What do graceful swans and mysterious Alaska Young have to do with each other? A lot, actually! The first connection starts off with the dean of the boarding school, known infamously as the Eagle, who uses the swan and Alaska to maintain order on school grounds. There is a single, solitary swan who lives out on the lake by the school, and it is quite a vicious creature. The Eagle benefits from the swan acting as a guard on the lake, preventing students to come into or near the lake, thus maintaining order and safety. As for Alaska Young, she "rats out" her room mate for illegal behaviour, and thus preserves the school rules, which is in the Eagle's interests.
Another connection is about Miles "Pudge" Halter's and his relationships with the swan and Alaska. Both have hurt Pudge, but in different ways. The swan is more physical with it's torture of Pudge, and just bites him on his gluteus maximus, causing him severe pain. Alaska hits Pudge from multiple perspectives and with a longer lasting impact. The first hit was existing, to be completely honest! For Pudge, she was an unattainable beauty, never destined to be his, though he did try and he did nearly succeed. He fails when Alaska crashes Pudge to an oblivion again, with her tragic death. Pudge believed he was truly in love at that point, so her death was an unbearable heartbreak for him.
Yet another link is both the swan's and Alaska's tragic past. The swan had suffered abuse at a young age, and now reacts violently to any humans who come near it. Alaska's deplorable antiquity followed her into her present, what with her homelessness and near-orphan-status. Alaska also suffers from depression (see the illustration below of one of her quotes) and the swan seems to suffer from an animalistic form of PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder.
The final relation is a fairly broad one. Swans are typically seen as majestic, beautiful and passive creatures who dwell on the foundations of love, peace, and purity. On the surface, Alaska is just the same, especially as Pudge initially perceives. Once Pudge gets to know Alaska better, he realizes her moodiness and her perpetually and increasingly complex persona. Pudge truly loved Alaska's exterior allure and humor, as humans love the swans' beauty and symbolism. In reality, both are much more complicated and convoluted than most perceive.
Another connection is about Miles "Pudge" Halter's and his relationships with the swan and Alaska. Both have hurt Pudge, but in different ways. The swan is more physical with it's torture of Pudge, and just bites him on his gluteus maximus, causing him severe pain. Alaska hits Pudge from multiple perspectives and with a longer lasting impact. The first hit was existing, to be completely honest! For Pudge, she was an unattainable beauty, never destined to be his, though he did try and he did nearly succeed. He fails when Alaska crashes Pudge to an oblivion again, with her tragic death. Pudge believed he was truly in love at that point, so her death was an unbearable heartbreak for him.
Yet another link is both the swan's and Alaska's tragic past. The swan had suffered abuse at a young age, and now reacts violently to any humans who come near it. Alaska's deplorable antiquity followed her into her present, what with her homelessness and near-orphan-status. Alaska also suffers from depression (see the illustration below of one of her quotes) and the swan seems to suffer from an animalistic form of PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder.
The final relation is a fairly broad one. Swans are typically seen as majestic, beautiful and passive creatures who dwell on the foundations of love, peace, and purity. On the surface, Alaska is just the same, especially as Pudge initially perceives. Once Pudge gets to know Alaska better, he realizes her moodiness and her perpetually and increasingly complex persona. Pudge truly loved Alaska's exterior allure and humor, as humans love the swans' beauty and symbolism. In reality, both are much more complicated and convoluted than most perceive.