Looking for Alaska Character Analysis

Miles Halter

A junior in high school and the main character and narrator of the novel. He moves to the Culver Creek boarding school in Birmingham, AL from his home in Florida, where he is a good… read analysis of Miles Halter

Chip Martin (The Colonel)

The Colonel is Miles’ roommate and best friend at Culver Creek, as well as the facilitator of all the pranks he and his friends pull on the school. The Colonel is very poor and… read analysis of Chip Martin (The Colonel)

Alaska Young

Alaska is Miles’ love interest at Culver Creek. She is smart and loves quoting poetry, but she can also be moody and unpredictable. Alaska loves sex, smoking, drinking, and pulling pranks. She occasionally… read analysis of Alaska Young

Takumi Hikohito

Takumi is very close withAlaska and good friends with Lara, the Colonel, and Miles. He loves to freestyle rap. Like Miles, he also has feelings for Alaska. The Colonel and Miles… read analysis of Takumi Hikohito

Mr. Starnes (The Eagle)

Mr. Starnes, known as “the Eagle” among students, is the dean of students at Culver Creek. He believes that discipline is good for young people, and Miles, the Colonel, Takumi, and Alaska… read analysis of Mr. Starnes (The Eagle)

Dr. Hyde (The Old Man)

Dr. Hyde is a very old religion teacher at Culver Creek. Miles thinks that he’s a genius, even though he once kicks Miles out of class. Dr. Hyde encourages his students to think about the… read analysis of Dr. Hyde (The Old Man)

Kevin

Kevin and Longwell Chase cover Miles in duct tape and throw him into the lake at the beginning of the school year. Both are Weekday Warriors. The Colonel hates Kevin, and even though Kevin… read analysis of Kevin

Minor Characters

Lara Buterskaya

Lara is a Romanian student at Culver Creek. She is Miles’ girlfriend for one day and becomes close friends with Takumi after Alaska’s death. Lara is very quiet, but she helps the group pull off a number of pranks.

Jake

Jake is Alaska’s boyfriend, who doesn’t go to Culver Creek. He gives Alaska white tulips for their anniversary and calls her the evening that she dies.

Mrs. Young

– Alaska’s mother, who died of an aneurysm in front of Alaska when she was young. She used to smoke and put flowers in Alaska’s hair.

Weekday Warriors

Weekday Warriors are students at Culver Creek who do not board on the weekends. Instead, they go home to their wealthy families who have mansions in Birmingham. The Colonelhates Weekday Warriors, but they end up helping him pull off Alaska’s last prank.

Dolores Martin

Dolores, the Colonel’s mom, invites Alaska and Miles to spend Thanksgiving in her trailer. Although she is poor, she is very generous. She is also deeply grateful to have a good son.

Maxx

Maxx is the stripper who pretends to be Dr. William Morse at Speaker Day. He helps the junior class pull off the Alaska Young Memorial Prank.

Marya

Marya is Alaska’s former roommate. She was expelled from Culver Creek after being caught drunk, having sex, and smoking pot.

Paul

Paul is Marya’s boyfriend and was also expelled from Culver Creek.

Sara

Sara is a Weekday Warrior and the Colonel’s girlfriend at the beginning of the novel.

Mr. Halter

Miles’ dad, and an alumnus of Culver Creek. He pretends to be Dr. Wiliam Morse on a phone call with the Eagle to help Miles pull off Alaska’s prank.

Mrs. Halter

Miles’ mom, who worries that Miles has no friends in Florida. She allows him to stay at Culver Creek over Thanksgiving when she learns that he has friends at his new school.

Mr. Young

Alaska’s dad. According to Alaska, he blames her for her mother’s death.

Longwell Chase

Along with Kevin, Longwell Chase throws Miles into the lake at the beginning of the school year. At the end of the year, he helps Miles convince the Eagle to hire Dr. William Morse for Speaker Day.

Holly Moser

Holly is a student at Culver Creek who tells Miles and the Colonel that she thinks Alaska was trying to send her messages from the grave while she was eating at Waffle House.

Hank Walston

Hank is the star basketball player at Culver Creek. He loves to smoke weed.

Madame O’Malley

Madame O’Malley is the French teacher at Culver Creek. She tries to comfort the Colonel when he first hears of Alaska’s death.

Maureen

Maureen is the chef at Culver Creek.

Katie

Katie is Lara’s roommate. She knees Miles in the balls.

Pelham police officer

The police officer Miles and the Colonel speak to, and the man who saw Alaska die. He is not sure whether her death was an accident or a suicide.