Character Analysis: A Boy Named Miles

How could someone's death affect a person for the better? A Boy named Miles (a.k.a Chip Martin) meets some friends when he transfers to Culver Creek High School. Miles and his friends grew really close together once they had gotten a chance to get to know each other. One day Miles, Takumi, and Alaska were drunk. Alaska had driven home while drunk, had an accident, and later died on the scene. Ever since Alaska has been dead Miles began to change his immature ways about popularity which was he ever wanted when he attended his first days at the Creek. When Alaska dies, Miles develops from youth to maturity after recognizing his place in the world.

When Alaska was alive, Miles didn’t take school as serious. An example of this occurs when the author writes “ I’m going to ask you to leave class, Mr.Halter so that you can go out there and…..”(Green 39). Miles was getting put out of class for not paying attention. However, after Alaska died, Miles began taking his school-work and education very seriously. The author illustrates

Miles knew from the jump that his Mom didn’t approve of him smoking and drinking. According to the passage, the author writes “ The colonel dispensed the cigarettes. Takumi passed; the rest of us lit up” (Green 42). Green also writes “ This isn’t milk. It’s five part milk and one part vodka” (Green 122). Miles didn’t start doing these things until he met Alaska. Miles then began to show maturity when he began to understand and accept Alaska’s death for what it was. The author gives evidence to this statement when he writes “ Did I help you toward a fate you didn’t want, Alaska, or did I just assist you in willful self-destruction” (Green 213). Takumi says this in sarcasm meaning that Chip is over the death of Alaska, however, there’s always going to be this sadness that comes upon Chip when he thinks about