1. The exposition is the opening of the story when the struggle of being a teenager with a terminal illness is explained and described through the voice of Hazel. We see how her diagnosis of cancer has changed her life. Her attitude towards school, her parents, her peers, and life in general has been greatly altered since she became ill.
The rising action begins when she meets Augustus Waters in the support group that her mother makes her attend. They realize the connection instantly and their relationship grows into a flirty adventure really quickly. Meeting Augustus, or Gus, gives Hazel a new meaning to life and gives her something to look forward to each day. It adds a bit of excitement to her rather boring and dreary life. As the two grow closer and closer, Augustus becomes in contact with Hazel's favorite author and without her knowledge, gets him to agree to send them to Amsterdam for a chance to meet the author and ask him about the ending to the book, something that Hazel had always wanted to do. The climax takes place entirely in Amsterdam. When they meet the author, Peter Van Houton, they are completely disappointed to find him as a drunk who holds little to none of the answers that they were hoping and searching for. This was tragic to Hazel and let her down in a way they had not seen coming. Also in Amsterdam, Hazel and Augustus become more intimate with one another, and then Augustus delivers the news of his returning cancer to Hazel which was not easy for the both of them to come to terms with. The falling action of the story corresponds with the falling health of Augustus. His condition only becomes worse and worse, and in the blink of an eye both of their worlds fall apart. Hazel had always thought that she would be the one leaving the earth too soon and had never imagined that she would be the one left to suffer a loved one's death, especially not Augustus'.
2. Although it may be the most obvious, I believe that love is the biggest and most important theme of the story. Before finding eachother, Hazel especially didn't believe in happiness. She just thought that she was living to die. It wasn't until she met Augustus and developed a relationship with him, that she found something to live for. In him she found the meaning of life, she found the feeling that she needed to realize how important she was. Their love for one another allowed them to get much more than they had ever hoped possible. Not only was their love for eachother overwhelming but also the love from everyone around them. Its evident in the story how important our families and loved ones are.
3. Hazel's tone was very spunky and at times also very sarcastic.
-I didn't tell him that the diagnosis came three months after I got my first period. Like: Congratulations! You're a woman. Now die.
- went to Support Group for the same reason that I'd once allowed nurses with a mere eighteen months of graduate education to poison me with exotically named chemicals: I wanted to make my parents happy.
-I laughed again, and told him that having most of your social engagements occur at a children's hospital also did not encourage promiscuity.
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Hazel is mostly expressed through indirect characterization because we really only know her from her very own thoughts, we don't get to hear her described through the original thoughts of anyone besides herself. August on the other hand I believe is expressed through both indirect and direct characterization. He's revealed through his speech, actions, and appearance which is told through Hazel's own perspective but he is also revealed by the use of descriptive adjectives and phrases as well. The parents of both Hazel and Augustus are revealed through indirect characterization.
2. The syntax and diction remains pretty constant between all of the characters. They all speak in complete sentences consisting of witty comments and deep thoughts.
3. Hazel is the protagonist and she is a dynamic round character. She changes drastically throughout the story. She goes from being someone who has accepted her fate and doesn't do much about it. She moped around not seeing the point in trying each and everyday when she knew her outcome would be the same. Augustus came around and she saw the point in living her life and became a person who was open to love and to live.
4. This was one of the only books to ever actually make me cry, and by cry I mean bawl. I was in hysterics at the end of this book. I became so attached to all of the characters, I felt like I actually knew each one. The death of Augustus was absolutely heartbreaking and extremely tough to accept but the growth in Hazel was so inspirational that it didn't really seem fair to be too sad at the end of this story.
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