers in school. Only two kids turned up at his sendoff party, and they were not attached to him. After a suggestion from his father about Culver Creek Academy in Alabama, Miles sees this as an opportunity to find who he is, reinvent himself, and create an alternative reality. Later, Miles achieves this by coming out of the quiet kid obsessed with other people’s final words cocoon and going on to become a bold prankster who asserts his existence.

At Culver Creek, Miles becomes submerged in the process of finding himself. Joining his newfound friends, the Colonel, Alaska, and Takumi, he takes up smoking and ebulliently participates in the grand schemes of pranking their classmates. Although Miles still does not play the leading role in all of these, he becomes accommodative to new possibilities. Mile character shapes up more in this process, as occasioned with indulgences in crazy drinking on the weekends with friends, spending thanksgiving over at Alaska’s, and wild days roaming empty schools. To Miles, this might have been the “Great Perhaps” he had been seeking in the first place. In his religion class, in perhaps a more critical discourse, Miles delves deeper into exploring the meaning of Rabelais’s words. In a midterm essay, the protagonist explores the religious take on the existential concern of dying. “I finally decided that people believed in an afterlife because they couldn’t bear to,” Miles says (Green 65). Through the process of finding himself, Miles arises full consciousness about his existence and that of the reality surrounding him.

Still, Alaska is struggling with charting her path and finding the meaning of existence. Simon Bolivar’s question, “how will I ever get out of this labyrinth is one of her greatest preoccupations. Alaska equates labyrinths to suffering (Green 54). Later, we are given a glimpse into her labyrinth—its root cause being her witnessing her mother’s death and the accompanying guilt for her inaction, which might as well have driven her to get out of her labyrinth. If this is so, then the net effects of her actions pose far-reaching consequences for Miles. While death offers Alaska an escape from her labyrinth, it creates a new labyrinth for Miles (Rybakova 117). Miles gets submerged in a maze of grief, for which he strives to get answers while at a happenstance avoiding confronting. Although Miles harbors intense love for Alaska, ultimately, he realizes that she gave up, whether or not her death was intentional. The overwhelming guilt Alaska harbored sentenced her to a sad life. In seeking forgiveness—for Alaska, and more importantly for himself, Miles chooses to soldier on in his pursuit of his great perhaps. From Alaska’s mistakes, Miles realizes that the uncertainty of life makes it worth living in the first place. Alaska’s death renders a certain sense of urgency to such existential questions, especially to Miles, who stops viewing them as theoretical. Miles finally concedes to the limitless possibilities of the great perhaps, because, in some way, he believes in an afterlife. This is particularly imperative as these musings enable characters to explore the theme of how to die. Miles makes peace with mortality, a fact he claims teenagers take for granted.

In exploring how to live, there is an insistence on the value of living in the present, enjoying every minute of existence rather than anticipating future happiness. While admonishing Miles for not paying attention in class, Dr. Hyde succinctly delivers this lesson by reminding him of the Buddhist belief in being present at every moment of a person’s existence (Green 50). These words resonate with Miles, who largely detaches himself from the present instead of existing in a made-up world. Miles is constantly preoccupied with finding the great perhaps this pursuit robs him of an appreciation of the present, and a realization that his much sought great perhaps permeates the existence around him. Miles’s labyrinth is in his blatant refusal of engaging with the present, despite nudging to do so from Alaska and subtle recommendations such as Dr. Hyde’s. It takes the death of Alaska for Miles to confront the present fully, a fate that leads him to a fuller appreciation of existence and an acceptance of fate.

Similarly, the Colonel seems to be a victim of this malady too. Being one of the poorer students at Culver Creek, Colonel harbors strong ambitions too much up the wealth of the Weekday Warriors someday. Colonel opines that the best day of his life was yet to happen, and this day would be one when he buys his mother a huge fucking house (Green 116). Packard observes this to be a complex arising from the gaping income disparities among students in Culver Creek and cites it as the reason for Colonel’s aggressive behavior (45). For example, Colonel constantly fights with the wealthier students as a form of release for his pent-up resentment and anger. Although Colonel acts out of spite at times, his participation in pranks on the Weekday Warriors and his stellar academic performance can be attributed to endemic reasons beyond personal pride. Through Colonel’s exuberance and his focus on prospects, viewed along with Alaska’s sudden death, the readers get a sense of the importance of the “now.” Green successfully exemplifies the fickleness of life and that the future is never guaranteed.

The mystery surrounding Alaska’s death might be the most powerful lesson on how to live and die in the novel. Whether her death was a suicide or an accident should not entirely be the object of the matter as many points support either side. To properly contextualize the importance of this uncertainty, the author’s comments on the same can be instrumental. Asked to give a theory on whether the death was intentional or not, Green asserts that he left the matter ambiguous as it was for a purpose, “I made this conscious decision not to be in that car with her, and to force all of us—including me—to try to find a way to live hopefully even in the face of eternally unanswerable questions” (“Looking For Alaska FAQ — John Green”).

However, the heated debate that arose concerning this death among book circles and the general public was the depiction of suicide in young adults. Logara argues that Alaska’s death does not in any way encourage teenagers to suicide; on the contrary, it serves to open up a discussion on its prevalence in society (9). This discussion is critical as the death exposed the multiple alternatives to this course of action, not only from the consequences but even from the buildup events leading to it. Miles, a teenager himself, learns vital lessons about appreciating life after Alaska’s death, lessons he would not have learned otherwise. In essence, death solidified a life-embracing perspective rather than a nihilistic perspective of life.

That Green’s Looking for Alaska is a contemporary piece of literary genius is not under any doubt. Green fuses profound societal preoccupations of life and death—and still achieves a balance where life happens or has to happen. Through the existential struggles of various characters, their pursuit of life and meaning, and the preceding events from their teenage ebullience, many lessons are abounding for society. Green intended to prompt his readers into considering living positively even in the face of eternally unanswerable questions.

Works Cited

“Looking for Alaska FAQ — John Green”. John Green Books , 2021, Web.

Coles, Amy. “John Green Fights Back Against Banning of Looking for Alaska”. The Guardian , 2016, Web.

Dunder, Emma. “The Manic Pixie Dream Girls in John Green’s Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns.” (2017).

Green, John. Looking for Alaska . Penguin, 2015.

Hatmoko, Alinda Diah Yualita, and Titis Setyabudi. Character Changing of Miles Halter on Looking for Alaska Novel by John Green (2005): A Behaviorism Study . Diss. Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, 2019.

Kinser, Samuel. Rabelais’s Carnival . University of California Press, 2020.

Logara, Elin. “Hopeful or harmful literature? Teenage suicide as described in the YA novels Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher, and Looking for Alaska, by John Green.” (2019).

Packard, Abigail. “Looking for Alaska.” Children’s Book and Media Review 39.10 (2018): 45.

Rybakova, Katie. “Dealing with Death through Dialogue: Existentialism and Looking for Alaska.” When Loss Gets Personal: Discussing Death through Literature in the Secondary ELA Classroom (2018): 117.

Thoyyibah, Wasilatut. Alaska Young Copes with Grief in John Green’s Looking for Alaska . Diss. UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya, 2018.

• "Pans Labyrinth" by Guillermo del Toro
• Guillermo del Toro’s Incredible Film "Pan’s Labyrinth"
• Alaska Shoreline Erosion Impact
• Gary Soto’s “Afterlife” and Magical Realism
• Review of Slavery Topic in "Never Caught"
• The Role of Ezol’s Journal in Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story
• Alice Sebold’s Novel “The Lovely Bones”
• “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2022, December 16). Death and Life in John Green’s in “Looking for Alaska”. https://ivypanda.com/essays/death-and-life-in-john-greens-in-looking-for-alaska/

"Death and Life in John Green’s in “Looking for Alaska”." IvyPanda , 16 Dec. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/death-and-life-in-john-greens-in-looking-for-alaska/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Death and Life in John Green’s in “Looking for Alaska”'. 16 December.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Death and Life in John Green’s in “Looking for Alaska”." December 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/death-and-life-in-john-greens-in-looking-for-alaska/.

1. IvyPanda . "Death and Life in John Green’s in “Looking for Alaska”." December 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/death-and-life-in-john-greens-in-looking-for-alaska/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Death and Life in John Green’s in “Looking for Alaska”." December 16, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/death-and-life-in-john-greens-in-looking-for-alaska/.

Looking for Alaska

By john green, looking for alaska essay questions.

Pudge states several times that he is in pursuit of the Great Perhaps. Does Pudge find his Great Perhaps?

Pudge feels he has found the Great Perhaps during the pre-prank, but at the end of the novel he implies that the future will be bright and will hold more chances for finding the Great Perhaps because he is alive. It could also be argued that Pudge always had his Great Perhaps, but only realizes this after Alaska’s death when he starts to live in the moment.

In what ways is the swan representative of Alaska?

The swan is representative of Alaska in several respects. Swans are renowned for their physical beauty and the comparison between Pudge’s admiration for the Alaska’s looks and society’s preconceived notion of swans as beautiful creatures is clear. In the same way that swans are only known for their beauty, Pudge’s admiration for Alaska’s physical qualities clouds his perceptions of her as a person and overrides his memories of her true behavior following her death. The swan at Culver Creek is a creature to be feared. The Colonel warns Pudge about both the swan’s erratic behavior and not to become romantically involved with Alaska. Unfortunately for Pudge, he does not heed either of the Colonel’s warning and suffers a bite from the swan as well as unanswered emotional questions about the possibility of a future with Alaska.

How reliable is Pudge as a narrator?

Because the novel is from Pudge’s perspective, the reader initially trusts himo. However, the reader may lose trust in Pudge to accurately portray the events when both the Colonel and Takumi contradict Pudge’s descriptions of Alaska after her death. Additionally, Pudge is passive in his actions throughout the book, which may suggest Pudge is passive in his formation of opinions, allowing the influence of others to play a big role in his narration. There are many parallels between Pudge as a narrator and Holden Caulfield as the narrator in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye .

Was Pudge really in love with Alaska?

Before her death Pudge was in love with the idea of Alaska, the conception of her that he created. After her death, he has trouble reconciling this perceived notion of her with her last actions. In the end, Pudge says he loves her but again, he loves the constructed notion of her and he loves the effect that she has had on him.

In what ways was the Colonel a foil for Pudge?

From their first interaction, Green makes it clear that the Colonel is a man of action while Pudge is more of a follower. Even the Colonel’s name suggests his role as a leader in Pudge’s life. The Colonel further serves as a foil to Pudge because he is able to see Alaska for all that she is and still love her while Pudge is so focused on the idea of Alaska that he has constructed.

Is Pudge ever ‘present’ as Dr. Hyde encourages him to be?

Pudge is ‘present’ only once before Alaska’s death – the night of the pre-prank. It is only after Alaska is gone and he visits the site of the accident that Pudge is able to see the importance of being alive and experiencing life rather than dreaming about it.

What is the meaning of Bolívar’s Labyrinth?

The labyrinth is an allusion that can be interpreted differently for each character. The major definition of the labyrinth is that the labyrinth is an allusion for suffering. Alaska describes the labyrinth as suffering with no escape. After Alaska’s death the Colonel defines the labyrinth as suffering, but that there it is a choice to be in the labyrinth rather than choosing death as Alaska appears to have done. One could argue that another way to escape the labyrinth of suffering is to pursue the Great Perhaps and all the hope that it holds.

Alaska tells a knock-knock joke that confuses Pudge. What does the knock-knock joke represent?

Alaska tells Pudge to begin the knock-knock joke by asking “knock-knock” to which she responds “who’s there?” As it is Alaska’s joke, Pudge does not have an answer. This interaction can be interpreted in different ways. It can be seen as part of the larger idea that Pudge is unable to understand Alaska so he has no way to answer the question. An additional interpretation is that Pudge has much to discover about himself at this point in the novel and his lack of an answer symbolizes Pudge not knowing himself.

Did Alaska’s death lead to the disintegration of Culver Creek?

At first, yes. There is a period of inaction and discord among the major characters immediately following Alaska’s death. They process her death differently and in doing so they lose some of the unity that is apparent at the beginning of the novel. However, Alaska’s death ultimately brings Pudge, the Colonel, Takumi, and Lara closer together.

Does Pudge’s quest for the Great Perhaps hinder his ability to live in the moment? Does it prevent him from suffering?

The Great Perhaps is in some ways a contradiction. It is both a series of “what ifs” that Pudge focuses on which does prevent him from experiencing Alaska for who she truly is when she is alive. At the same time that the Great Perhaps functions as a hypothetical, it also gives hope to those who pursue it. Pudge does suffer as a result of Alaska’s death, but the Great Perhaps helps him to see a brighter future.

Looking for Alaska Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Looking for Alaska is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

In the “Some Last Words on Last Words” section at the end of the book, Green writes, “I was born into Bolivar’s labyrinth, and so I must believe in the hope of Rabelais’ ‘Great Perhaps.’” What do you think he means by this?

In context, Green is referring to discovering purpose in his life and living that life to its fullest.

How does the Colonel react to Alaska's death?

The Colonel is devastated by Alaska's death, and he walks forty-two miles before returning to campus two days later.

What are the three parts of the colonels plan

Study Guide for Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska study guide contains a biography of John Green, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Looking for Alaska
• Looking for Alaska Summary
• Character List

Essays for Looking for Alaska

Looking for Alaska essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Looking for Alaska by John Green.

• The Boarding School Microcosm: The Unrealistic Portrayal of “Real Life” in the Institutions of Young Adult Literature
• Looking for Alaska: Self-Destructive Behavior
• The Worst Day: Putting Alaska's Life in Perspective
• Intertextual Study – The Art of Taxidermy and Looking for Alaska / How do the characters of The Art of Taxidermy and your chosen text represent ideas or themes?
• Banned Books’ Explicit Content and Its Impact on Young Adult Readers: An Examination of 'Looking for Alaska'

Lesson Plan for Looking for Alaska

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Looking for Alaska
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Looking for Alaska Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Looking for Alaska

• Introduction

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Looking For Alaska — A Review Of Looking For Alaska By John Green

A Review of Looking for Alaska by John Green

• Categories: Book Review Literary Criticism Looking For Alaska

About this sample

Words: 539 |

Published: Aug 6, 2021

Words: 539 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Literature

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

4.5 pages / 1980 words

1.5 pages / 780 words

7 pages / 3092 words

3 pages / 1393 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Looking For Alaska

In John Green's mesmerizing novel, "Looking for Alaska," the protagonist, Miles Halter, embarks on an intricate journey of self-discovery and personal growth. The novel is a poignant exploration of adolescence, friendship, love, [...]

The title year of George Orwell's most famous novel is nineteen years past, but the dystopian vision it draws has retained its ability to grip readers with a haunting sense of foreboding about the future. At the heart of many of [...]

"When Thomas More wrote Utopia in 1515, he started a literary genre with lasting appeal for writers who wanted not only to satirize existing evils but to postulate the state, a kind of Golden Age in the face of reality" (Hewitt [...]

Offred and Winston, the main protagonists of the two strikingly similar dystopian fictions, The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984, have disparate fates in the endings of the novels. Julia’s fate, however, is undetermined, as (like the [...]

Perception of time represents a major motif in modernist literature. Many works address the subjectivity of our experiences, including how we process and consider the passage of time. Due to the modernist and post-modernist [...]

Like Christmas morning itself - when each present represents a discrete mystery, separate from the last - the Christmas Carol is divided into a set of episodes. The book's chapters are episodic, with the duration of each spirit [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Browse by Year
• Browse by Subject
• Browse by Faculty
• Browse by Author
• Browse by Doc Type
• Prosedur Upload

AN ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOGICAL CONFLICT IN NOVEL LOOKING FOR ALASKA BY JOHN GREEN

AFIFAH MAULIA, 12203183211 (2022) AN ANALYSIS OF PSYCHOGICAL CONFLICT IN NOVEL LOOKING FOR ALASKA BY JOHN GREEN. [ Skripsi ]

ABSTRACT Maulia, Afifah, NIM 12203183211, An Analysis of Psychological Conflict In Novel Looking For Alaska By John Green. Thesis. English Education Department. Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teacher Training. State Islamic University (UIN) Sayyid Ali Rahmatullah of Tulungagung. Advisor: Dr.Hj. Nanik Sri Rahayu, M.Pd Keywords: Character, Psychological Conflict, Survival Efforts to Solve Psychological Conflict Literature is a tool to express the feelings or ideas of humans in a form of written or verbal as a medium. Novel is an example of fiction literature that the researcher wants to analyze. In novel, there are components support the story, one of them is character. In addition there is also conflict fulfill the story. Conflict is part of a story that comes from life. Therefore, the reader can be emotionally involved with what happens in the story. The formulation of the research problem were: 1) How was the main character in novel Looking for Alaska by John Green defined? 2) What were the psychological conflict experienced by the main character in novel Looking for Alaska by John Green? 3) How was the main character’s effort in solving psychological conflict that happen in novel Looking for Alaska by John Green? This research was conducted using qualitative library study. The data of this study was the utterances and the naration of novel Looking for Alaska by John Green. The secondary data of this study from other resources such as books, journal, and thesis that are related to this theory. The researcher used psychological approach to investigate the novel. Method of collecting data is documentation from the script of this novel. Method of analyzing data with identifying. Classifying, analyzing, and drawing conclusion. The existence of a character in a story is related to the creation of a conflict. Alaska is also described as very attractive, charming, and very charismatic, but it also has flaws. She became smoker, drank, and liked having sex to scream out her feeling about regretting her mother died. Alaska found a better way to solve her hard problems. She actually had reading hobbies, at that time Alaska liked to prayers and hope to her God. Then, she had to share in order to relieve the wrong feeling contains in her heart and minding. However, at the edge of story, Alaska died on her way driving to her mother grave.

Actions (login required)

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

'Looking for Alaska' by John Green

Save to my list

Remove from my list

'Looking for Alaska' by John Green. (2016, May 27). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-essay

"'Looking for Alaska' by John Green." StudyMoose , 27 May 2016, https://studymoose.com/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-essay

StudyMoose. (2016). 'Looking for Alaska' by John Green . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-essay [Accessed: 18 Jun. 2024]

"'Looking for Alaska' by John Green." StudyMoose, May 27, 2016. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://studymoose.com/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-essay

"'Looking for Alaska' by John Green," StudyMoose , 27-May-2016. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-essay. [Accessed: 18-Jun-2024]

StudyMoose. (2016). 'Looking for Alaska' by John Green . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/looking-for-alaska-by-john-green-essay [Accessed: 18-Jun-2024]

• The Main Themes of Looking for Alaska by John Green Pages: 2 (546 words)
• The Concept Of Life in "Looking For Alaska" By John Green Pages: 8 (2312 words)
• Death and Distress in Looking for Alaska by John Green Pages: 2 (567 words)
• The Catcher in the Rye vs. Looking For Alaska Pages: 6 (1791 words)
• Looking for Alaska Book Review Pages: 1 (263 words)
• Self-Identity in Looking for Alaska Pages: 2 (579 words)
• The Character of Miles Halter in Looking for Alaska Pages: 3 (791 words)
• Main Ideas Of Looking For Alaska Novel Pages: 2 (583 words)
• Anaphora As a Main Literary Device in Looking For Alaska Pages: 2 (578 words)

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essay Examples >
• Essays Topics >
• Essay on Death

Good Example Of Research Paper On Looking For Alaska By John Green

Type of paper: Research Paper

Topic: Death , Grief , Acceptance , Guilt , Alaska , Family , Women , Literature

Words: 2250

Published: 03/21/2020

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

Introduction

Every single human being would agree that we each carry our own burden. Personal struggles define us because they influence how we act, make decisions, and plans all towards the goal of unburdening ourselves. One of philosophical questions raised in author John Green is looking for Alaska involve the labyrinth as a metaphor for human beings’ personal struggles. As an individual, one would navigate or travel through the tangled path such as the labyrinth and dealing with our personal struggles is similar to the feeling of being trapped in a maze, and attempting and hoping that one would be able to escape and find the labyrinth’s exit.

Adolescent loss, grief, and acceptance

In the novel, adolescent loss has been brought out when the teenager character loss persons they hold dear. Miles suffers adolescent loss when he losses Alaska, they had memorable time together, and he was not sure even if she loved him yet after her death, he never knew the answer. The theme of adolescent loss in this novel comes out since the death claims the life of people the teenager characters hold dear. In real life when a person loses someone dear to him he or she suffers a significant loss since no any other person can fill the gap. Deaths in the novel illustrate this theme of adolescent loss. Grief is a kind of the multifaceted response when one lose someone who is close, and affection has been developed friendship. In the novel after death claims persons close to the teenagers they at first find it difficult to accept. They are tormented by the memories of the deceased. They are in grief since there are questions they will never get answers. The dead are the only individual who can give the perfect answers, but they have to learn to live without them. Acceptance is a process in which an individual learn to live without the departed. After loss, a person gets into grief but later on learnt to accept the loss as it has already occurred. In the novel after a loss, individual gets into grief but after sometimes they move on, and life has to continue. In the book, some characters take long before accepting the loss they eventually do and learn to live without the departed. It’s clear that after loss, grief follows and finally after healing one learns to accept. In the novel, every character has their own story as well as personal struggles and issues – their very own labyrinth – they must learn to overcome. The characters’ story shows how each of them were able to do so. To narrow down the scope of the discussion, it would focus on three themes – loss, grief, and acceptance. Since we are exploring loss, grief, and acceptance as the main themes of Looking for Alaska, the following discussion would focus on three different characters – Miles, Alaska, and the Colonel – particularlyhow they each dealt with loss and grief, as well as how they accepted their difficult circumstances. Miles, Alaska, and the Colonel’s labyrinth or struggles involved loss and grief. Each one of them, however, sought to accept loss and deal with grief in different ways. The succeeding discussion explores these differences.

Miles’ Conflicted Feelings about Alaska’s Death and their Relationship

Miles regarded Alaska’s death as the loss of someone he loved hence his grief was emotionally-driven in that he was initially concerned about what Alaska’s death meant in terms of his relationship with her. Prior to his acceptance of what happened to Alaska, Miles was consumed by unresolved issues between him and Alaska, particularly the question of whether she loved her, which will never be answered. Towards the end of the novel, Miles learns that Alaska died in a car crash. At first, Miles finds it difficult to deal with his grief because the circumstances surrounding Alaska’s death seemed improbable to him. Miles’ feeling for Alaska was also one of the reasons why he found it difficult to deal with grief. Throughout the story, Miles gradually fell in love with Alaska as they both spent time together as friends. Alaska somewhat knew about Miles’ feelings for her. When Alaska died, the question was whether she died in an accident or she committed suicide by speeding and crashing her car to a tree. One of their mutual friends, the Colonel, wanted to know so he suggested that they talk to Alaska’s boyfriend. Nonetheless, Miles refused because he was afraid he might discover that Alaska did not love him back. Miles and the Colonel argue and during this time, his friend made him realize that he was selfish to only think of himself at a time when they should be thinking about Alaska and the implications of what she did. Miles eventually realized that he was indeed selfish. Moreover, the Colonel made Miles realize that he only loved the idealized version of Alaska, not including the other side of her that was sad and fragmented. Miles was able to accept Alaska’s death when he not only let go of his guilt but also accepted that his primary concerns were less important than what happened to her. The Colonel made Miles realize that he did not truly love Alaska because he never knew her well and thus, never understood Alaska’s internal struggles. At this point, Miles let go of the uncertainties in his mind and accepted that it was no longer important if Alaska loved him back or not. Towards the end of the novel, Miles expressed gratitude for the time he spent with Alaska and the things that he learned from her. Miles was also able to accept Alaska’s death because he similarly accepted what happened. Alaska may have died in an accident or killed himself but what mattered to Miles was that he understood Alaska’s level of guilt and grief, which led her to leave that night. Alaska left because she forgot about her mother’s death anniversary on that day.

Alaska’s Guilt

Alaska’s “labyrinth” or personal struggle involved her guilt over her mother’s death, which prolonged feelings of loss and grief in her. Alaska witnessed her mother’s death when she was a child and although she was young then, she believed she could have saved her had she called 911. Guilt has significantly affected Alaska in that she was never able to get over the loss of his mother and deal with her grief. As a result, Alaska behaved differently than the others. In the novel, she was wildly unpredictable. Alaska’s enigmatic character was one of the reasons why Miles fell in love with her. Alaska’s situation illustrates the struggle involving human beings who are unable to deal with guilt. Alaska never had the support system and help she needed. Alaska needed someone to tell her and reassure her that her mother’s death was not her fault and that she should not feel guilty about it. She never overcame this guilt, which is why she became a wayward adolescent as a means to cope. Alaska drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, and engaged in promiscuous activities with her boyfriend. Guilt prevented Alaska from dealing with loss and grief. Alaska may have accepted her mother’s death in the end depending on one’s interpretation of her passing. If we are to believe that Alaska committed suicide, then we may surmise that it may have been her way, albeit mistaken, to accept what happened in the past. Alaska may have resigned herself to the idea that it was her fault and because of the guilt feelings she felt that night about forgetting her mother’s death anniversary, she killed herself as a means to show acceptance that she will never overcome this guilt. The note that Miles saw on Alaska’s copy of the The General in His Labyrinth supports this claim. Miles saw Alaska’s handwriting that read “straight and fast”, which may indicate that she planned to commit suicide. Alaska may have been desperate as she was unable to deal with her guilt. She accepted that she would never be able to forgive herself, which is why she decided to commit suicide. On the other hand, if Alaska had an accident, then we may conclude that she was never able to deal with loss and grief, and accept what happened to her mother. From Alaska’s story and journey in the novel, we may learn that guilt would prevent us from dealing with loss and grief, and moving on towards acceptance.

The Colonel’s Guilt

The Colonel was more aggressive in the way that he dealt with loss and grief. On the day of the death anniversary of Alaska’s mother, Alaska and Miles spent time together. At one point, when Alaska realized that it was her mother’s death anniversary, she asked help from Miles and the Colonel to escape so perhaps she could visit her mother’s grave. She was drunk then, which is why it was difficult for Miles and the Colonel to ascertain whether Alaska was in an accident or had killed herself. While Miles wondered about his unresolved issues with Alaska about their relationship, the Colonel was more concerned about knowing the truth. Hence, he suggested that they talk to Alaska’s boyfriend to know more about her state of mind during that time and whether she intended to commit suicide. The Colonel then wanted to deal with loss and grief by trying to understand what led Alaska to leave that night and whether she intended to commit suicide or if she met an accident. Therefore, for the Colonel, dealing with loss and grief meant uncovering the truth and understanding what happened, as well as understanding Alaska’s motives. The Colonel also felt guilty for helping Alaska leave that night but he was able to accept her death by remembering how she touched their lives as friends and talking about her with other people such as Miles who knew her well. Moreover, the Colonel was able to accept Alaska’s passing by remembering her as she was when she was alive. Unlike Miles, the Colonel did not dwell on the mysterious circumstances surrounding Alaska’s death but on their friendship and cherished times together. The Colonel and Miles also helped stage an event on Culver’s Speaker Day by hiring a male stripper, something that they both believe Alaska would have loved to see.

Miles, Alaska, and the Colonel dealt with loss, grief, and acceptance in different ways. Nonetheless, these were parts of their “labyrinth” or personal struggles, more so with Alaska. The three of them sought to escape their labyrinths in a different way, particularly when it related to loss, grief, and acceptance. Miles dealt with loss and grief, for instance, by thinking about unresolved issues between him and Alaska. It was only when Miles realized his selfishness and understand Alaska’s problem and state of mind that night that he was able to accept what happened to her. The Colonel, on the other hand, dealt with loss and grief by seeking the truth. The circumstances surrounding Alaska’s death were unclear but he accepted what happened and chose to remember his friendship and memories with Alaska. Alaska’s situation, however, is the most difficult. Guilt held her back from dealing with loss, grief, and accepting not only her mother’s death but also the idea that it was not her fault. We may then surmise that guilt is one of the factors that could prevent individuals from dealing with loss and grief, and accepting their circumstances. Grief trapped Alaska in her labyrinth of struggles. She tried to deal and cope by smoking, drinking, and engaging in promiscuous activity. Towards the end, she decided that escaping the labyrinth would require her to do something “straight and fast”, which coincidentally was what happened when her car crashed into a tree and killed her instantly. Alaska’s story in the novel shows the heavy impact of guilt and how it debilitates people into coming on their own. Moreover, Alaska’s story shows that many people need help and support because without them, they could lose their faith and hope in life.

Works Cited

Buffaloe, Crystal Leigh. 2008. Examining the taboo in young adult literature: Teens and teachers look at the 2000 – 2007 Printz Awards. ProQuest. Fletcher-Spear, Kristin & Tyler, Kelly. 2014. Intellectual freedom for teens: A practical guide for young adult & school librarians. American Library Association. Garcia, Antero. 2013. Critical foundations in young adult literature: Challenging genres. New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media. Green, John. 2006. Looking for Alaska. Dutton Juvenile.

Cite this page

Share with friends using:

Removal Request

Finished papers: 464

This paper is created by writer with

ID 260040626

If you want your paper to be:

Well-researched, fact-checked, and accurate

Original, fresh, based on current data

Eloquently written and immaculately formatted

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Get your papers done by pros!

Other Pages

Free the history of economic thought essay example, program design essay sample, appearance and discrimination critical thinking samples, free brightwave technologies case study sample, free research paper on since 1950 60s tradition of lynching in the united states gradually faded, sample article review on review of 7 ways to enhance workplace relationships motivation and productivity, good essay on engineering, example of can gun control stop or reduce the random shootings in america essay, marketing finding your customer essays example, example of report on electronic medical records system selection, sample course work on ethics scenario, bayeux tapestry experience essay examples, good pestel analysis essay example, good essay about patanjalis diagnosis of suffering, good example of software development models case study, good example of research paper on contributions of w edwards deming, good 3 communication process essay example, critical nursing research course work example, good example of my 8 year old best friend dying from a plane accident essay, normalcy and the new deal course work, free essay about young adult, sample essay on educational goals at union county college, course work on can children reach success without their parents help, good should the death penalty be restored term paper example, free true religion case study example, example of legal representation of mentally disabled essay, sample essay on ethics and the news, free essay on the use of persuasive language in advertising, money market fund essays, okeke essays, symbolic anthropology essays, the revolt of islam essays, scares essays, japanese imperialism essays, cell carcinoma essays, chromatin research papers, literary criticism research papers, dot com research papers, exclusionary rule research papers, medicine cabinet research papers, class argumentative essays, living argumentative essays, schmidt argumentative essays.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

LOOKING FOR ALASKA Essay Question Writing Prompts (John Green) Thesis Summative

Description

Our Looking for Alaska Topics will get learners engaging with meaningful topics the novel raises:

★ Your Cause for Hope

★ The Labyrinth of Suffering

★ The Great Perhaps

★ Teenagers are Invincible

Our essay prompts are ideal for . . .

→ End-of-unit conversation starters

→ Writing journals

→ Literary analysis essays

→ Literary analysis speeches

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY IMPLEMENTATION

Learners will choose from a four deep quotations from John Green's novel Looking for Alaska and write a 2-3 page grade-level essay analyzing how that theme is portrayed for the characters in the novel and what it means for how humans (including yourself) live their lives. What is it saying for humanity ? And for you . . . no-hassle grading rubrics are included to make your teaching life easier and for easy, effective grading and feedback. These discussions really bring home the biggest topics of the story and guide learners through discussing the text in an analytical writing process.

The Response to Literature rubrics are small enough to be portable and have been refined over years of essay grading to include most of the comments you'd want to write on an essay. Included 4-to-a-page for easy photocopying/chopping. This makes the grading process much faster but still allows the teacher the ability to give some feedback . Essays can take so long to grade, can't they? But a rubric like this really speeds up the process for us.

* Instructions handout

* Rubric (4 to a page)

TEXT : LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green

LEVEL : 9th - 11th COMMON CORE :

→ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,2,3

→ CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1,9

→ CCSS.ELA-SpeakingListening.SL4,6

··········································································································································

WHAT OTHER TEACHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS ESSAY RESOURCE

♥ I LOVED using this. I loved how there were multiple options of responses for my students to choose from and how all of them really required them to think about their responses and all we have learned in ELA. The rubrics were also perfect for assessing their responses and I used them for all my Literary Analysis assessments. Thanks!

♥ This is an excellent lesson because it allows the student to choose the topic they will analyze ( character, setting or theme ) and also a choice between essay or speech.  Only 3/34 chose to do the speech, and they surprised me with their very thorough analysis. I did find, however, that the students need a lot of pre-writing (small group discussion) of the topics in order to come up with an outline.  It was absolutely one of the best writing process essays we did.

♥ The students loved the fact that they had a choice of an essay topic. The essential questions that were asked made my students think beyond basic character analysis . The essay rubric and scoring was a time saver as well. 

♥ This was a great assignment. The organization of the assignment made it easy for my students to prepare and write quality essays. I like this response to literature as well as the checklists for students to make sure they've included mechanics . The rubric was thorough and made it easy to be consistent in grading .

♥ Loved these prompts! There was something for everyone! I was able to use this as a final exam prompt for my class and the responses I got were fantastic!

OTHER LOOKING FOR ALASKA HURRICANES:

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Unit Teaching Package (by John Green)

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Character Organizer (by John Green)

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Plot Chart Organizer Diagram Arc (by John Green)

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Last Words Activity (by John Green)

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Quotes Analyzer (by John Green)

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA YouTube Discussion Activity

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA YouTube Discussion Activity PowerPoint

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Essay Writing Prompts (by John Green)

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Poster - Great Perhaps

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Poster - Labyrinth

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Poster - Cause for Hope

> LOOKING FOR ALASKA Poster - Hurricane

OUR VAST NOVEL UNIT LIBRARY

→ We've got 35+ more complete novel units for you, ready to save you precious time and sanity so you can have your life back to do what you do best ... teach!

POETRY UNITS

→ Poetry Unit Complete PowerPoint and Packet - Genres, Forms, Techniques, Devices

Bored w/ Teaching GRAMMAR ?

→ Introduce your learners to The Grammar Ninjas!

Questions & Answers

Created for learning - ela novel studies.

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

Looking for Alaska

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Chip Martin (The Colonel) Quotes in Looking for Alaska

“Anyway, when you get in trouble, just don’t tell on anyone. I mean, I hate the rich snots here with a fervent passion I usually reserve only for dental work and my father. But that doesn’t mean I would rat them out. Pretty much the only important thing is never never never never rat.”

“We left. We did not say: Don’t drive. You’re drunk. We did not say: We aren’t letting you in that car when you are upset. We did not say: We insist on going with you. We did not say: This can wait until tomorrow. Anything—everything—can wait. ”

“I could hear the Colonel screaming, and I could feel hands on my back as I hunched forward, but I could only see her lying naked on a metal table, a small trickle of blood falling out of her half-teardrop nose, her green eyes open, staring off into the distance, her mouth turned up just enough to suggest the idea of a smile, and she had felt so warm against me, her mouth so soft and warm on mine.”

“Goddamn it! God, how did this happen? How could she be so stupid! She just never thought anything through. So goddamned impulsive. Christ. It is not okay. I can’t believe she was so stupid !”

“But we knew what could be found out, and in finding it 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.”

“And POOF we are driving through the moment of her death. We are driving through the place that she could not drive through, passing onto asphalt she never saw, and we are not dead. We are not dead! We are breathing and we are crying and now slowing down and moving back into the right lane.”

• Search Repository
• Browse Repository
• Repository Policies
• Latest Additions
• Official Website

ALASKA'S BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER AS REFLECTED IN JOHN GREEN'S LOOKING FOR ALASKA

Cahya Tri Atmaja , 2211412035 (2019) ALASKA'S BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER AS REFLECTED IN JOHN GREEN'S LOOKING FOR ALASKA. Under Graduates thesis, UNNES.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as a pervasive pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity that begins by early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. This study was conducted to analyze the main character’s Borderline Personality Disorder of The Looking for Alaska. The purposes of this study are to explain the main character's borderline personality disorder described in the novel and the main character copes with all the conflict in her personality. This study was done using a descriptive qualitative method and using Theory of Personality by Sigmund Freud and Structuralism theory to explain the personality of the main character in the form of words. The object of the study was the novel The Looking for Alaska and this study focused on Alaska Young as the main character. List of an observational sheet was used as the research instrument and the data was taken through library research. The analysis was conducted by interpreting Alaska’s personality using Structuralism theory to describe Alaska’s characterization and Theory of Personality by Sigmund Freud to explain Alaska’s conflicts. The study results showed that Alaska that Alaska’s personality fulfills three cores of characteristic Borderline Personality Disorder and Alaska’s personality influences on how she resolves her conflicts.

Actions (login required)

• Browse by Year
• Browse by Subject
• Browse by Division
• Browse by Author

An Analysis of Feminism Elements in Green’s Looking for Alaska.Citra Aulia Johansari 127010012

CITRA AULIA JOHANSARI DAN DUDIH A ZUHUD DAN ERIK RUSMANA (2016) An Analysis of Feminism Elements in Green’s Looking for Alaska.Citra Aulia Johansari 127010012. Skripsi(S1) thesis, Sastra Inggris.

This research entitled ‘’An Analysis of Feminism Elements in Green’s Looking For Alaska’’. It is a research that analyzes feminism issue of character, especially the main woman character, Alaska as an object. The writer used a descriptive analysis by using qualitative approach. Before analyzing feminism issue, the writer thought that she need to analyze the intrinsic elements. Three elements of intrinsic elements that will be analyzed are plot, character, setting. Those have a great relationship in this novel. The conflict in this novel is also interesting, it is seen from the plot of the novel. The writer decided to use Freytag’s pyramid for conflict finding in the novel. To explore this research, the writer used a feminist literary criticism approach based on Showalter. Feminism issue can show how women is trying to get equality and against the pressure of the patriarchal system. The feminism issues arise through the character of Alaska would bring herself toward the controller and controlled issue. Feminism issue brought on by the thought of Alaska in line with the conflict of the story. It was about the death of Alaska who wanted to get out of the labyrinth based on the last words of famous figure. Although Alaska had died, the feminism issue has not gone but instead the Alaska’s feminist thought was giving an effect to the loss of her friends. Thus, it became an interest conflict in the novel. The conclusion of this paper that the writer is found the signs of feminism issue in this novel. Alaska strongly rejected the female body as an object. She upheld the bond between women. Her feminist thought influences the other, against women as a slave. She could control the situation and her friends. Keywords: Literature, Intrinsic Elements, Feminism, John Green. The

Actions (login required)

•   Home
• University of Alaska Anchorage
• Graduate School

Theses and Dissertations

First time submitters, register here.

Publication Date Authors Titles Subjects Type

Search within this collection:

Export search results

The export option will allow you to export the current search results of the entered query to a file. Different formats are available for download. To export the items, click on the button corresponding with the preferred download format.

By default, clicking on the export buttons will result in a download of the allowed maximum amount of items.

To select a subset of the search results, click "Selective Export" button and make a selection of the items you want to export. The amount of items that can be exported at once is similarly restricted as the full export.

After making a selection, click one of the export format buttons. The amount of items that will be exported is indicated in the bubble next to export format.