CREATIVE NONFICTION

Jannah Pulgar
HUMSS 12- Aguinaldo
GUIDE QUESTIONS FOR NOVEL 1

TITLE: The Fault in Our Stars

AUTHOR: John Green

THEME: Love and Friendship

MAJOR CHARACTERS: Hazel Grace Lancaster, Peter Van Houten, Mr. Lancaster, Mrs. Waters, Augustus
Waters, Isaac, Mrs. Lancaster, Mr. Waters

MINOR CHARACTERS: Lidewij Vliegenthart, Patrick, Mr. Lancaster, Kaitlyn, the support group kids,
Augustus’ family.

PROTAGONIST Hazel Grace Lancaster

ANTAGONIST: Cancer

FOIL CAHARACTER: Hazel Grace Lancaster

TERTIARY CHARACTER: None

SUMMARY OF THE NOVEL IN 7 SENTENCES ONLY.

- Hazel Grace Lancaster meets Augustus Waters, a 17-year-old boy with osteosarcoma, at a
cancer patient support group. Augustus gives Hazel the Price of Dawn, and Hazel recommends
An Imperial Affliction, a novel about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna. Augustus is frustrated
when he learns the novel's author, Peter van Houten, has not been heard from since.
Augustus tracks down Van Houten's assistant, Lidewij, and they start an e-mail
correspondence. Augustus surprises Hazel with tickets to Amsterdam, acquired through the
Make-A-Wish Foundation. Hazel and Augustus meet Van Houten, who is a mean-spirited
alcoholic. Lidewij resigns and takes them to the Anne Frank House, where they share their
first kiss and lose their virginity.

Questions:
1. Why did the author write this book?

- He was inspired by his early work as a children's chaplain at a hospital and his friendship with
one of his fans – 16-year-old Esther Earl, who died of thyroid cancer almost four years ago.
2. The author discusses the differences between myths and symbolism.

- The author discusses the danger of wrapping experiences with illness in myths and symbolism.
3. Do any of the characters remind you of someone in your life? How is this story like any other
story you know?
- Yes, Hazel Grace Lancaster has reminded me someone in my life, my best friend’s name Kayla
has a lung cancer too and died 3 years ago.

4. How are the characters, setting, and problems connected to your life?
- Having depression is not good, so I amuse myself with things especially when my anxiety
attacks me.

5. Could the setting be a real place that exists in our time?

- If we have regrets that prevent us from letting go, I honestly don't believe in the locations
where our deceased loved ones reside.

6. Is the place important to the story? How?

- The setting of a story is important because it informs the reader about the time location and
environment which the story takes place.

7. Are there any powerful characters in the story? What makes them that way?
- Yes, Hazel has a lung cancer and she have a depression because of his pain and Augustus
Waters died eight days after his pre-burial, at Memorial, in the ICU, when the cancer, which
was like him, finally stopped his heart.

8. How does the author/illustrator reveal the character? (Look at what the character does, things,
or says; or what others say about the character.)
- “You are not a grenade, not to us. Thinking about you dying makes us sad, Hazel, but you are
not a grenade. You are amazing. You can’t know, sweetie, because you’ve never had a baby
become a brilliant young reader with a side interest in horrible television shows.”

9. How did the author begin the story to engage the reader?
- Hazel Grace Lancaster starts her story by telling us that her mother thinks she's depressed.
Hazel doesn't deny that she's a little fixated on death. She considers just about everything,
including her cancer, a side effect of dying. Her mother and doctor agreed she should attend a
weekly cancer support group.

10. What is the story problem? How do you think it will be solved?
- major conflict Hazel struggles to figure out how to live her life and find meaning in it as first
she and then more urgently boy she loves face terminal cancer.

11. What is the author’s message?

- Love and friendship are the primary themes of 'The Fault in Our Stars’. ' Throughout the novel,
John Green showed how Hazel and Augustus sailed through their love for each other. The
story focused on its primary character's relationship and showed how it slowly progressed
from mutual friendship to love.
12. Who tells the story? Is this the best person to tell it? Why?
- This story is all Hazel's. It makes perfect sense that the story would be told from her first-
person perspective because she has such an internalized life. She really is in her own little
worlds. We really like Hazel, so we're stoked to have her as our narrator.

13. What images did the writing evoke? How did the author use language to evoke images?
- The author evokes Imagery so that the reader can imagine what is happening in the story.

14. What is the genre? How do you know?

- Young adult novel realistic fiction, The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 American coming-of-age
romance film directed by Josh Boone, based on John Green's 2012 novel of the same name.
15. What new information have you learned from the book?

- It improves my vocabulary by introducing to me a new word. The more I read, the more my
vocabulary grows, along with my ability to effectively communicate. Additionally, reading
improves writing skills by helping me to understand and learn different writing styles.