Looking For Alaska

How do you escape the Labyrinth that is life?

Looking For Alaska

Emilie Smith, Staff Writer

 The series Looking for Alaska is based on the John Green novel Looking for Alaska. John Green has published many popular books such as The Fault in Our StarsPaper Towns, and Turtles All The Way Down. This book was published in 2005 and the series was released in 2019. In the show, Miles (Charlie Plummer) transfers to a boarding school called Culver Creek. He goes there trying to find his “Great Perhaps”. Miles never explains what he means by this, but it shows he is looking for something greater than living at home with his parents.

 Miles’s dad went to Culver Creek when he was his age, and that is why he wants Miles to go. When Miles gets to the school he first meets his roommate Chip (The Colonel) played by Denny Love. Chip gave Miles his nickname “Pudge”, which is used to refer to Miles throughout the book. The irony behind the nickname Pudge is that Miles is so skinny. The Colonel then introduces Pudge to a girl named Alaska (Kristine Froseth). Alaska is a crazy, moody, and wild girl. She captures Miles’s attention as soon as they meet. Alaska is a very seemingly confident girl.

 Alaska’s goal in life is to escape the Labyrinth from her favorite book The General in His Labyrinth. Pudge asks her what the Labyrinth is, and she tells him it’s a mystery. They make a deal: If Pudge finds out what the Labyrinth is, Alaska will get him to be with a girl. The main point throughout the whole show is Pudge trying to understand and figure out what the Labyrinth is. Looking for Alaska teaches us to wonder about the true meaning of life and to cherish every moment that we are alive no matter what the challenges we may face.