The Fault In Our Stars: Book Analysis

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Taking a class in Death and Dying never sounded like a fun endeavor, but I still enrolled in the class with the hope that it would help me better understand how people deal with death. I have had a positive experience with this course, and was lucky enough to solidify some of the themes we discussed in class while reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The story follows a young girl named Hazel Grace, who has a fatal form of cancer. The book follows not only her view of the story, but also involves her family, her cancer support group, and a boy named Augustus.
The story begins with introductions from Hazel and a brief overview of her life. She is 16, and was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. However, the cancer eventually spread to her …show more content…

When they arrive, they discover that Van Houten is extremely rude and not what the pair had imagined. Van Houten’s assistant had orchestrated the whole visit, as she thought Van Houten would benefit. Van Houten turns out to be a drunk and pompous, and full of himself. Hazel continues to try to get the answers she so desperately needs, but Van Houten is rude and makes mean remarks about Hazel and Augustus. The trip goes horribly and none of Hazel’s questions are answered.
Van Houten’s assistant apologizes for Van Houten, and takes Hazel and Augustus on a trip to the Anne Frank house. This scene is a momentus triumph, as Hazel’s trouble breathing almost makes her black out a number of times, but she overcomes to climb all the stairs in the house and see the final level of exhibits. They kiss and the people in the room cheer for them. Following their kiss, they go back to their hotel room and make love for the first time.
The next day Augustus makes a huge confession to Hazel: he is sick again, and pet scans have revealed cancer has spread all across his body. He tells Hazel though, that he is going to fight it and win and be around for a very long time to annoy her. They discuss Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the meaning of dying and illness with each

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