In the book, Looking for Alaska, by John Green, the main character Miles, also known as “Pudge”, overcomes many difficult challenges. He must learn how to deal with bullies and how to stand up for himself. He must learn how to overcome the grief of Alaska’s death. He must also find his “great perhaps.” The first difficulty Pudge must overcome is learning how to handle bullies and how to stand up for himself. In the beginning of the story, Pudge doesn’t know very many people or have many friends. He befriends his roommate, The Colonel, and meets his friends, Alaska and Takumi. The night before the first day of school, Pudge gets drug out of bed naked, duct taped like a mummy, and tossed into a lake. While this happens, Pudge says “They taped …show more content…
Then they picked me up and hurled me into the water,” (Page 24). Later, they pee in The Colonel’s shoes and ruin almost all of Alaska’s books. Together, they search for who did these things finding out it was a group of kids nicknamed the Weekday Warriors. Alaska, The Colonel, and Pudge get revenge on the Weekday Warriors by putting blue hair dye on their pillows and sending letters notifying their families that they failed. However, this is only the first difficulty Pudge faces. Pudge’s second difficulty is overcoming the grief of Alaska’s death. Pudge had been deeply in love with Alaska since the moment he met her: “And I said, ‘Oh God, Alaska, I love you. I love you,’ and the Colonel whispered, ‘I'm so sorry, Pudge. I know you did,’ and I said, ‘No. Not past tense.’ She wasn't even a person anymore, just flesh rotting, but I loved her present tense,” (Page 152). Right after Alaska had died in a car accident, Pudge was overwhelmed with grief and sadness. However, The Colonel helps him realize that he was in love with the idea of being with Alaska, but not with her: "’You don't even care about her!’ he shouted. ‘All that …show more content…
He read a quote by François Rabelais: “I go to seek a great perhaps.” Pudge went to Culver Creek Preparatory School to have a more exciting life. Pudge found friends, pulled pranks, drank alcohol, smoked cigarettes, and loved his life. The Colonel, Takumi, and Alaska were major parts of the search for his “great perhaps,”: “’You can't just make me different and then leave,’ I said out loud to her. ‘Because I was fine before, Alaska. I was fine with just me and last words and school friends, and you can't just make me different and then die.’ For she had embodied the Great Perhaps—she had proved to me that it was worth it to leave behind my minor life for grander maybes, and now she was gone and with her my faith in perhaps. (Page 172). Pudge appreciated Culver Creek and his new life there. In John Green’s novel, Looking For Alaska, Pudge overcomes many hardships with the help of his friends. This story shows us that friendship and taking risks can help us live life to the fullest and that one person can change our lives forever. I liked this novel because it is unlike anything I have read before. It is well written, and it is definitely worth the
He had a happy childhood: he played the fiddle and the flute, and he enjoyed being with his younger sisters. His formal schooling was pitiable: he did not go school. However, his father and his father’s brother, who was Patrick’s namesake, taught him well since they had a formal education. At home, there was religious tension: Sarah and John worshiped in different churches. Patrick was able to hear different evangelists.
The novel “the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz” written by Mordecai Richler tells the story of a boy whose goal is to acquire land, success and respect. His failed business endeavors did not lead him to the success he had hoped, and additionally alienated him from those who had once trusted and cared for him. Duddy is not only a self-made monster, but even more so a product of his society. A combination of how his family raised him, his schooling and environment, as well as his own personality and virtues ultimately led to his downfall. Quite possibly, Duddy’s family had the largest negative impact on his “apprenticeship”.
After coming into contact with Clarisse McClellan he begins to think for himself and out side of himself for the first time in many long years. Montag latter comes to the realization
Instead she left him with a kiss, and lost her own life to death. It tears him up that he will never know her last words, if she had left him on purpose, and if she truly loved him as he loved her. Pudge ends off with this quote because he comes to a realization that life goes on, and in order to find yourself and be happy, you have to carry on with “seeking for a Great Perhaps”. Although Alaska’s way out of the Labyrinth was straight and fast, Pudge’s way is to bear the labyrinth and take whatever comes his way. He chooses the Labyrinth and hopes for the best, and even though he will forget Alaska, she made him
Because the reader is more knowledgeable about the character and can predict how Montag will change, Bradbury creates a moment of dramatic irony by showing Montag's interest in Clarisse. Montag begins to recognize the limitations of his prior self, this is the turning point in his change. Furthermore, As Montag reflects on his conversations with Clarisse, he tells Mildred, “She was the first person in a good many years I've really liked. She was the first person I can remember who looked straight at me as if I counted” (68). Montag conveys his loneliness and social isolation at the beginning of the book through his reflection on his chats with Clarisse.
For the first time, she had been given the freedom she desired and felt truly in love. Although Tea Cake died, Janie was at peace since she had finally accomplished what she had strived for her entire life. “The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net.”
Throughout the story, the reader meets many characters that impact Guy, the way he thinks and the way he views society as a whole. Clarisse McClellan helped Montag discover that he wasn’t happy, while his fire captain Beatty, taught Montag that life isn’t just a straight path, it
Has your family ever moved somewhere exciting, new, and different? That is what happened to Ralph Moody and his family, in the book Little Britches, when they moved to Colorado. In my opinion, the Moodys shouldn 't have moved to Colorado. In this paper, I 'm going to provide three reasons why they shouldn 't have made the regrettable move to Colorado. First, their move to Colorado resulted in many sad events.
One of the members decided to beat up Peter, Cole did not take this lightly and punches him in return. Unluckily a teacher sees Cole and sends them all to the principal’s office. Cole tries to explain what happened but his effort falls upon deaf ears. This is not the only encounter with the bullies that the two have. This time the gang tries to beat them up but this time they have a new strategy.
Mary genuinely loved and cared for Patrick and would never intently plan to kill him with hatred. When she returned from the store and saw her adored husband dead on the ground, despite how Patrick mistreated her, “no acting was necessary” when
In “Dog’s Death”, John Updike depicts the death of a young dog and creates a sorrowful and anguished speaker through detail in order to suggest to the reader that death is inevitable, even with all the affection and care in the world. John Updike describes the family’s love with the words “surrounded by love that would have upheld her”, conveying how much love and care they gave her. Through these melancholy details, Updike creates a somber but also poignant tone, as they effectively convey the family’s anguish. Through this tone Updike suggests that death is unavoidable.
shows that although Mrs. Mallard was married, she had not always loved her husband (8). Mrs. Mallard valued her new freedom over her relationship she had with her husband enough to exclaim “What did it matter!” while she was thinking about her deceased husband and her future life (8). This makes the reader assume that Mrs. Mallard felt as if she was bound to something while her husband was still alive. The bondage is broken since her husband’s “death”, and she can now rejoice over her prolonged freedom.
but she was waiting for other Although Mrs.Mallard felt overly joyful, she knew that once she sees Brently corpse her heart will be broken
Mrs. Mallard’s actions cause the readers to contemplate a hidden meaning woven into the story line. Mr. Mallard is assumed to die in a railroad accident, leaving Mrs. Mallard devastated. Instead of feeling sadness or grief, Mrs. Mallard actually feels free. "There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature" (Page 499).
When Richard’s heard the news of her husband’s death, he assumed Mrs. Mallard would be devastated. While everyone knew Mrs. Mallard was “afflicted with heart trouble” (57), him and her sister, Josephine, wanted to give her the news with “great care” (57). Josephine broke the news to Mrs. Mallard in “broken sentences”