The
novel Looking for Alaska, by John
Green, should be a must read book because it requires re-evaluation of
thoughts, gives an important life lesson, and allows teenagers to learn about a
controversial issue in a good way.
The
idea of forgiveness shows how the book gives an important life lesson.
Pudge
has just had a fight over Alaska with his friend Takumi. Takumi is leaving for
Japan but before he does, he leaves Pudge an apology note. Pudge finds the note
and reads it. After reading it, Pudge has a revelation. Pudge says, “He was
gone, and I did not have time to tell him what I just realized: that I forgave
him, and that she forgave us, and that we had to forgive in order to survive
the labyrinth,”(Green 218). “He” being
Takumi, “she” being Alaska, and “we” being humanity in general. After people figure out what their own personal “labyrinth”
is, they will want to know how it is possible to get out of it. Pudge realizes
that the only way to “survive” is to “forgive”.
The whole reason Pudge has the revelation is because after his fight
with Takumi is because after Pudge “forgave” him, he felt happier. “She”
forgave them, and she then found her way out of the “labyrinth”. That’s when he
figured out that “we had to forgive in order to survive the labyrinth”. When
people forgive each other we become closer to escaping our own personal
labyrinth. By forgiving, people are accepting whatever has happened and they
are trying to mover forward from it. This teaches an important life lesson
because if humans want to “survive” and possibly escape the “labyrinth” then
forgiveness is key. When people forgive,
the elimination of suffering can ensue. Forgiveness is universal, but it is up
to the person alone to take the initiative and forgive others first. Therefore
this book is a must- read because if people want any chance of surviving the
“labyrinth” then learning to forgive is an important first step. By introducing
the idea of forgiveness as a way out of the labyrinth the reader learns a life
lesson, while re-evaluating their own thoughts on how to get out of the
labyrinth.
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ReplyDeleteI personally agree that this book should be a must-read. The book itself relates to how individuals today face mistakes and need to forgive ourselves for it to escape our mistakes and live a happier life. You made a great point to view our mistakes as a "labyrinth" and our forgiveness of ourselves and others as our key out of our complex mistakes. As a reader, this book does show a life-lesson that is universal and must be addressed because it fuels the idea of what it means to be human and that we are now flawless to our mistakes. But that we are imperfect mature individuals who make mistakes but is mature enough to reconcile ourselves for it.
ReplyDeleteI think that this book should be challenged. Yes, you have some very nice points about the lesson of the labyrinth and forgiveness, but I think that the immoral actions of Alaska and the Colonel make it challenged. They both encourage Pudge to get messed up on destructive habits such as drinking and smoking the first day he stepped foot on campus. However, the way that you wrote this shows that it could also be categorized as a must read because of the life lesson behind it. The only thing that I have against this is that the readers should at least be warned of the content of the book before reading it but also have the knowledge that it has some very important life lessons in them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Megan, this book should be on every school's MUST-READ list. This book shows great values to the reader. This book relates to our lives today. If you're going through something difficult, push through that hardship and never give up. Through this novel, we realize that we are humans, and we make mistakes, but what is important, is that we carry on and persevere. This lesson of never giving up will be learned by all the students reading this book.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this book and agree that this book should be on the must-read list. Green showed us the struggle of forgiveness and how it important is it to forgive people. We need people in our lives that know us but if we just stayed angry at people then we would become isolated. Alaska was immoral, but she acted as many people do in real life. Underage drinking happens, smoking happens, sex happens. Green wrote this from a realistic perspective, and I think even adults can get something from reading this. They could remember how they once felt and acted.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the book should be a must-read despite having never read it myself for the simple reason that the book teaches forgiveness. I agree that it is key to connecting with others, which does allow us to solve virtually all of our problems we face. I now want to read this book because it discusses Alaska, a very beautiful place. It is unforgiving when it wants to be, which plays even further into the forgiveness theme. I personally think that from this book i could learn even more about how to forgive others, a lesson crucial to life.
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