Looking For Alaska Forgiveness Essay

Forgiveness is a fundamental component of human nature; it is the barrier between continuous agony and moving forward. Forgiveness allows us to let go of the pain and suffering and commence the journey of healing and maturing. It is an action of self-love and empathy and is a powerful way to start to move through the labyrinth of suffering. In the novel Looking for Alaska, by John Green the three main characters experience grief surrounding loved ones death and use or refuse to use forgiveness to move on causing them to either escape the labyrinth or die trying. The Colonel utilized forgiveness to escape his guilt for letting Alaska die. Alaska could never appear to forgive herself for her mother's death. Pudge uses forgiveness to aid him in

Alaska, Pudge, and the Colonel decided to play truth or dare, ultimately resulting in Alaska daring Pudge to hook up with her. They made out for a while in front of the Colonel, and then later that night, Alaska woke Pudge and the Colonel up frantically trying to get out yelling, “‘I forgot! God, how many times can I fuck up?” she said. I didn’t even have time to wonder what she forgot before she screamed, “I JUST HAVE TO GO. HELP ME GET OUT OF HERE’”(Green 13)! Alaska's mom died of an aneurysm, and Alaska, who witnessed this happen, did not call 911. Alaska was only eight when this happened, and the hysteria of her mom seizing left her nothing to do but cry till her dad got home. This moment is the central part of Alaska's labyrinth, the part which she could never forgive herself for. She went through life with her guilt following her everywhere she went. Alaska's dad constantly blames her for her mother's death, which does not help the guilt she already feels, and after Pudge and the Colonel help her leave that night, she ends up killing herself in a car crash. She could not seem to forgive herself for something that was never her fault; her torment was never-ending, and she saw herself as someone not worthy of living because of the life she took away from her mother. Alaska averted forgiveness and instead found smoking and alcohol to be an easy consolation for her suffering. This helps see that forgiving is the way out of the labyrinth and using other strategies will keep one's suffering in a periodic loop. Alaska could not seem to forgive herself for being a leading factor in her mothers's death, eventually leading to her committing suicide;` if Alaska could have forgave herself, maybe, like Pudge, she could have navigated her way out of the