The Fault in our Stars

John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars (2012) speaks from the perspective of Hazel Grace Lancaster, a teenager combating cancer, who meets Augustus Waters at a cancer support group where they become friends and eventually fall in love. Augustus, who also has a history with cancer, is quickly intrigued by Hazel and as their relationship continues to grow he plans a trip to Amsterdam where the two will meet Peter Van Houten, a writer Hazel deeply admires but is revealed to be a complete failure. The novel as a whole addresses themes of love, sacrifice, commitment, and education as the two teenagers discover themselves in this coming-of-age novel. Green’s text is not centred on the traditional educational setting of campus life but rather focuses on how these characters obtain higher knowledge of themselves and the world around them through their experiences as a couple which impacts them as individuals.  

The novel offers readers a glimpse into the life of cancer patients and how it shapes the way they see themselves and their relationships. At the beginning of the novel, Hazel is someone who is guarded and refrains from obtaining close relationships with those around her because she believes it will cause harm to those she cares for when she eventually passes due to her terminal illness. Hazel references herself as a “grenade” waiting to explode and hurt those around her; the grenade being as a metaphor for the cancer that is consuming her body and will eventually take her life (p. 99). However, once she meets Augustus her perspective begins to shift as she reaches a higher understanding of who she is; despite being a college student, there are many things she is unaware of with regards to her self-worth and value. For instance, during her first conversation with Augustus after the support group meeting, he immediately tells Hazel “you’re beautiful. I enjoy looking at beautiful people, and I decided a while ago not to deny myself the simpler pleasures of existence” (p. 16). Hazel’s reaction to denying her beauty shows how she lacks in her self-awareness and does not her see herself in such a positive light. At this point in the novel, it is evident that Hazel’s self-image is tainted because she sees herself only as a cancer patient. Augustus at the beginning of the novel is a character who supports Hazel as she endures phases of serious illness, hospital visits and emotional pain however, the roles reverse as Augustus must also fight cancer.

Augustus reaches higher knowledge as the novel progresses when he too battles cancer which clouds how he sees himself and the value of his life. Hazel, who begins as someone that needs support, becomes a source of guidance and love for Augustus as he faces emotional and physical constraints as cancer grows in his body. This becomes a rude awakening for Augustus as he learns that he should accept what life has given him and be content with the impact his life made on those close to him. Hazel reminds Augustus of this by encouraging him in stating, “You get to battle cancer” and adds, “That is your battle. And you’ll keep fighting” (p. 216). The couple at this point reaches its breaking point as failing health contributes to the deterioration of Augustus and also signals the near end of the couple’s journey together. Augustus soon becomes hopeless as he realizes the cancer has restricted his ability to be independent as shown in stating, “I hate myself I hate myself I hate this I hate this I disgust myself I hate it I hate it I hate it just let me fucking die” (p. 245). This is told to Hazel not too long before Augustus’ eventual death as he is unable to fight any longer.

            For readers, the death of Augustus serves as a lesson of the unjust nature of life and how “the world is not a wish granting factory” (p. 121). Despite Augustus’s desire to die in an honourable way, he learns through his relationship with Hazel that his life was honourable as his actions and intentions were good. This text repeatedly uses failure or unexpected twists to show readers the unexpected nature of life and relationships. Hazel’s sickness, Augustus’s terminal cancer, their friend Issac’s blindness, and the successful yet shallow writer Peter Van Houten, all serve as signifiers of the cruel and unfair nature of life. Through the lens of education, Hazel and Augustus each show the attainment of higher knowledge through overcoming obstacles within their relationship rooted in their sickness. For Hazel, she begins as a young woman who is insecure and full of doubt until Augustus brings her new insights into the frailty of life and to see it as an adventure. For Augustus, he is consumed by honour and the aspiration of being remembered for greatness which he realizes is an unattainable desire as Hazel teaches him to be content with the impact he has made on those around him. Neither of these individuals would have reached a level of higher understanding and self-awareness unless they were terminally ill and met one another.

For young readers, this text is one that is popular as it falls into the genre of romance and tragedy. In 2014, the novel became a film and its popularity grew even further. Although this story includes many useful lessons and memorable messages it is guilty of romanticizing cancer, more specifically young people fighting this terminal illness. The Fault in Our Stars despite being a romance is also a bit of a fantasy as it does not feature the harsh reality of living and coping with cancer. The idea of travelling overseas with the love of your life who also is combating cancer falls into the trap of what most films and literature do, romanticize illness and tragic deaths. One can argue that the writer intended to humanize cancer patients by showing that they too are capable of love and pain however, exaggeration does play a role here. Hazel and Augustus’s growth is not rooted in the self alone but through their journey in falling in love despite being ill; this causes readers to be invested in this couple due to the hope of them beating the odds. Overall, it can be argued that this work has become so popular and mainstream because of its wishful and hopeful nature as readers feel emotionally invested in the characters’ journey of self-discovery and higher knowledge.