One hundred eight days before it happens, Dr. Hyde gives Miles some wisdom, Miles studies with Alaska over fries and learns about her name, and then he finally gets in trouble with the Eagle. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Looking For Alaska.
one hundred eight days before
I still like Dr. Hyde. And I have to agree with Miles here: he suddenly seems sad, and I can’t really put my finger on it. It’s possible that Dr. Hyde is just happy that someone is paying attention, even if not all the time, and he just wants to foster Miles’s interest while he can.
My guess is that Miles is going to defend Dr. Hyde at some point against other students.
one hundred one days before
Oh god, can I just tell a story about McDonald’s to everyone? Look, I’m vegan, y’all know that. I am not telling you this story as some sort of tome against the evils of fast food. If they made readily-available fast food that was vegan, I would eat it all of the time and would not care one bit. This is not about that. But as Miles sat down to study with Alaska over McDonald’s french fries, I remembered my own history with that restaurant and IT HORRIFIES ME.
So let me start off by saying that while McDonald’s does sort of disgust me these days, I come from an extremely poor background. My mom had to feed myself, my twin brother, my younger sister, and my father and herself on a budget that now seems impossible. I don’t know how she did it. Well, I sort of do, I suppose, and that’s the point of this. My mom had to feed us and make us feel full with very little money, and she did whatever she could. When my brother and I started running, our appetites skyrocketed. This presented my mother with an interesting conundrum: without spending more money, how could she match the thousands of calories we were burning all of the time?
It was in those days that McDonald’s introduced those sales where hamburgers were 29 cents and cheeseburgers were 39 cents. I don’t remember what days they were sold on–Wednesdays? Saturdays? Either way, they regularly fell on days when we either had a long distance practice, running ten-to-fifteen miles at once, or on a day when we had a meet. And on those days, after we ran or raced, she’d take us to the McDonald’s drive-thru and she would order ten hamburgers or ten cheeseburgers.
Each.
I want you to savor that thought. I just checked a recent McDonald’s calorie chart: a hamburger is apparently 250 calories, and a cheeseburger is 350 calories. And I would eat ten of them and barely feel full. Also, it’s really important to remember that we would take them home and put other toppings on them. Sometimes it was ranch dressing! Sometimes I felt “healthy” and I put lettuce and tomato on them. Oh, and you also have to account for the 500-calorie large french fries I’d eat, too. Which means on some days, I would eat over 4,000 calories.
I won’t deny that on a base level, this was actually delicious to me. But it was a way of later understanding why my mother did this. How else could my mom feed my brother and I enough for $10? I knew this after I dropped out of college and found myself in the same predicament (and I was a vegan at that point, too). When you have an extremely low budget for food, you go straight for what tastes at least acceptable and what will fill you up the quickest. That’s what I did for years before I was able to regularly afford whatever food I wanted instead of what I needed just to avoid feeling hungry.
Only somewhat related: last week, I had a vegan Big Mac and it was fucking fantastic.
I don’t know how relevant this story is to Alaska’s study session, but I just really wanted to tell it because I CAN BARELY EAT TEN OF ANYTHING AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE. Oh, to have the days back when I could eat 4,000 calories and not want to die.
one hundred days before
It’s weird that I never thought to ask why Alaska was named that way. I think I’d initially assumed it was a nickname, but I had no evidence to support that. I guess I just didn’t question it. Unsurprisingly, one of her parents was what she described as a hippie (or, rather, “something of” one), and her name came from an unorthodox source: herself. Yep, Alaska’s parents let her name herself at age seven. Which…you know? That’s actually really, really awesome in a way. Yes, she could have picked a foolish name and hated it a year later, but it’s not often you get to see parents trusting their children quite like that. Plus, I quite like her rationalization for choosing the state of Alaska as her namesake:
“Well, later, I found out what it means. It’s from an Aleut word, Alyeska. It means ‘that which the sea breaks against,’ and I love that. But at the time, I just saw Alaska up there. And it was big, just like I wanted to be. And it was damn far away from Vine Station, Alabama, just like I wanted to be.”
It’s a poetic and appropriate view of what I’ve seen of Alaska. In her group of friends, she is that which the sea breaks against, and I think we will only continue to see this as the book continues on. These patterns are starting to emerge, and another one I noticed before rears up here again: Miles cannot resist being kind of gross and obsessive about Alaska. I like that she calls him out on it in her own way while at the same time not denying that there might be some bizarre, inexplicable chemistry between the two of them. That I don’t get, honestly, but attraction is pretty hard to figure out anyway. I know that Miles is enamored with Alaska, and he is absolutely horrific at trying to hide it or keep it to himself. Have some tact, dude! Don’t space out and stare at her or imagine that it’s the perfect moment to make out with her. IT’S WEIRD.
But I’m also worried that Alaska’s portrayal by John Green falls a bit along the lines of some familiar characterizations for women characters, but I’m unsure whether to address that now or later, especially since I could be putting my foot in my mouth by the time I reach the end of the book. I’m not totally on board with this idea that she’s this fickle, mood-swing-heavy woman who commands the attention of everyone around her so that the men in this story can grow and develop at her expense. But, again, I think I’ll hold on to this until later when I get more of Alaska’s story.
ninety-nine days before
Well, this was inevitable, wasn’t it? Miles, now a smoker (admittedly a light one), was bound to get caught. I hadn’t noticed it until I read this chapter, but he isn’t the slightest bit cautious about smoking at all. I think he just got used to the idea that he, the Colonel, and Alaska could do whatever they wanted. And who was going to find them hiding down by the lake? It wasn’t exactly the most obvious thing in the world. But at the same time, it wasn’t the polar opposite, and that’s why I think the Eagle found them so easily.
He mentions seeing the group in “Jury” the next day, and I imagine that this is a form of punishment of some sort for students. Perhaps it’s an disciplinary board as well. Either way…look, I’ll just say it. The Eagle weirds me out. There’s something about his stoic and determined nature that is creepy to me. He’s so calculating about his own actions, and I don’t know why he’s like that.
ninety-eight days before
Of course, once I read the first scene involving the Jury, the characters in this book suddenly made a lot more sense. For something so brief, it’s enlightening. First of all, it’s a logistical help: now I know that the Jury was used for offenses that don’t deserve suspension. It’s a student-run board, which….well, that could cause problems, or it could be amazing. I don’t find out either, though, at least not this first time.
I do discover that this marks the seventh time in which Alaska has been caught smoking, and that Takumi, the Colonel, and Alaska all take the Jury quite seriously, the guys even going so far as to dress nicely for it. Again, the Eagle’s persistence and dedication toward discipline is unnerving. I know that it’s his job to run things, and run them smoothly, but what good comes from calling Chip a coward? Why does he make a point to say that Miles and Takumi are acting out an “aw-shucks routine”? Why does he single out Miles at the very end of the hearing to tell him not to abuse his privileges at the school? I’m guessing he believes that Miles has fallen in the wrong group, perhaps, that he’s destined to only doing terrible things with these three students. What else have the original trio done to gain the ire of the Eagle?
I AM INTRIGUED.
I'm kind of reminded of The Chocolate War now. And man, I hate that book. Bleakness alone does not equal deep.
Darn, that sounds bad. Just so we're clear, this book is still pretty darn good.
Hahaha, no, I understand. Oh god, I remember that book and disliking it too.
I haven't read it, but I do agree that bleak does not equal deep. I do see many people confusing the two.
I think it's also sometimes a case of people thinking dark = deep, or goth = deep, or whoever they have discovered to be deep, their "thing" must make them deep. Hmmm I'm not sure that sentence made much sense…
"One hundred days before" contains one of my favorite quotes from the book: "Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia." John's wife actually came up with it, and it's brilliantly true. Also I love the story of Alaska's name.
I'm in a weird place re: Alaska's characterization. You're right that she's falling into a kind of stereotype (one that is decidedly damaging) and functioning more as plot device than person. But on the other hand, I've been marathon-watching all the Vlogbrothers videos and everything I've heard John Green say on the topic of women has indicated the opposite. He's said a lot of good things, in fact, not just avoided the negative ones. So I'm hesitant to judge, because what if he's about to pull a fast one on me in this story? What if this is some kind of deconstruction as to why that stereotype is bad and why the lens through which Miles sees her is wrong? But on the other hand, what if he's one of those people who say all the right things but their actions (in this case, his writing) is still problematic? I don't know yet, because we're still so early in the book, so I'm hesitant to pass any judgement. I want to finish the whole story before I comment on that because I'm given so much pause.
All that said, I both love and hate the concept of a Jury because, as is often the case with real juries, it could go very, very right, or very, very wrong.
John Green wrote LFA when he was 25, I think? Mid-twenties anyway.
Vlogbrothers started when he was in his late twenties.
A valid point (it's entirely possible that he changed/became more aware sometime between those periods)–I'm just saying that as of right now, I feel as though this could either stay the way it is (which is troubling to me), or it could be some kind of…brilliant deconstruction (which would be pretty awesome if done properly), and I don't have enough information at this moment to say if it's one or the other. In general, I prefer to finish the entire book (or movie or TV show, or what have you) before I start deciding what it says or does not say about any given issue. And even more so, because I have seen those videos, and have seen that, in general, John is what I would consider a good person, I'm more inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt until I get to the end of this book. Perhaps this is unjust–after all, someone can be awesome on a lot of issues and then completely horrible on another, or can seem like they're saying the right things but their actions indicate the opposite–but for now I'm willing to hold off on judgement. This certainly may change as we progress through the book, but for now I don't have all the facts and anything I say now would feel like jumping to conclusions to me.
No, no, no, I am completely with you!
It's just easy to forget if, like me, you started watching Vlogbrothers things later, that he had already written this book and I think his next one, Abundance of Katherines? before those videos.
But I am totally, totally with you about not passing undue judgment on a book' characterization until it's done. Yeah.
Yeah, An Abundance of Katherines was already out and he was working on Paper Towns. (Which, for whatever it's worth, I've finished AAoK, and started on PT, for full disclosure of just how much or little I know of John and his writing.)
I won't say anything about AAoK because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who is reading/will read it, but I will say that it does give me some perspective on his characterization of Alaska here.
I'm interested to know what you think of PT. You should come discuss it in the spoiler blog!
I really don't want to say anything about it until I finish. I've still got at least half the book to go and I need to finish it before I'll have anything to say that's at all interesting. But thanks for the link; I'll check it out once I'm done.
Like you, I'm completely on the fence about Alaska. On the one hand, her life (with the mood swings and unpredictability) doesn't seem like a positive one. On the other…. she does seem like a person with her own goals. Power? Control? Green's comment about Pudge thinking he'll be expected to take the fall for Alaska and the Colonel struck me as maybe foreshadowing. So maybe Alaska transcends the stereotype because she gets to be a person while simultaneously inspiring Pudge.
As it happens John Green has spoke on many occasions about his dipiction of Alaska and in general everyone’s altered perceptions of other people. He portrays Alaska through the narrative of a boy who likes her, therefore the narrative addresses Alaska inaccurataly. We’re seeing Alaska through the eyes of a boy who has placed her on a pedestal and described her as more than a person, instead of seeing her as she sees herself, he views her through a mirror, as a reflection of himself rather than through a window, as she actually is.
John explains it much more eloquently, just search it on google he’s spoken about it many times and actually responds to this idea thoroughly through Paper Towns as he wanted to puncture the misrepresentation of characters when they are seen as a person who is more than a person.
You know, the Eagle reminds me of my show choir teacher. He's got a reputation for being "the crazy bald Russian." People who aren't in show choir are scared of him. There's stories that he throws things at students, that he's a pervert, etc., etc. And he is harsh, and he is intimidating (though most of the stories aren't true), but at the same time, he loves his students. You can just tell, after spending some time with him. He spends half his time insulting the choir girls, but it's banter, and everyone enjoys it (and he doesn't mind when we turn the table on him). He's harsh, but he really cares about his students.
I think the Eagle's like that too. He's strict about discipline, and he'll do his job no matter what. But like Alaska says, he loves them, and he secretly enjoys Alaska's spunk, the Colonel's spirit at games, etc. And I think he singles out Miles because he sees potential in him, and he doesn't want Miles to end up…well, like it looks like he's setting to end up, really, hanging around Alaska and the Colonel and Takumi.
I think it's really interesting, the way John Green portrays these kids. Objectively, they're obviously "the bad kids." They smoke, they drink, they act out in school, they pull pranks…but John shows how easily you can fall in with them, and how the "bad" kids aren't necessarily bad at all – they can be perfectly nice human beings who made some bad choices, like taking up cigarettes, the way that Pudge does. They're not the sort of kids your parents, seeing only the smoke and the detentions, would want you to hang out with. But they're still nice people. And I like seeing that ambiguity. I like that John never shies away from showing that sort of thing.
The Eagle is such an appropriate nickname I DON'T EVEN. And now that I know what Alaska means, both in general and to Alaska herself, it's really apropro too. TIME TO LOOK UP OTHER NAMES
Miles: comes from either the Slavic word mil, meaning 'gracious', or the Latin word miles, meaning 'soldier'
Chip: nickname for Charles, meaning 'free man' or 'warrior'.
Takumi: Japanese for 'skilled' (at rapping?)
Curiouser and curiouser…
Chip because he has a chip on his shoulder.
And the Colonel mentioned "miles to go before I sleep" when he met Miles, who is searching for his Great Perhaps, in a book called Looking for Alaska. Someone's on a journey.
Takumi has lots of meanings depending on the characters used to write it!
That's. So. Cool.
As someone who smokes (and is pretty ashamed of it, too) this part is interesting to me. On one hand, I think that of all the things the Eagle could be catching people and punishing them for, smoking….especially outside…. is pretty minor. On the other hand, I wish someone would have caught me when I started, maybe I wouldn't be smoking now.
Alaska…. man, I just, her character is something I don't know how to categorize. Sometimes I think that she is strong and independent and a leader and free and wild and smart…. but then I begin to wonder if maybe she's exactly the opposite. Maybe she's super self-conscious, self-desctructive, and hiding weakness behind a facade of strength. The people I've met like Alaska always end up being part of the second group…. you see this person, you think they are the strongest, most independent personyou know, and then one day you realize just how well they're hiding everything. It would be exhausting to be that person, if you ask me.
Alaska, I feel sorry for her. The sea may being breaking against her, but even the earth can't withstand that forever. A mere person doesn't stand a chance.
"Alaska, I feel sorry for her. The sea may being breaking against her, but even the earth can't withstand that forever. A mere person doesn't stand a chance."
With the disclaimer that this is my first read through of this book, and I'm actually lagging behind a little, I think this is a perfect description and a really perceptive read on her character.
I guess it's obvious that ROT13 means spoilers, but spoiler (of a sort) for this book:
Nyfb, univat orra fcbvyrq ba bar bs gur znwbe riragf… guvf qrfpevcgvba frrzf nyy gbb ncg.
The 29 cent hamburgers were on wednesdays…
And then after awhile they had a 5 hamburger limit and so my mom used to make us all stand in line and buy separately to get as many hamburgers as possible.
I have to admit, when McDonald's hamburgers are fresh (ha as fresh as they can be, I guess) and with lots of ketchup and mustard and are salty THEY ARE REALLY GOOD AND I NEED MOAR. Or maybe they're just really addicting….
I think it's an addictive thing. They're kind of tasty and salty and I could eat three and then even after eating one… bleurgh!
THANK YOU. I couldn't remember!
OH GOD AND THEY DID HAVE A 5 HAMBURGER LIMIT. Which is ABSURD. You are selling these for basically free. WHY SHOULDN'T I ORDER AS MANY AS I WANT.
Not that I'm not enjoying MRLFA, but just 'cause I'm watching the movies and something struck me:
Random LOTR/ROTK randomness!
Gbgnyyl abg eryngrq gb guvf obbx ng NYY ohg whfg orra jngpuvat gur raq bs EBGX naq V xabj vg'f orra fnvq, ohg Znex jvyy FUVG N OEVPX jura ur trgf gb gur Zbhag Qbbz frdhrapr va gur obbx, gur ovgvat bss bs gur svatre… rirelguvat. V yvgrenyyl pnaabg JNVG. YBY. Qbrf gung znxr zr n onq crefba??! Pna'g jnvg sbe uvz gb frr gur zbivr, gbb, gur ernpgvbaf bs gur Sryybjfuvc nf gurl ernyvfr Fnz naq Sebqb ner genccrq ol na rehcgvat ibypnab naq znl abg znxr vg.
Not very profound, I know, but very true LOL 🙂
V znantrq gb fgnl hafcbvyrq sbe gur svatre-ovgvat hagvy V fnj gur ynfg zbivr (V unqa'g svavfurq gur obbxf), naq vg oyrj zl sernxvat zvaq. :Q
yby 🙂 V unq ernq gur obbxf ng gung cbvag ohg fgvyy, vg jnf fbbbbb vagrafr gb frr vg, rfcrpvnyyl gur jnl CW qvq vg. V gubhtug Ryvwnu Jbbqf jnf npghnyyl trahvaryl fpnel va gur Zbhag Qbbz frdhrapr, jurernf zbfg bs gur gvzr nf Sebqb ur'f whfg yvggyr naq phgr.
Gung jnf nyfb gur frpgvba zl nhag urneq Puevfgbcure Gbyxvra ernqvat gb uvf 6 lrne byq gur svefg gvzr fur jrag gb onolfvg, fur jnf yvxr :-bbbbbb YBY
This contains a major spoiler to talk about something that's really not a spoiler at all (a personal extrapolation/theory), but, yeah:
Gur Rntyr jrveqf zr bhg. Gurer’f fbzrguvat nobhg uvf fgbvp naq qrgrezvarq angher gung vf perrcl gb zr. Ur’f fb pnyphyngvat nobhg uvf bja npgvbaf, naq V qba’g xabj jul ur’f yvxr gung.
V unir guvf crg gurbel gung gur Rntyr vf n ercerffrq ubzbfrkhny jub arire yrnearq ubj gb cebcreyl rkcerff uvf nssrpgvba sbe bgure crbcyr orpnhfr ur unq gb xrrc uvzfrys fb gvtugyl pbagnvarq — vg'f boivbhf jura ur gryyf gur fpubby nobhg Nynfxn'f qrngu gung ur'f gehyl urnegoebxra, naq gura nsgre gur Fcrnxre Qnl cenax jura ur boivbhfyl xabjf vg jnf gurz ohg yrnirf gurz bss gur ubbx – "Vg'f yvxr fur jebgr gur fcrrpu urefrys" – ur orpbzrf zber <v>uhzna</v> nsgre ure qrngu, naq V yvxr gb guvax gung znlor gurl'ir gnhtug uvz gb yvtugra hc n ovg, gung ure qrngu znqr uvz ernyvfr fbzr guvatf ner jbegu yrggvat tb, naq gung jvyy pneel bire gb bgure guvatf gbb.
There's other stuff that made me think that too but it's been a while since I read the book, so I missed it through my skimming, but yeah. Pet theories are fun.
Not sure if the specifics of your theory are right, but I like the general sentiment.
So John Green is psychically writing about my college again. We had a student jury, too. I served on it once. It was a lottery, like real juries, and we got to decide the verdict when someone was caught drinking in their room or whatever. We didn’t get to hand out punishment, but everyone sort of knew what the punishments for certain things were and decided accordingly. Like, technically if your roommate is caught drinking you’re also responsible. They called it being “knowingly present.” But the case I served on was about someone whose roommate had kept some alcohol in her own mini-fridge, and we decided that only the roommate who had the alcohol should be held responsible, because it was reasonable that the other roommate would have had no idea. The punishments for drinking were pretty harsh, like you got put on probation or something, so we didn’t want to make the girl without the alcohol suffer that punishment, even though technically she fell under the “knowingly present” rule.
I was never busted when I was at school. I was kind of sheltered growing up, so the idea of doing drugs or even smoking cigarettes was really far away from my own experience with the world. And I didn’t drink, because I was terrified of being drunk and I hated the way my friends acted when they were really drunk. Like, have you ever been hanging out with a bunch of people and some shit happens and nobody remembers it the next day except you? That was me. I was the one who remembered. And it freaked me out. I didn’t want to lose my memory or black out or throw up or do any of those other things you do when you’re plastered. So I mostly just stayed away from drinking altogether.
After I left school, I came back a year later for Mayfest, which is kind of a party/reunion weekend right before finals to let the students let off steam and let the alumni come back and see their friends. It’s tradition of sorts to come back for the first Mayfest after you graduate. Anyway, it was vacation to me, and I was no longer worried about getting caught because I didn’t go there, so I ended up at this party where people were drinking, and of course… we got busted. Ha. The Residence Director looked at me like he was Very Disappointed in me, and technically I was still 20 years old so I suppose he could have gone to the police or whatever, but I don’t think he cared that much. Still, I always think it’s kind of funny that I had a clean record while I was at school but then I got busted AFTER I left.
When Alaska talks about imagining the future and being stuck imagining it but not actually DOING it, that really strikes a chord with me. I always feel like my life is just on the verge of beginning, but of course this IS my life, right now, and I should be living it, instead of waiting for something to happen. But it’s really difficult to make that leap. It’s much easier to daydream. I feel like a big part of the depression I experience is feeling like my life is stuck in that pre-life stage, and part of it is not having any money and so not being able to plan for the future at all, but it’s also feeling like I don’t know how to stop dreaming and start living. I feel like I’ve been stuck in this holding pattern ever since I got out of college, which was OVER EIGHT YEARS AGO, so that’s a long time to be half-living.
When Alaska talks about imagining the future and being stuck imagining it but not actually DOING it, that really strikes a chord with me. I always feel like my life is just on the verge of beginning, but of course this IS my life, right now, and I should be living it, instead of waiting for something to happen. But it’s really difficult to make that leap. It’s much easier to daydream. I feel like a big part of the depression I experience is feeling like my life is stuck in that pre-life stage, and part of it is not having any money and so not being able to plan for the future at all, but it’s also feeling like I don’t know how to stop dreaming and start living.
You are not alone. (And by that, I mean that I've been stuck there for awhile, too. Not just that there are other people who exist in the world with the same issue.) And what's annoying is that both of my parents are 'doing' kind of people, so they don't understand why I'm stuck, because to them it just seems simple to just do stuff. And I…am definitely a 'dreaming' kind of person.
"I feel like a big part of the depression I experience is feeling like my life is stuck in that pre-life stage, and part of it is not having any money and so not being able to plan for the future at all, but it’s also feeling like I don’t know how to stop dreaming and start living."
Yes. Totally understand. I'm 33 and I'm just finally going, blow this for a game of shoulders, I WILL START LIVING! Which involves lots of stuff like dealing with abuse and trying to work out how to live with chronic illness but damnit, I am sick to death of feeling like I'm just existing.
You know what it makes me think of? the Colin Hay song, "Waiting for my real life to begin" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4tcRlHY-3Q
I like that song a lot. When they had it on Scrubs though it was about death, which is interesting. They did a really pretty thing with it. (Pretty sure the scene is in the Related Videos sidebar of that one, actually.)
And yeah… dealing with abuse, living with chronic illness. I hear you. *hugs if you want them*
*hugs*
I love that scene in Scrubs – I think it's the first time I heard that song. In fact I think most Colin Hay songs I know I first heard on Scrubs. They use his songs really well.
I guess I'm sick of waiting, and I'm going out there and finding my real life!
I'm a bit late to the party, but yeah, the part about 'imagining the future' really hit home with me…
I'm about 1 1/2 years away from finishing my education, but I'm also approaching my late twenties and that is kind of scary. There's so much I still want to do, but I'm on hold at least until I'm done with my apprenticeship. And what frightens me most is that when I'm finished, I just fall back into a 9 to 5 routine and continue daydreaming…
I realized last night that my mental image of the Eagle is pretty much Dean Pelton from Community with a black tie.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/Bp5cF.jpg"/>
Now I kind of want to re-read the book imagining him with Dean Pelton's personality, too, because that would be hilarious.
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/jf3oY.gif"/>
Well thanks a lot for that mental image 😀
In hindsight, the self-naming thing is reminding me inexplicably of Homestuck. I think I am going to refer to Miles as "Zoosmell Pooplord" and Alaska as "Flighty Broad" for the rest of this readthrough.
i must know, where do you get the vegan big mac? because i don't eat mcd's anymore but i sure do feen for le Big-Mac sometimes.