The Fault In Our Stars
Connection between the title and the book
The book's title, The Fault in Our Stars, comes from a line in Shakespeare's play in Julius Caesar
where Cassius says, "The fault, dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are
underlings." Cassius seems to be saying that it's not fate that dooms men, but instead their own
failings. That's right: according to this guy, you are to blame for the nastiness in your life.
Van Houten argues that Shakespeare was wrong about this. He therefore thinks that it is a twist of
fate that people are small and insignificant. Augustus and Hazel could have lived full lives, but
because of a flaw in their stars (the fate that determined that they get cancer) they are limited.
But the beauty of the message is that they can still live and make their decisions despite the fault in
their stars, even when they know the inevitable fate that awaits them.
Main characters
Hazel Grace Lancaster is a sixteen-year-old girl with cancer. She has short dark blonde hair which she
always tucks back. She usually wears loose clothes that are comfortable because she is mostly
indoors. Her nails are always painted dark, and she always has two tubes in her nose that go into an
oxygen machine with a long cord. She loves to read and write, and she is very clever. You never have
to try to outsmart her because you know she will win. She is sweet and modest, and she feels like
she is hurting everyone with her existence.
Augustus Waters is a boy of sixteen, when he was fifteen he suffered from bone cancer for a year
and a half. He lost one of his legs because of this. He no longer has cancer in his body, and he is 'on a
roller coaster that only goes up'. Before he became ill, he was a basketball player and earned a lot of
prizes with this. He is very fond of video games about zombies and other monsters, and also likes to
read about them. He was open to reading Hazel's favourite book, even though it is not the type of
book he would normally like. Augustus is very funny and romantic, for example he goes picnicking in
the park, or he goes to Amsterdam with Hazel because he is so in love with her. August has invented
a special way together with Hazel to express their love for each other. The word 'okay' means for
them, I love you. So when they hang up the phone they say 'Okay' several times in a row to tell each
other how much they love each other.
Isaac is August's best friend and a good friend of Hazel. Isaac has dark brown hair and thick glasses
on his nose. Isaac also has cancer and because of that he only has one eye, he can use all the help he
can get to see better. Isaac is very funny, and always makes jokes about his handicap. He brought
August to the discussion group because he thought it would be fun to show him. So Isaac is actually
the reason why Hazel and Augustus met. In the first few chapters, Isaac has a girlfriend called
Monica. He is very happy with her, and is head over heels in love. But after chapter two, Isaac is told
that he is going to lose his other eye as well, and so Monica breaks up with him. He was very sad and
started hanging out with Hazel and August again.
Favourite character
I really like Hazel, so I was pretty stoked to have her as my narrator. She's always infusing her own
thoughts and personality into the story. This girl doesn't hold back.
Connection between the title and the book
The book's title, The Fault in Our Stars, comes from a line in Shakespeare's play in Julius Caesar
where Cassius says, "The fault, dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are
underlings." Cassius seems to be saying that it's not fate that dooms men, but instead their own
failings. That's right: according to this guy, you are to blame for the nastiness in your life.
Van Houten argues that Shakespeare was wrong about this. He therefore thinks that it is a twist of
fate that people are small and insignificant. Augustus and Hazel could have lived full lives, but
because of a flaw in their stars (the fate that determined that they get cancer) they are limited.
But the beauty of the message is that they can still live and make their decisions despite the fault in
their stars, even when they know the inevitable fate that awaits them.
Main characters
Hazel Grace Lancaster is a sixteen-year-old girl with cancer. She has short dark blonde hair which she
always tucks back. She usually wears loose clothes that are comfortable because she is mostly
indoors. Her nails are always painted dark, and she always has two tubes in her nose that go into an
oxygen machine with a long cord. She loves to read and write, and she is very clever. You never have
to try to outsmart her because you know she will win. She is sweet and modest, and she feels like
she is hurting everyone with her existence.
Augustus Waters is a boy of sixteen, when he was fifteen he suffered from bone cancer for a year
and a half. He lost one of his legs because of this. He no longer has cancer in his body, and he is 'on a
roller coaster that only goes up'. Before he became ill, he was a basketball player and earned a lot of
prizes with this. He is very fond of video games about zombies and other monsters, and also likes to
read about them. He was open to reading Hazel's favourite book, even though it is not the type of
book he would normally like. Augustus is very funny and romantic, for example he goes picnicking in
the park, or he goes to Amsterdam with Hazel because he is so in love with her. August has invented
a special way together with Hazel to express their love for each other. The word 'okay' means for
them, I love you. So when they hang up the phone they say 'Okay' several times in a row to tell each
other how much they love each other.
Isaac is August's best friend and a good friend of Hazel. Isaac has dark brown hair and thick glasses
on his nose. Isaac also has cancer and because of that he only has one eye, he can use all the help he
can get to see better. Isaac is very funny, and always makes jokes about his handicap. He brought
August to the discussion group because he thought it would be fun to show him. So Isaac is actually
the reason why Hazel and Augustus met. In the first few chapters, Isaac has a girlfriend called
Monica. He is very happy with her, and is head over heels in love. But after chapter two, Isaac is told
that he is going to lose his other eye as well, and so Monica breaks up with him. He was very sad and
started hanging out with Hazel and August again.
Favourite character
I really like Hazel, so I was pretty stoked to have her as my narrator. She's always infusing her own
thoughts and personality into the story. This girl doesn't hold back.
