Analysis of John Greens Looking for Alaska

Analysis of John Greens Looking for Alaska Looking for Alaska Introduction: â€Å"The only way out of the labyrinth of suffering is to forgive.† John Green, the author of Looking for Alaska, writes a story about a group of young adults, where we see how love and friendship are special and how life can vanish in a moment. This book shows how sometimes adults just do not understand or do not see how big situations are for teenagers. Adults think that teenagers think they are invisible which somehow it is true teenagers do feel like they are invisible, but there is a big picture in all this. Teenagers will always have friends that are always there for them. There will be always that someone that helps them go on and that is when friendship and live comes in. Life is a puzzle is a â€Å"labyrinth† and everyone has to find their way out by themselves before life is gone. The young adult novel represents a combination of genres. It has romance, mystery, and adventures and this is thanks to how the characters in the story live this crazy and adventuro us experiences. Summary: Miles Halter is a young adult who is fascinated by famous last words. Miles leaves his family in Florida to start boarding school in Alabama. Miles goes to Culver Creek to seek a â€Å"Great Perhaps† which are the last words of his favorite poet before he died referring to find the path of success. At Culver Creek, Miles start a very strong friendship with his roommate Chip. Chip introduces Miles to his other two very close friends, Alaska and Takumi. Miles in company of Alaska, Chip and Takumi experience crazy adventures. One day Miles, Chip and Alaska got really drunk. Couple days later the school receives the news; Alaska had a car accident and she died. Now Miles and Chip are set to investigate to know what really happened and if Alaska’s death was intentional in her own way to get out of the â€Å"labyrinth†. At last Miles and Chip never get to know what really happened in that accident but they understood that the only way out of the â€Å"labyrinth† of life and suffering is to forgive themselves which was what Alaska had left them after her death. Boarding school was over, Chip got ready to leave for vacation with his mother and Miles as well. Miles went home for vacation but he never forgot the message Alaska tried to make him understand about how to get out of the â€Å"labyrinth†. Character analysis: Alaska is one of the main characters of the story. She becomes a mystery to her friends and to the readers when she dies. Alaska has this bipolar type of personality; she is funny, crazy, and mysterious, and she can sometimes be rude and mean but most of all she is very smart. Alaska has been tormented since her mother died when she was little, somehow Alaska feels guilty for her mothers’ death. â€Å"She had fallen over. She was lying on the floor, holding her head and jerking. And I freaked out. I should have called 911, but I just started screaming and crying until she finally stopped jerking.† Even though Alaska has lived a very tough past, she is still very happy and energetic; or maybe that is just how she wants others to see her. Alaska is the type of person that can be having fun one day and the next one she is totally other person by being mean and rude. â€Å"I’m really not up for answering any questions that start with how, when, where, why, or what.à ¢â‚¬  Alaska is really pretty or maybe is just Miles making her look good. â€Å"And now is as good a time as any to say she was beautiful†¦I could see her eyes-fierce emeralds†¦And not just beautiful, but hot, too, with her breast straining against her tight tank top, her curved legs swinging back and forth beneath the swing.† Throughout the story Alaska changes a lot. She evolves from being a confident and strong girl to a very confused and depressive one. After remembering what happened to her mother, she cannot stand the guilt she feels and she becomes a cold person. Alaska dies in the story and that is when the mystery comes since she left everything to be continued. â€Å"‘This is so fun’ she whispered, ‘but I’m so sleepy. To be continued?’† Alaska always thought of life as a labyrinth of suffering and she wanted to know what the way out of it was. She discovers that her only way out of the â€Å"labyrinth† of su ffering was to forgive. Alaska had to forgive herself for what happened to her mother and top getting all the guilt of something she did not do. Analysis and Evaluation: In this book John Green was trying to tell how he sees the real world in a teen fiction story. John was trying to introduce the reader into the â€Å"labyrinth of life† and persuade us to look for our own â€Å"Great Perhaps† (purpose in life). John did a pretty good job gathering us into the labyrinth and making us think about what we really want. He hides the real meaning; his thoughts about what he really thinks about life in the story. He created a story that could be easily enjoyed by everyone that reads the book and still has the result he wanted. Reading the book was very worth it. Now I have a different perspective of life. How I see life now is as a game, a challenge, a puzzle and if I find the way to win the game, surpass the challenge or solve the puzzle life will have a reward for me. If I find what I am here for I will be successful. As a reader of Looking for Alaska, I would totally recommend it to other readers. I might not be an expert of books but of al l the books I have read this book totally goes into my favorite ones. The book supports many of my beliefs and way of thinking about certain things. One of the things that the book supports me on is about affection and love. â€Å"If you must express affection, I always felt, you should do it†. This quote really got to me because that is the exact same thing I always says about someone who says that loves somebody else. If someone truly loves someone else the person has to show their affection to the other person. Another thing that the book and I have the same thought is about fighting for what we really want. â€Å"‘Sometimes you lose a battle. But mischief always wins the war.’† This quote caught my attention because this is actually a very general way of thinking and many people might think this way too. But I liked this quote because it reminded me of times when I could not do something and then I remembered what my parents always told me, similar to the quote, that sometimes in life you will lose some battles but if you work enough you could win the war and be successful. Conclusion: Looking for Alaska is a really good book. The book has a pretty interesting story. Even though there were parts in the book that seemed that something was missing it was kid of the purpose; leaving the reader thinking about what was the next event. The author introduced the readers into this new perspective of life. Just how Miles understood the way out of the â€Å"labyrinth of life† everyone has to find their own way out. Also besides finding the way out of the labyrinth people have to find their purpose in life so they no longer live this life full of emptiness asking themselves what they are missing.

Comparing Irony of War in Dulce et Decorum, Regeneration, and Quiet on

Irony of War Exposed in Dulce et Decorum, Regeneration, and Quiet on the Western Front    Many of the young officers who fought in the Great War enlisted in the army with glowing enthusiasm, believing that war was played in fancy uniforms with shiny swords. They considered war as a noble task, an exuberant journey filled with honor and glory. Yet, after a short period on the front, they discovered that they had been disillusioned by the war: fighting earned them nothing but hopelessness, death and terror. They had lost their lives to the lost cause of war, which also killed their innocence and youth. They were no longer boys but callous men. Wilfred Owen's poem "Dulce et Decorum Est", Pat Barker's novel Regeneration, and Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front, all portray the irony between the delusive glory of war and the gruesome reality of it, but whereas Owen and Sassoon treat the theme from a British point of view, Remarque allows us to look at it from the enemy's. The poem "Dulce et Decorum Est", an anti-war poem by Wilfred Owen who was an English footsoldier, states that it is not sweet and fitting to die a hero's death for a country. Right off in the first line, Owen describes the troops as being "like old beggars under sacks" (1). This metaphor indicates that the men are battle weary and suggests reluctance. They also have been on their feet for days and appear to be drained of youth as they "marched asleep" (5) and "limped on, blood-shod" (6). Overall, in the first stanza, Oundjian 2 there seems to be a tension between old and young because it shows how the impact of an endless war has reduced these once energetic young men to the point where they could be referred to as "old" (1), "lame" (6) and... ...s, demonstrated through the author's talent, are denouncing the authority figures who were supposed to guide his generation into adulthood but instead turned the youth against each other in the pursuit of superficial ideals. The soldiers were simply the victims of a meaningless war. In conclusion, Remarque's firsthand encounters with trench warfare, Owen's vivid descriptions of the soldiers' experiences and Baker's touching accounts of the lives of historical figures, all state that there were no victors in war, only losers in a hopeless battle for territorial supremacy. Works Cited Barker, Pat. Regeneration. Toronto: Plume, 1993. Owen, Wilfred. "Dulce et Decorum Est." The Faber Book of War Poetry. Ed. Kenneth Baker. London: Faber, 1997. 3-4. Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Trans. A. W. Wheen. New York: Ballantine, 1982.

Success

Success in my own words. Success is an enigmatic entity. Most of us pursue it as a fixed entity that will magically leave us content. But according to me, that is as far from the truth as can be. Because contentment is the enemy of success. The moment I were to feel that I am content, is the moment my success stops. The passion to challenge myself is the fuel that I need to burn in order to keep achieving success. It is very common in India that right from a very young age, our success is measured as a factor relative to the success of our peers.I do not try to compare myself with others, which I think is the most destructive thing one can do. Every person is unique, and every person has their own strengths and weaknesses. I have always believed that I am my own best friend. And my idea of a best friend is someone with whom I can compete fiercely, and constantly. This means that I am always trying to outdo myself. Each time I reach the peak of my achievement, I would've already set m y eyes on something higher. And I am relentless in my pursuit of any and every goal I set for myself.This does not mean that I do not revel in my moments of achievement. I give myself the occasional pat on the back. And I think it is essential to do so, because motivation is like the lubricant that keeps the gears of success going. And as an engine with copious amounts of fuel, without a lubricant, eventually grinds to a halt, damaging the engine permanently, without motivation, one's success may seem to go leaps and bounds in the beginning, but eventually will come to a complete and permanent halt. I have seen many people be deliberately unenthusiastic about their achievements to he outside world.This will eventually lead to a never ending void in us, that no amount of success can fill. Success is a thing to be celebrated, and something hidden from the world is never a celebration. But once again, we must be careful not to let ourselves run amok, as there is a very thin line that s eparates celebration from extravagance. And extravagance almost always leads to lethargy, dousing the flames of passion and motivation. And that is where the final ingredient in this mechanism of success comes in- hard work.If passion is the fuel and motivation the lubricant that runs the engine of success, then hard work is the spark plug that ignites the mixture, and keeps it burning strong. Without hard work, no great plans of grandeur can come to fruition. I think that a perfect balance of passion, motivation and hard work is what is required to achieve long lasting, tangible success. If either one goes out of proportion, then success becomes elusive and seemingly impossible to achieve.

The Civil War In Syria Is Not Like Typical Internal Conflicts

The Civil war in Syria is not like typical internal conflicts due to the sheer number of different groups fighting in the same small territory. Primarily, this is a fight for power in the nation of Syria and each group has a special affinity for the land. This has led to a power struggle in the small area, and the people of the nation, whether they are fighting or not, are all suffering in different ways. There are some who have chosen to fight for their cause. They are not the majority, however. Many, half of the country in fact, have been displaced and forced to walk miles, in temperatures estimated more that 120 degrees fahrenheit, from their home country to refugee camps after suffering directly and immensely in their own homes. Not†¦show more content†¦Hearing loss is very common in places where bombs have been used frequently and aggressively, like the Syrian conflict. Although there are groups who have dedicated their time to helping refugees regain physical mobility and restore hope in the world, not many, outside of camps can completely understand and recognize anything but the visible, physical damages which are more easily spotted than the mental and internal damages. These are also broadcast more than internal injuries because their is a picture to put with the injury. A group based in Chicago has made strides toward raising awareness for the issue while working on and treating individuals and their specific challenges with hearing loss. Deaf Planet Soul, the Chicago-based organization, went on a two week crusade to assist Syrians who have become deaf or had any loss of hearing. The charity is not only treating those affected by the war, but that is their main focus. A case which gained global recognition is of Aya, a now fatherless girl. She was able to hear her mother tell her she missed her after she had travelled to Chicago to regain hearing with implants and regain the ability to communicate with her mother and grandmother, her only relatives not massacred by a rocket which struck her house in 2012. She was ecstatic in the encounter she had over video phone with her mother and was even more enthusiastic when her mother, currently in Germany, complimented her new hearingShow MoreRelatedThe Artist Of Brownstones By Jacob Lawrence2193 Words   |   9 PagesThis is a clear piece of the architecture that led to the swelling civil rights movement of the 50s. During the 1920s and 1930s, as a result of the combined forces of the Great Migration, the Depression, the Jazz Era, and the Harlem Renaissance, Harlem was transformed into a community with a unique identity. A sanctuary for African-American art, this new cultural oasis enjoyed a sense of optimism in spite of economic difficulties. 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