Looking for Alaska

Miles finds the World Religions class interesting and when he stares out of the window, it is not out of boredom or preoccupation with other matters: rather, he is thinking of interconnectedness as it applies to the natural landscape. Even so, Dr. Hyde is a strict teacher who demands consistent attention, which is why he banishes Miles from the rest of that day’s class. Alaska’s rebellious nature flares up when she talks back to Doctor Hyde, but this only serves to get her sent out, too.

Alaska is a lot more forthright, confident, and tempestuous than Miles, as evidenced by her act of speaking up in class, while Miles quietly complies with Dr. Hyde’s orders. Miles is also willing to admit that he was at fault, and he still feels that Dr. Hyde is a genius. Alaska views artists as the only true geniuses, and this underscores the different temperaments and outlooks of the two characters. Whereas Miles is interested in biographies and famous last words, Alaska is drawn to literature and poetry.

The characters smoke and exchange gossip at a secluded area dubbed “the Smoking Hole.” When discussion returns to the person who ratted out Alaska’s roommate, Alaska offers various possibilities but appears largely indifferent. Takumi, as we have seen, is much more inquisitive and determined to get to the bottom of the matter, but Alaska quashes this topic of conversation and wishes Takumi would let it go. Her reaction would seem to be due to exasperation with Takumi’s obsessive quest, but it later emerges that she knows more than she is letting on.

Before leaving the Smoking Hole, Miles asks Alaska why she smokes so quickly, and she replies, “Y’all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die.” This might seem like a throwaway remark that highlights Alaska’s rebelliousness, but it belies the genuine pain that Alaska feels unbeknownst to her friends at this time. Likewise, her reference to death can be seen as prophetic.

Miles tags along with the Colonel to a basketball game one evening, where Kevin attempts to make a truce. He seems to genuinely believe that the Colonel ratted on Alaska’s roommate, while the Colonel insists that he was not responsible. As far as this topic goes, the two sides appear to have reached a stalemate. As for the game itself, the Colonel’s real reason for attending is to maintain his running streak of getting kicked out for raucous behavior. As he leads the crowd in a chant and distracts the players, Miles is in awe of his confidence. Miles had hoped to occupy a similar role upon arriving at Culver Creek, but he now sees that he cannot overhaul his entire personality so easily. His confidence level and capacity for leadership pales in comparison to the Colonel’s, but at least he now has close friends and feels as though he is needed; even if it is in a supporting role.

Following the next World Religions class, Dr. Hyde elaborates on why he sent Miles out during the previous lesson. Interconnectedness is indeed an important Buddhist belief, but another important belief is the necessity of being engaged in the present. Dr. Hyde is an elderly scholar who emphasizes that he has accumulated a great deal of knowledge throughout his life. He therefore acts as a mentor here, explaining to Miles that there is a time for reflection but there is also a time to be alert and attentive. As Miles holds Dr. Hyde in high regards, he takes this advice on board.

Alaska displays her academic aptitude in Chapter 9 when she leads an informal study group outside McDonalds, and Miles observes that she possesses strong teaching skills. One of the group’s students struggles to keep up, and he and Alaska get into some light-hearted ribbing. Still, when he refers to the unhealthiness of her smoking habit, she makes the rejoinder that she may die young but at least will die smart. As with her earlier comment about smoking “to die,” this seems like a witty comeback but can be viewed as another instance of foreshadowing.

When he and Alaska are alone one Saturday, Miles takes the opportunity to ask her about her unusual name. As we find out, the process of choosing her name was unusual in itself, as her mother and father had different ideas about what to call her and let her choose her own name when she was old enough. Her choice of Alaska is revealing in that, as she explains, she spotted the state of Alaska on a globe and thought that it was large and far away from her hometown. This appealed to her in the same way that the idea of leaving home and seeking the “Great Perhaps” appealed to Miles. Upon also learning that the name derives from an Aleut word meaning ‘that which the sea breaks against,’ Alaska knew that she had made the right choice. This would indeed seem to be the case, as it has connotations of tempestuousness and weathering the hardships of life.

It appears that Alaska has attained her goal of moving away from her hometown, but she becomes pensive and withdrawn, saying that getting out is not so easy. It therefore seems that, though she has moved away physically, she is still haunted by something—some memory. In one of her many mood shifts, she becomes more optimistic as she looks ahead, her ambition being to teach disabled children. In contrast to her other references to death, then, Alaska is seen here planning out a life after college. Moreover, her career aim would seem to be a good fit given Miles’s earlier remarks about her aptitude for teaching.

Miles feels close to Alaska at this moment, and his continuing attraction prompts him to contemplate kissing her. However, in the same way that weather can change suddenly, Alaska becomes downcast again, saying that planning the future is futile if one never pursues these goals. Looking to the future is like nostalgia in this respect, in that it is a form of stagnation and is akin to being stuck in the labyrinth. As Miles observes, there is logic to this train of thought; still, he makes a relevant point of his own in noting that he would have never come to Culver Creek had he not started out by imagining it. The novel thus points to a distinction between using the future as a catalyst for action and using it as a means of avoiding reality. This also harks back to Dr. Hyde’s statement about needing to be engaged in the present rather than getting caught up in daydreams.

Alaska comes across as an extremely pensive, potentially troubled individual here and is a far cry from the fun, flirtatious girl that Miles first met. Her vagueness and changeability make it difficult for Miles to understand her, but, when he reveals this to Alaska, she simply replies, “You never get me. That's the whole point.” Alaska is therefore aware that Miles is infatuated with an image that he has created of her but that he does not really know her. He may spend his time reading biographies, but Alaska remains out of reach.