J.K. Rowling Commencement Address Questions and Quotes

5 Questions/Topics

1. How does failure relate to the overall meaning of Looking for Alaska?
2. What has been your biggest personal failure?
3. How does one find the courage to deviate from their parents' wishes?
4. Why is imagination important in life?
5. How much courage does it take to deliver a speech such as this one?

Quotes

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default."

 I absolutely adore this quote and everything it entails. I believe it's saying that in life, you are going to fail at something. Everyone is going to fail at something. And if you somehow manage to safeguard yourself and everything you do, then you automatically fail. Failure is necessary. Failure is important; you learn things from it that you would never learn any other way.

"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive." 

I really like this quote as well. I think it's saying that setbacks are going to happen. It's another thing that is simply inevitable. But once you make it out of these setbacks and hardships, you are wiser and stronger than you ever were before. It is these victories and triumphs of such setbacks that helps people grow. It helps them learn and really value their own strength and their own wisdom and knowledge. It is this ability to triumph that shows that you are alright. You have survived, and you are able to survive, time after time.

"We touch other people's lives simply by existing."

Though it has taken me an extremely long time to realize that this is true, I've grown to agree with this quote wholeheartedly. Everything you do, and every part of you, touches other people in some way. Your education and what you do with it. Your actions and hard work. You, in general, influence other people in some way. You have an impact beyond simply existing. By just doing that, you are influencing others. You are touching their lives and showing them things that they could not witness if you were not around. 

1st 9 Weeks Reflection

• What have you learned about English/Literature over the past 9 weeks?
  
  I've learned quite a bit about characterizations and keeping my essays consistent with the topic at hand. I've learned that essays really are easier and more organized if an outline is used, though I'm really too stubborn to actually do them every time I write. I've learned that in stories, everything relates back to one central point - everything relates back to the overall meaning of the work as a whole.

• What have you learned about your classmates?
  
  I learned that I have a lot in common with a couple of them, particularly KJ. I never would've thought she and I had so much in common, but we do. I've learned that everyone is struggling with something, and though my problems take control of my life, I need to realize that I'm not the only person hurting.
• What have you learned about life?
  
  I've learned that life is unpredictable and that anything can happen. I've also learned that it is possible to let agony and suffering drag you into a labyrinth that it's really hard to get out of. But if you have the right kind of people surrounding you and the right kind of attitude, you can conquer the labyrinth and you can conquer anything you're up against.
• Did you enjoy the novel unit (Perks of Being a Wallflower and Looking for Alaska)? Would you recommend I use those two novels next year? What assignments changes would you make (if any)?
  
  I really enjoyed the novel unit. I loved how we covered characters, theme, and the general parts of literature throughout reading the novels, and I really liked learning about the different characters. I definitely think you should use these two next year because they're really good ways of covering everything you were teaching at the time. I would have them write a letter from another character's point of view, to Charlie. Maybe it would be interesting!
• What should I change for next year's class?
  
  Maybe try to make family circle more.. fun? Or completely do away with it. I know I hate it, and some of my friends do, too. Also, if you do group projects next year, have each group evaluate its members because there's been a lot of people taking credit for things they had no hand in doing.
• What area of the AP Exam do you feel that you need to work on the most?I think I really need to work on my speed, and that's really it.

Looking for Alaska Questions

1. Explain the significance of the title of the novel. Explore other titles which might (or might not) have been more appropriate.

"Looking for Alaska" pretty much sums up the entirety of the story. Loss, looking for what is lost, and finding the strength to accept that it is gone. Pudge loses Alaska, a person that had become really important to him. She was his best friend and the girl he loved, and then poof, she was gone. He spent the part of the story after her death searching for her. He continuously tried to figure out what had happened to her, why she had to go, with a question lingering in the background. Accident or suicide? The title of the book puts everything in a nice little box; Alaska dies, Pudge gives up on life while looking for her, and in the end, he finds the strength to accept that she is gone, but she will not be forgotten. She is more than the sum of her parts, after all.

I think the title fits the story perfectly, but for the sake of answering the question completely, let me break out my creativity. Perhaps something along the lines of "Escaping the Labyrinth" or "Straight & Fast", or even "More Than the Sum of Her Parts" would work, though that last title is aimed specifically toward Alaska which may not be the best way to go about this.

2. Select what you consider to be the most important chapter in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole. 

The most important "chapter" of the novel would be the chapter where Pudge finds out that Alaska has died. It is important because it brings everything into perspective and sets the rest of the story in motion. Alaska, his best friend and his love, is gone. She has passed on, never to return, and this shatters Pudge. This also begins his journey and investigation to find out exactly what happened to her. This is where he begins looking for Alaska. This ultimately leads to Pudge's epiphany at the end of the novel that Alaska was more than just the sum of her parts, or the things that she loved or the things that she did. As long as he remembers her, she will never be forgotten. The chapter where Alaska's death is revealed is the pivotal moment of the story, and it leads to the closure (well, almost closure) that was needed.

3. Select what you consider to be the most important quotation in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole.

While there are so many amazing quotes in Looking for Alaska, the most important is "We had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth", which Pudge says on page 218. This explains the entirety of the story. The point is that life can really suck, and there is pain and suffering everywhere that everyone feels (the labyrinth). People become trapped in this labyrinth and fight to find a way out. But the only real way out is forgiveness. Alaska would forgive all of the guys for doing the stupid thing and letting her leave in the state she was in. Pudge ultimately forgives Alaska for leaving them, which helps him cope and let go of some of his pain and his grief over her death. This quote shows that the only true way to make it in life is to learn to forgive and let go of the things you cannot control.

4. Select what you consider to be the most important symbol or image in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole. 

I believe that the most important symbol in the story was the white flowers that Alaska always had or was always doodling. These symbolized so much for her; they symbolized both her relationship with Jake, and her mother's death (her mother liked white flowers). It is theorized that the doodle of the flowers Alaska created while on the phone with Jake was what made her snap, which lead up to Pudge's loss of her, his attempts to find her, and his ultimate acceptance and forgiveness of her death. The white flowers symbolize forgiveness, in a way, as well. They reminded Alaska of her mother, and though she didn't forgive herself for her death, I believe she forgave her mother for leaving her, and forgiveness is what the story is entirely about.

8. Relate some aspect, character, event, chapter, or quotation in the novel to something of importance in your own life.

Pudge's quote about having to forgive to survive in the labyrinth has had a great impact on me, personally. I carry around so many things that I shouldn't carry with me. I feel so many things and I hold grudges against myself for things that are not my fault. I make myself feel so much pain, and I shouldn't. This quote made me see that if I'm going to survive in this world, I have to forgive myself for some of these things. I need to let these things go before they make me worse.

I also really relate to Alaska and her inner struggle with wanting out. She spoke about death and finding her way out quite a bit, and I understand exactly how she feels. I often struggle with life and balancing my fears and the fact that I desperately want out.

14. Relate some aspect, character, event, chapter, or quotation in the novel to another novel you have read.

I'm going to take the easy way out and relate this novel to Perks of Being a Wallflower. Pudge certainly reminds me of Charlie, in the sense that they are both dealing with change and hope, and they both have to learn to forgive so that they can survive in life.

Alaska reminds me of Sam, in the sense that they are both seemingly unlikeable characters who have very dark pasts and have struggled in life.

Alaska's death reminds me of Aunt Helen's death in Perks, mainly because both deaths send the main character of the stories on a journey that ultimately leads to forgiveness and acceptance. Both Charlie and Pudge realize that in order for them to keep living, they will have to forgive the people that hurt them the most and left them hurt and broken. They realize that everything will be okay, in time, once they extend this forgiveness.

Song Analysis

Daydream by Smashing Pumpkins
Daydream is a song about a person going into a worsening state of mind, to the point that they consider their own self as crazy. I feel that this song is mainly about the fact that what's in a person's head is theirs, and they don't need feelings from anyone else. "I'm going crazy, I'm going crazy. I don't want feelings. Your feelings." This describes Charlie's situation perfectly - he doesn't want anyone else to pity him, or feel bad for him, or to pretend they care. He doesn't need their forced emotions and fake feelings of empathy. He would rather suffer with what he has locked in his head, because that, at least, is completely his.

Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues
Nights in White Satin is about someone who is going through life, seeing everything around them, and wishing for things they don't have. They talk about love, they talk about aging, children, hope... and these seem to be things they don't have. "Nights in white satin, never reaching the end. Letters I've written, never meaning to send. Beauty I'd always missed with these eyes before. Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore." This shows Charlie's confusion with life; he doesn't know what is real and what isn't anymore - he can't seem to differentiate between the two. He has locked away feelings that are trying to bubble up, but he still won't let out. "Gazing at people, some hand in hand. Just what I'm going through they can't understand. Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend. Just what you want to be, you will be in the end." This is the most important part of the song. This is a cry for help, on Charlie's behalf. Nobody understands him, or what he is dealing with. He needs to believe that where he goes and who he becomes is his own decision to make.

More Perks of Being a Wallflower

I feel that the entire meaning of the book is finding yourself - discovering who you are, where you're going, what you want to be, and coping with life. I think that that is what it's all about. The characters are struggling to do this. They're learning. They're accepting themselves and their lives and going on with it, toward who and what they want to be.

I think the movie both emphasizes this and shifts the meaning a little bit, at the same time. It highlights very well the fact that the characters are finding themselves and learning to live. It emphasizes that aspect extremely well. The movie also hits upon life as a whole and how much it can suck and how much it can hurt. It pretty much shows the ups and downs, and that life can be horrible and awful, and that it can be wonderful.

Letter Response - (Part 4  April 29, 1992)

 Dear Charlie,

I understand what you're going through. I really understand, even if the thought of someone being able to understand seems appalling to you. I've been where you are; I know what it's like when it feels like nothing is the same, or nothing will ever be the same again. It hurts.

Avoiding life is not the answer, Charlie. I wish I could tell you that shoving it all away would fix things, but distance always seems to make everything worse. I know that from personal experience. You can only hide from your problems for so long...

People are a mystery, Charlie. Most of them you will never understand. In very rare cases, some of them will let you in just enough to really know them, to really see how they think and feel about their lives. Everyone feels pain, too. It's unavoidable. There's so much of it, but most of us just don't see it all the time like you do. Sometimes I feel like my life is horrible, but if it wasn't the way it is, I wouldn't know my friends. I wouldn't know these wonderful people, and I wouldn't have some of the good experiences that I have. It's bittersweet. You have to put up with the pain to get the little bits of good that are hidden in life.

You are a wallflower, Charlie. You're watching and noticing everything, even the tiny little details that other people seem to miss, and it's hitting you hard. You're too observant for your own good, but there's nothing you can do to change that. Life... is life. Bad things happen to good people, and those who deserve the good rarely ever get it. It's twisted and scary to think about, but it's the truth. It rains most on the people who deserve to see the sun. It's raining on you, Charlie, but your sun is right around the corner, I promise.

I wish I could tell you that everyone is good deep down, or that everyone is capable of being your friend, but I would be lying if I told you that. In all honesty, people can really suck sometimes, especially the ones you seem to keep meeting. They judge what they don't understand, and you're something they don't understand. They bully you. They harass you. But you're not alone; I've been there, too. I wish I could tell you that it gets better overnight, but that's a lie, too. It takes a lot of time and patience and acceptance, but better times do come. Just hang in there.

I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that pain is everywhere. Everyone feels it, and everyone feels it differently. You notice more of it than others do, and it's getting to you, Charlie. It's eating away at you, but it shouldn't. I believe you're avoiding your own life and focusing on the bad things in others' lives. That's no way to live - believe me, I've tried. I've tried so hard.

Stop letting them walk all over you. Stop letting their judgements rule you. They are not you. They don't know you. They don't know your story, or what you've went through, or the hell you deal with inside your own head. They. Don't. Know. They. Are. Wrong. Believe me. It took me forever to understand that (honestly, I still can't process it completely...), but it's the truth, Charlie. It's going to take time, but you will learn eventually. It might be bad now, things might be getting bad again, but they eventually have to get better, don't they? Things can't stay bad forever, can they? I think I'm trying to assure myself of this as much as I'm trying to assure you of it. I think we both need to know this, really know it. Maybe then we'll be okay.

I just want you to know that I care, Charlie. And your friends care. And even though they don't show it, your family cares, too. You are not alone. You are not a lost cause. You will be okay. Promise.

Love,
Your Friend

One Song

If I could give one song to any one person - or in my case, two people - I would choose Perfect by Pink. I would give this song to my two best friends, McKayla and Elizabeth. "Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect. Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me." I just want them both to know that they are perfect and they are wonderful and that I love them immensely, with every fiber of my being. ❤