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Theme Of Identity In The Fault In Our Stars

Decent Essays

To some, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs may seem like a simple understanding of the necessities of man. However, for others, it may seem that people on different levels are more or less human. Hazel, the protagonist in The Fault in Our Stars, thinks so. Hazel is a sixteen-year-old girl with metastases in her lungs, who meets a boy named Augustus with osteosarcoma. They spark a friendship and take adventures together, going to Amsterdam to meet their favorite author. Sadly, their journey ends when Augustus’s life spirals downward, with the book ending with his death. His death and many other events throughout the book affect its characters positively and negatively. These circumstances change one’s identity, as they did with the various friends and family of Augustus Waters. By means within The Fault in Our Stars, John Green tries to express that different experiences create one’s personal identity.

Past experiences can change how characters view the future, such as seeing a situation positively or negatively. When Augustus’s father talks about the people in their life during Gus’s treatment, he says, “Everybody was so kind. Strong, too. In the darkest days, the Lord puts the best people into your life” (Green 28). Augustus’s parents move on from his treatment days, though they still remember them. The filter through which they see their memories is essential. Their family sees the good in past events because they want to live their best life now, before they lose their son

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