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Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2025-07-26
Completed:
2025-07-26
Words:
1,375
Chapters:
3/3
Kudos:
5
Bookmarks:
2
Hits:
65

Alaska's Labyrinth

Summary:

This is another one of my Assessments, three different works connected by a theme, my theme was grief.
Grief is known as the feeling of loss and sadness one experiences when someone close to them dies or leaves them (whether that be a friend, family member or lover). Grief never truly goes away; it stays within someone until they eventually pass. Grief does not grow, nor does it shrink - the body it inhabits is the thing that grows.
The following three works are based off the novel 'Looking for Alaska' by John Green. Within the novel it follows the character of Miles Halter meeting a group of friends (Chip ‘The Colonel’ Martin, Takumi Hikohito, and Lara Buterskaya), including a girl named Mary ‘Alaska’ Young, a seemingly carefree and wild teenager. As the novel progresses Alaska's internal struggles become increasingly apparent, with her dealing with feelings of regret, guilt, grief, and self-hatred over the loss of her mother, with Alaska's story ending abruptly nearing the climax of the book. These pieces were made to investigate and enlighten readers on Alaska's true feelings - instead of Alaska who is clouded by Miles’ crush on her - and explore how her entire life was spent grieving.

Notes:

The starting work is a memoir
A memoir is a type of creative nonfiction that shares a personal narrative from the author's perspective, focusing on a specific period, event, or theme in their life, rather than attempting to cover their entire life story like an autobiography.
It's Alaska's perspective of the day her mother died.

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

The day will forever replay in my mind.
The day my mother died and the old me, Mary Young followed closely in her footsteps.
I was coming home from school, excited to tell my mum about my day. The door opened slowly, and the house was quiet, too quiet. The kind of quiet that would be found in a haunted house. Usually, she greeted me at the door with a kind smile plastered on her face. But it was different today.
I walked into the kitchen and there she was, lying on the floor. I felt the world freeze around me; what was she doing? She looked to be in pain, constantly having spasms that shook her entire body. I knew I should go to the phone and call anyone - even my father - but I couldn't bring myself to move. I just stood there. A statue. Unable to move away from the scene before me. She laid there, her breaths fewer, her body stilled, as if her soul had begun to slip from her, each of her movements became more and more slowed.
And then it stopped.
I deluded myself that she had recovered or that the pain had stopped. I wanted her to be okay, like she had been the day before when she took me to the zoo.
It wasn't until my father walked in that I was forced to face reality. I had just watched my mother die. I just stood and watched - while help was in the next room. My father’s voice cracked as he screamed her name, attempting to breathe her back to life.
When help did arrive, it was too late. She was pronounced dead.
My father's eyes filled with rage as he questioned me on why I didn't help her.
Why was I just standing and watching her die?
What was stopping me from calling?
I asked myself those same questions.
Those questions will haunt over me for the rest of my life.