https://padlet.com/19freemanc/4somlrsxey4b Caden Freeman en-us 2017-11-09 01:58:18 UTC 2025-10-16 20:59:29 UTC hello@padlet.com 19freemanc https://padlet.com/19freemanc/4somlrsxey4b/wish/205113952 A main theme in Looking for Alaska by John Green is death is inevitable. This is shown throughout the book many times by Alaska with most of her jokes and explanations for things being about death, she tells us why she smokes so much "Y'all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die." (44) This shows that Alaska is not too fond of her life and is fine with dying young. It is later revealed in the book that she wants to die so she can be with her mom who died of a heart attack when Alaska was a little girl. Another example of this is when the dean of the school tells all the kids that Alaska was killed "Last night, Alaska Young was in a terrible accident and she was killed. Alaska has passed away." (139) this shows death because Alaska died but it is unknown whether it was an accident due to drunk driving or a suicide. Alaska often talked about how close one of her teachers was to death but she ended up dying before him.  A real world connection to death is  the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 when planes were hijacked and flown into the world trade center. ]]> 2017-11-09 02:03:34 UTC https://padlet.com/19freemanc/4somlrsxey4b/wish/205113952 19freemanc https://padlet.com/19freemanc/4somlrsxey4b/wish/205122890 Another theme in Looking for Alaska by John Green is why people use alcohol. This is shown with the main character Miles taking up drinking so he can fit in with the other kids at his new school Culver Creek. Miles tells us "I wanted to like booze more than i actually did. But that night, the booze felt great, as the warmth of the wine in my stomach spread through my body. I didn't like feeling stupid or out of control, but i liked the way it made everything easier. Why did we drink? For me it was just fun." (111) This shows that Miles wants to fit in and alcohol is just a way to help him since he didn't have many friends back home. Another person in the book that uses alcohol for a reason is Alaska drinking to cope and forget for a little bit that she is the reason her mother died. Alaska tells her friends this when they are sitting in a barn late at night "I was a little kid. Little kids can dial 911. They do it all the time. Give me the wine." she said, deadpan and emotionless. She drank without lifting her head from the hay (119) this shows that Alaska feels guilty for watching her mother die of a heart attack and not calling 911 because she was just a little kid who was paralyzed with fear. A real world connection to this is celebrations, at weddings, New Years, and other holidays people drink to celebrate and that is their reason for using alcohol that night. 

]]> 2017-11-09 03:20:54 UTC https://padlet.com/19freemanc/4somlrsxey4b/wish/205122890 19freemanc https://padlet.com/19freemanc/4somlrsxey4b/wish/205126037 Another theme in Looking for Alaska by John Green is the definition of home. This is shown by Miles wondering if his home is back in Florida with his parents or if home is in Culver Creek with his new friends. For Miles home isn't a place but it's where the people he likes to be around are. Miles' mom asks him "Is this why you want to leave Miles?" I mulled it over for a while careful not to look at her "Uh, no" I said. "Well why then?" She asked. This was not the first time she had posed the question. Mom was not particularly keen on letting me go to a boarding school." (5) This shows that Miles' mom thinks that home is back in Florida while Miles thinks that home is wherever he is comfortable and he is ready for a new start. Takumi tells us that he is ready to go back home for the summer and see his family in Japan "I am sorry I have not talked to you before. I am not staying for graduation. I leave for home tomorrow back in Japan" (217) This shows that Takumi misses his family back in Japan and still thinks that that is where home is. A real life connection to home is my house, I think like Miles and home is wherever I am comfortable and happy. Right now my home is in Chaska but when i went hiking in New Mexico for a month my home was wherever i happened to put my tent.]]> 2017-11-09 03:47:01 UTC https://padlet.com/19freemanc/4somlrsxey4b/wish/205126037