Influence Of Suffering In John Green's 'Looking For Alaska'

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Looking For Alaska
In Looking For Alaska, an off-kilter love story written by John Green, a character who negatively influences other characters is Alaska Young. Alaska has a negative influence on Miles Halter (Pudge) and Chip Martin (The Colonel) throughout her life at Culver Creek, her death and even when she is no longer there with Miles and Colonel. Alaska put them into the same ”labyrinth of suffering” that she tried desperately to escape.

Alaska Young had a negative influence on Miles Halter, also known as Pudge. From the day Miles moved to Culver Creek Alaska clearly had an influence over him. Alaska was outgoing, rash and mysterious, and this drew Miles in. These personality traits started to rub off on Miles who

“She loved mysteries so much she became one” Miles says this to Colonel as they try to figure out why Alaska killed herself. They both think back to when Alaska told them, “The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is through forgiveness.” Alaska 's death might have been her trying to escape her labyrinth but they will never know because she is not here to ask. Alaska 's death has put both Miles and Colonel in a “labyrinth of suffering” and the only way for them to escape this labyrinth is to forgive Alaska for leaving them to live their lives without her. This negatively affects both the boys because it is encouraging them to forget Alaska, but they refuse, keeping themselves in the labyrinth, keeping Alaska alive with them and performing pranks in her memory. The boys are now stuck in the labyrinth of suffering like Alaska was. If Alaska 's only way out of her labyrinth was to die then it might be for Miles and Colonel too, it is just a matter of when. I think that even tho Alaska chose death as her way out of the labyrinth Miles and Colonel will choose a different path, that they will take the long way around through forgiveness and will forgive Alaska for leaving them because they went through the pain of being left in the wake of Alaska 's death. That knowing the feeling of this pain makes them not want to put anyone else through the same thing Alaska forced them into by choosing “escape the labyrinth” the same was Alaska chose. There are places in our communities that offer support for you when death can seem like the only option, it will he hard but you will be saving the people who love you, and that you love the heartache and pain of losing you, if you chose to take the longer harder way out rather than the “straight and fast” way out, death. I am torn when it comes to suicide, on one hand i understand that for some people it is the only