ends up being a terrible drunk. Hazel and Augustus spend the time together instead, and Hazel realizes she loves Gus.

Hazel is still dealing with her cancer in the novel, and as a result, she considers herself “a grenade”—something that will eventually explode and hurt those who love her. When Augustus reveals that his cancer, supposedly taken care of when his leg was amputated, has returned and spread, Hazel realizes that he is the grenade. Hazel has to live with Gus and deal with his death up close. After his funeral, she reads the obituary that he wrote for her and affirms to herself that she is happy with the choices she has made.

Ultimately, The Fault in Our Stars deals with the idea of choice. In the face of non-choice, death by cancer, the book focuses on the ability of people to make choices in the face of oblivion and death. Augustus touches on this concept in his letter to Van Houten about Hazel’s obituary:

You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers. (Chapter 25)

Hazel realizes that she does like her choice and that it is something that she is going to live with, because her love for Augustus is worth the eventual pain she will feel from his death. The novel is saying that love, a choice we make, is ultimately worth the pain and suffering we experience from dealing with death and oblivion. That sentiment is similar to what Augustus first expresses in Chapter 10 of the novel:

I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you.

The final statement of the novel that goes along with Augustus confessing his love, despite the hurt that might happen, is that even in the face of death, we keep on living while we can. While the characters in the book are facing a tangible death, everyone ultimately faces death existentially, and we make choices to live and love, despite what might eventually happen to us. At the end of the novel, Hazel is still alive, and despite the hurt and the “scar” that Augustus left, she is happy with the choice she made to love Augustus.

One way to approach a literary analysis for The Fault in Our Stars is to determine a central theme of the novel and then choose three ways the author develops that theme to examine. This will become your thesis statement, and you can then structure your paper to align with those techniques of development. A thesis for The Fault in Our Stars might look something like this:

John Green uses the symbolism of water, the allegorical story of An Imperial Affliction, and first-person point of view to develop the theme of life and death.

Using this thesis as an example, your first body paragraph could then examine the ways water is used in the novel to depict the theme of life and death. You might examine the way Hazel's cancer has created an excess of fluid in her lungs, which makes it difficult to breathe. You might also consider the way Hazel compares various experiences to "drowning," such as the moments after Augustus professes his love for her:

It felt like everything was rising up in me, like I was drowning in this weirdly painful joy, but I couldn't say it back.

It is also worth noting that Hazel travels to Amsterdam, a city surrounded by water, in an effort to fulfill a dream of hers. The trip, which was gifted to Augustus because of his own illness, does not turn out as Hazel had planned. This watery setting emphasizes that the unpredictability of others' actions can have devastating consequences. It is also in this watery city that Augustus reveals that his cancer has returned. Also, don't miss the fact that Augustus's last name is Waters.

Your next paragraph, using our thesis as a model, would examine the allegorical implications of An Imperial Affliction as you consider themes of life and death. You will likely want to consider how the ending of this novel contributes to various plot developments and conflicts. Hazel feels that her own life is intimately connected to this story, and her quest for answers takes her to meet the book's author. After Augustus's death, Hazel learns that the author had also endured his own painful loss; since his young daughter's death, Van Houten has lived a rather incomplete life himself, turning to alcohol to alleviate his pain.

Your final body paragraph would then examine the effect of point of view on the theme of life and death. This book is written from a first-person perspective. This makes Hazel's fears and joys much more personal, as readers are able to gain meaningful perspective through her thoughts. Consider Hazel's voice when she logs on to read Augustus's social media page after his death:

Almost all the wall posts, which arrived nearly as fast as I could read them, were written by people I'd never met and whom he'd never spoken about, people who were extolling his various virtues now that he was dead, even though I knew for a fact they hadn't seen him in months and had made no effort to visit him. I wondered if my wall would look like this if I died, or if I'd been out of school and life long enough to escape widespread memorialization.

The rawness of these emotions are effectively conveyed through first-person narration. If the book had been written in the third person, readers would lose Hazel's voice; the same scene might read something like, "Hazel grew irate with the posts on Augustus's page because their authors hadn't attempted to visit him in months."

I hope these ideas help you compose your own analysis. I am linking an eNotes guide to the book below so that you can continue your planning. Best wishes!

For your analysis of Green’s book, you want to consider his message and how he delivers that message. Remember, an analysis is not a summary. Green’s book The Fault in Our Stars is a powerful commentary on living life to the fullest, despite hardships that may arise. His book is not a fairytale or an analogy; he presents an honest look at the realities of life.

As Green addresses cancer, death, fear, and loss, consider how he also promotes a thread of hope throughout the book as the characters look beyond immediate circumstances. Green’s book appeals to the emotions of his readers as he leads them through tragedy and triumph.

His main character, Hazel, realizes that a life doesn’t have to be evaluated by how long it is but how meaningful and rich it is. Gus brought great happiness to her, and although he does end up dying, Hazel learns to be grateful for the time she had with him. Reflect upon all the ways Gus touches Hazel's life, ultimately transforming it. What affects Hazel the most? Why does she change?

Through Hazel, Green challenges his readers to evaluate their own lives and reflect upon their hopes, fears, and daily decisions. He also brings a realistic view to readers that life can be difficult, unfair, heartbreaking, and unpredictable. Ultimately, though, consider how Green asserts that life is a gift to be opened each day.