How we cite our quotes: (Daysbefore.Paragraph) and (daysafter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
We did not say: Don't drive. You're drunk.
We did not say: We aren't letting you in that car when you are upset.
We did not say: We insist on going with you.
We did not say: This can wait until tomorrow. Anything—everything—can wait. (thelastday.93-96)
Everything that Miles has chosen—or not chosen because of his passivity—leads up to this moment. He could have been much more active in preventing Alaska from going, and the Colonel—arguably—should have been more assertive about Alaska's choices based on past interactions with her. But they both chose passive acceptance of her decision. Why?
Quote #8
"If she loved you so much, why did she leave you that night? And if you loved her so much, why'd you help her go? I was drunk. What's your excuse?" (20after.15)
The Colonel calls Miles out on his passivity. Why didn't he assert himself like he did when he was making out with her earlier? How do Miles's emotions get entangled in the choices he makes? Think about his nature and Alaska's nature.
Quote #9
So we gave up. I'd finally had enough of chasing after a ghost who did not want to be discovered. We'd failed, maybe, but some mysteries aren't meant to be solved. (118after.1)
Miles and the Colonel find out as much as they can, but then they quit because they "failed." This doesn't sound like a choice at first, but it is a choice they make. Consider why they choose to leave Alaska's mystery unsolved.