Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Looking for Alaska, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
How to Live and Die
Mystery and the Unknown
Loyalty and Forgiveness
Memory and Memorial
Identity
Mischief
Summary
Analysis
Miles, the Colonel, Takumi, and Alaska go down to the lake to smoke. The Eagle happens to be by the lake and he catches the Colonel and Alaska with cigarettes in their hands. He tells them that he will see them all in Jury the next day. Miles is terrified over what will happen, but Alaska explains to Miles that the Eagle loves her, but that he also thinks he’s teaching her something by punishing her. She says that the conflict between good and bad behavior is the “eternal struggle,” but that “mischief” will always win.
Alaska’s statement that bad behavior will always win out over good behavior suggests that she doesn’t see much point in following the rules, and doesn’t take getting in trouble very seriously. Miles will discover, however, that like many of Alaska’s personality traits, this lack of concern over being punished is nothing but an act.
Themes
