Plot of Falling of the stars The story takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana, where sixteen-year-old Hazel Grace Lancaster reluctantly attends a cancer patients support group at her mothers behest. Because of her cancer, she uses a portable oxygen tank to breathe adequately. In one of the meetings she catches the eye of a teenage boy, and through the course of the meeting she learns the boys name is Augustus Waters. Hes there to support their mutual friend, Isaac. Isaac had a tumor in one eye that he had removed, and now he has to have his other eye taken out as well. After the meeting ends, Augustus approaches Hazel and tells her she looks like Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta . He invites Hazel to his house to watch the movie, and while hanging out, the two discuss their experiences with cancer. Hazel reveals she has thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Augustus had osteosarcoma, but he is now cancer-free after having his leg amputated. Before Augustus takes Hazel home, they agree to read each others favorite novels. Augustus gives Hazel The Price of Dawn , and Hazel recommends An Imperial Affliction . Hazel explains the magnificence of An Imperial Affliction : it is a novel about a girl named Anna who has cancer, and its the only account shes read of living with cancer that matches her experience. She describes how the novel maddeningly ends mid-sentence, denying the reader closure about the fate of the novels characters. She speculates about the novels mysterious author, Peter Van Houten, who fled to Amsterdam after the novel was published and hasnt been heard from since. A week after Hazel and Augustus discuss the literary meaning of An Imperial Affliction , Augustus miraculously reveals he tracked down Van Houtens assistant, Lidewij, and through her hes managed to start an email correspondence with the reclusive author. He shares Van Houtens letter with Hazel, and she devises a list of questions to send Van Houten, hoping to clear up the novels ambiguous conclusion. Hazel is most concerned with the fate of Annas mother. She figures that if Annas mother survives her daughters death, then her own parents will be all right after Hazel dies. Van Houten eventually replies, saying he could only answer Hazels questions in person. He invites her to stop by if she is ever in Amsterdam. Shortly after, Augustus invites Hazel on a picnic. It turns out hes planned an elaborate Dutch-themed picnic where he reveals that a charitable foundation that grants the wishes of kids with cancer has agreed to grant his: hes taking the two of them to Amsterdam to meet Van Houten. She is thrilled, but when he touches her face she feels hesitant for some reason. Over time she realizes that she likes him a lot, but she knows shell hurt him when she dies. She compares herself to a grenade. In the midst of her struggle over what to do about Augustus, Hazel suffers a serious episode in which her lungs fill with fluid and she goes to the ICU. When she is released after a period of days, she learns that Augustus never left the hospitals waiting room. He delivers Hazel another letter from Van Houten, this one more personal and more cryptic than the last. After reading the letter, Hazel is more determined than ever to go to Amsterdam. There is a problem though: her parents and her team of doctors dont think Hazel is strong enough to travel. The situation seems hopeless until one of the physicians most familiar with her case, Dr. Maria, convinces Hazels parents that Hazel must travel because she needs to live her life. The plans are made for Augustus, Hazel and Hazels mother to go to Amsterdam, but when Hazel and Augustus meet Van Houten they find that, instead of a prolific genius, he is a mean-spirited drunk who claims he cannot answer any of Hazels questions. The two leave Van Houtens in utter disappointment, and, accompanied by Lidewij, who feels horrified by Van Houtens behavior, they tour Anne Franks house. At the end of the tour, Augustus and Hazel share a romantic kiss, to the applause of spectators. They then head back to the hotel, where they make love for the first time. The following day, Augustus confesses that while Hazel was in the ICU he had a body scan which revealed his cancer has returned and spread everywhere. They return to Indianapolis, and Hazel realizes Augustus is now the grenade. As his condition worsens he is less prone to his typical charm and confidence. He becomes vulnerable and scared, but is still a beautiful boy in Hazels mind. As this change occurs, she ceases calling him Augustus and starts referring to him as just Gus, as his parents do. Hazel recognizes that she loves him now as much as ever. Augustus condition deteriorates quickly. In his final days Augustus arranges a pre-funeral for himself, and Isaac and Hazel give eulogies. Hazel steals a line from Van Houten about larger and smaller infinities. She says how much she loves Augustus, and that she would not trade their short time together for anything in the world. Augustus dies eight days later. Hazel is astonished to find Van Houten at the funeral. Van Houten explains that he and Gus maintained correspondence and that Augustus demanded Van Houten make up for ruining the trip to Amsterdam by coming to his funeral to see Hazel. Van Houten abstractly reveals the fate of Annas mother, but Hazel is not interested. A few days later, Isaac informs Hazel that Augustus was writing something for her. He had hinted about writing a sequel to An Imperial Affliction for her, and as Hazel scrambles to locate the pages she encounters Van Houten once more. He drunkenly reveals that Anna was the name of his daughter. She died of cancer when she was eight, and An Imperial Affliction was his literary attempt at reconciling himself with her death. Hazel tells Van Houten to sober up and write another book. Eventually Hazel learns that Augustus sent the pages to Van Houten because he wanted Van Houten to use the pages to compose a well-written eulogy about Hazel. Lidewij forces Van Houten to read the pages and sends them straight off to Hazel. The novel concludes with Hazel reading Augustus words. He says getting hurt in this world is inevitable, but we do get to choose who we allow to hurt us, and that he is happy with his choice. He hopes she likes her choice too. The final words of the novel come from Hazel, who says she does. Writing Green stated that the first inspiration for The Fault in Our Stars came from when he worked as a student chaplain at a childrens hospital. He found the children to be as human as healthy people, and wanted to capture the feeling that the stories that I was reading sort of oversimplified and sometimes even dehumanized them. And I think generally we have a habit of imagining the very sick or the dying as being kind of fundamentally other. I guess I wanted to argue for their humanity, their complete humanity. [2] He was initially intimidated by the idea and knew that it was not his story to tell, but said he has received positive comments from sick children. [2] The novel was also influenced by Esther Earl, a girl whom Green was friends with who died when she was 16 years old of thyroid cancer. [3] Green credits Earl for inspiring him to finally write the book, as she demonstrated how a short life could also be a full one. Green was able to add the humor he wanted to the story, as in 2000 when he received the inspiration at the hospital he was too angry at people dying young that he did not feel he would be able to capture the complexity of their lives. [3] In its early stages, the novel was about a group of young cancer patients who formed a Dead Persons Society, and would sneak out to convene in a cave near the childrens hospital. [4] The birth of his first child during the writing process also influenced The Fault in Our Stars , as it allowed him to understand the love between parent and child. [4] Green once considered writing the story from Isaacs point of view, as it fit into the epic genre , going so far as the storyteller being blind. Ultimately, he decided to use Hazels point of view, as books rarely depict cancer patients from their point of view. [4] Hazels fathers belief that the universe wants to be noticed came from YouTuber Vi Hart , who explained her point of view to Green in conversation. [3][4] Green has stated that the last line of the book, I do, symbolizes marriage because Shakespeares comedies end in marriage and his tragedies end in death, and I was rather fond of the idea that my book could end (symbolically, at least) in both.
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 04:16:51 +0000
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