The Fault in Our Lives by Cooper

The Fault in Our Lives by Cooper - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” As John Green states in this quote from his book "The Fault in Our Stars", some books have a huge impact on our minds. The Fault in Our Stars conveys a message that all teenagers must learn before graduating high school: Carpe Diem, live every moment like it is your last and enjoy every minute of it.

The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS) is about a young girl named Hazel who is diagnosed with type 4 thyroid cancer and metastasis in her lungs. She becomes depressed and soon practically wishes for her death until she meets Augustus Waters, another cancer patient. Gus is obsessed with the fact that his cancer prevents him from not making a great enough impact on the world before he faces oblivion (death). He is, however, one who lives in the moment. He takes Hazel to Amsterdam to meet her favorite author along with other spontaneous activities such as themed picnic lunches and reading comic books. After learning that his cancer is terminal, Gus does not stop his lifestyle and he continues his relationship with Hazel while teaching her to live life to the fullest. When Gus dies, Hazel tells their friends that "You [Augustus] gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful.”

John Green teaches teenagers that no matter how short life is, we all have every opportunity to do whatever we want to, no matter what stands in our way, let it be cancer, race, sexuality, etc. Everyone should learn this before they graduate because some people focus on the material aspects of everything when they should be glorifying the idea of life itself.