John Green's Use Of Foreshadowing In Looking For Alaska

In the novel Looking for Alaska written by John Green, Miles “Pudge” Halter is looking for his “Great Perhaps” to happen, and later finds himself living it after moving to a boarding school in Alabama called Culvert Creek. The fictional book focuses on Pudge and the adventures he has with Alaska, the crazy, wild, clever girl that he meets at the school, along with a few other friends he meets on the way. Miles talks to Alaska and realizes that there is some mystery to her that he cannot quite understand. They become good friends when one night Miles and The Colonel, a nickname for Miles’ roommate, wake up to a drunk Alaska sobbing and telling them to distract the dean so she can get off campus. Alaska dies soon after in a mysterious car accident that has Pudge looking for the reason of why she had to get off campus so suddenly--his conclusion ends up changing his life forever. The three topics addressed in this

captivating novel are foreshadowing, symbolism, and tone.

First, John Green uses foreshadowing to create suspense, and to show how the things Alaska says later become important in the climax.

An example of this occurring in the novel is when Alaska is talking to Pudge and his friends and says, “‘Y’all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die’” (44). Here is one instance of many times Alaska has brought up death in a conversation, showing that she is not afraid of death. By the author including this trait in Alaska’s personality, it is foreshadowing an event dealing with death for Alaska. Another example of foreshadowing in the novel is when it is Thanksgiving, and Alaska is explaining to Pudge why she never goes home for the vacations, “‘I’m just scared of ghosts, Pudge. And home is full of them’” (80). Here one can infer that Alaska’s background is tragic and mysterious. By the author including this in the text, it foreshadows an event that changes Pudge’s thoughts about Alaska. Overall, the author uses foreshadowing to help the reader anticipate Alaska’s next major action, and to create suspense throughout the

novel.

Next, the author also uses symbolism throughout the story to help the reader understand Alaska’s point of view, and to also understand Pudge’s view of Alaska and her doings. After Alaska dies, Pudge takes what he learns in his world religion class, then applies it to Alaska and what will happen to her in his thoughts, “We are all going, I thought, and it applies to turtles, and turtlenecks, Alaska the girl, and Alaska the place, because nothing can last not even earth itself...when you’d stop wishing things wouldn’t fall apart, you’d stop suffering when they did” (196). Here, Pudge is realising that the amount of time and effort he put into finding out what happened to Alaska was not worth it. The author is using the phrase “We are all going” as a symbol of what will happen to the memories Pudge had with Alaska. Another way symbolism is used in this novel is when Pudge and his friends realized what Alaska might have been thinking at the time she left, “‘Oh God my mom liked white flowers and put them into my hair when I was little’” (211). Earlier, Pudge and his friends figured out that while Alaska was on the phone with her friend she was doodling white flowers, then remembered that it was the anniversary of her mom’s death and forgot to go visit her. The white flowers symbolize the love Alaska had for her mom and the anger she has towards her herself because of her own mistakes. In the end, John Green uses symbolism to help the reader understand Alaska and her mindset.

Finally, the author uses tone to enhance Looking for Alaska and to help the reader understand the situation Pudge, Alaska, and their friends are in. “Our watches synchronized, our clothes black, our backpacks one, our breath visible in the cold, our minds filled with the minute details of the plan, our hearts racing…The Great Perhaps was upon us, and we were invincible. The plan had faults, but we did not” (103). This scene takes place when Pudge, Alaska, and a couple other friends are about to pull the biggest prank in Culver Creek history. The tone the author uses here shows how serious this event is, and how prepared Pudge and his friends have become. When they are in the middle of doing the prank the author also uses tone when he says, “Two minutes later, we were crouched behind the trees fifty feet from the Eagle’s back door. My heart thumped like a techno drumbeat” (104). While Pudge is doing his part of the plan he tells the reader how he feels. John Green’s tone has seriousness and fearfulness within it, helping the reader understand Pudge’s situation. In conclusion, the author’s tone adds more emotion to what Pudge is saying and shows the reader the dilemma Pudge, Alaska, and their friends are facing.
The three topics, foreshadowing, symbolism, and tone give a complete idea of the exciting book by helping the reader understand the events taking place, anticipate what will happen next, and to easily engage in the novel. The strengths of the novel are the author’s excellent use of metaphors and figurative language to make the storyline more interesting, the use of mystery and twists, keeping the reader excited for the next event, and the author also uses very descriptive detail to help the reader imagine objects, characters, and places. The weakness of this novel is its conclusion because it was not fulfilling enough for what the storyline had lead up to.