Looking for Alaska Character Analysis | Course Hero

Miles

Miles finds his life with his parents in Florida too boring, and he wants to seek a “Great Perhaps” by going to boarding school. Hoping for adventure and enlightenment, he gains both, chiefly through his acquaintance with the enigmatic Alaska, a troubled and rebellious classmate. Miles thinks of himself as an average, “gawky” teen, and believes he could never attract someone as “endlessly fascinating” as Alaska is. This belief does not stop him from falling in love with her, however. He takes every opportunity she allows him to spend time with her, most notably over Thanksgiving break when they are alone on campus. He gets involved in her pranks and mirrors her rebelliousness by smoking, drinking alcohol, and trespassing in his classmates’ dorm rooms. Miles blames himself in part for Alaska’s death but blames her for shattering his dream of being with her. He spends the rest of the semester trying to understand her, finally realizing he never can. All he can do is forgive himself and forgive her, and remember he himself is still alive. He understands that his experience with Alaska transformed him into a person who can embrace the “Great Perhaps.”

Alaska

Alaska is Miles’s dream girl: smart, beautiful, and fun. She gathers four-leaf clovers, drinks strawberry wine, burns candles in her room, and reads aloud to Miles from her favorite books. At times she is moody, jokes about death and unhappiness, and berates herself for screwing up. She alternates between hysterical sobbing and reckless fun. She knows Miles loves her fun side but does not love “the crazy, sullen bitch.” She fascinates and perplexes him. When she reveals her childhood trauma, Miles begins to think he understands her impulsiveness. Because she berates herself for inaction at the scene of her mother’s sudden death, Alaska would rather act rashly than not at all.

The Colonel

The Colonel comes from poverty and relies on his scholastic achievement to better his position in life. He is proud of his mother, who lives in a trailer, and his goal is to make something of himself so he can one day buy her a house. Because of his upbringing, he has a “chip” on his shoulder and dislikes the rich students at his school. Alaska is his ally on this front, and the two spend a lot of time thinking up elaborate pranks in an effort to punish their so-called enemies. He has a more comprehensive picture of Alaska than Miles does. The Colonel grieves Alaska deeply and wants to understand her mental state the night she died. He fears she may have killed herself, but his investigation never clears that suspicion.

Takumi

Takumi has a car and sometimes drives his friends around. After Alaska dies, Takumi feels excluded from Miles and the Colonel’s investigation. He wants to help them, as he expresses his grief in losing Alaska too, but they do not let him. However, they do include him in their Alaska Young Memorial Prank. On the last day of school, Takumi leaves a letter for Miles confessing he was actually the last one talk to Alaska that night. He too bears survivor’s guilt.

Lara

Lara first comes to Miles’s notice as the girl sitting on his lap in Alaska’s car. She is friendly and agreeable and speaks with a slight accent. Alaska tells Miles Lara likes him and suggests setting the two up on a date. Although he likes her, he finds little to talk about with her. The date ends when Miles vomits on Lara’s jeans. Nevertheless, when Lara gives Miles a second chance, he asks her to be his girlfriend the day before Alaska dies. Afterward, they avoid each other. When they finally talk, Lara forgives Miles for ignoring her, but they do not continue as a couple.