White Flowers
During the sleuthing that occurs after Alaska's death, Miles and the Colonel get the sense that white flowers mean something more than what they think. They first get this inkling when they talk to...
Names and Nicknames
Probably one of the first things we notice about names in Looking for Alaska is that we don't see given names all that much. Chip Martin goes by the Colonel; Miles Halter is immediately nicknamed P...
Last Words
Miles is obsessed with last words of famous people. He says,It was an indulgence, learning last words. Other people had chocolate; I had dying declarations. (128before.52)These last words have more...
The Labyrinth
"How will I ever get out of this labyrinth?" (128before.120)These are Alaska's favorite last words, and they're from one of her favorite books, The General in his Labyrinth by Gabriel García Márq...
Driving
Most of the story takes place on campus, though there are a few excursions from the Creek. And how do these excursions transpire? Some take place in Alaska's car, some in Takumi's car, some in the...
Cigarettes and the Smoking Hole
This symbol's pretty easy to pick up. The rules at the Creek state there's no smoking allowed (plus it's state law), and smoking anyway is a relatively tame and easy way for Miles and his friends t...