Thursday, Sept. 20, Reading Log #1, Topic Choice #1 -Characters
In the book “The Fault in Our Stars”, Hazel Grace Lancaster, Augustus Waters, and Isaac are the main characters of the story. They are important because they all have a different type of cancer and they all go to a support group to hear other kids’ cancer stories. Hazel Grace was not happy to attend support group but her parents made her because they wanted her to meet new people. According to the story, “I 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” (pg. 7-8). This quote shows that Hazel only went to support group to please her parents. Augustus Waters was Isaac's best friend. He was a happy, upbeat person. “Oh, I’m grand. I’m on a roller coaster that only goes up, my friend”, he said to Patrick, the support group leader (pg.11). Isaac was a bit alike to Hazel because he didn’t like to go to support group either. “Each time someone discussed anticancer diets or snorting ground-up shark fin or whatever, he’d glance over at me and sigh ever so slightly” (pg. 6). This shows that Isaac did not like to attend support group and communicated with Hazel about it. Augustus Waters and Isaac are dynamic characters because none of the change their attitude or personality throughout the story. The only thing that changes about Isaac is he loses both of his eyes and is permanently blind. Hazel Grace is static because she went from an insecure, lonely girl to an adventurous and loving person. Hazel Grace, Augustus Waters, and Isaac are the main characters of “The Fault in our Stars.”
Wednesday Sept. 21, Reading Log #2, Topic Choice #2 -Conflict
The main conflict of this story is Augustus has a bad cancer and it spread all over his body and he is going to die soon. The problem started when he was detected with osteosarcoma cancer. Before leaving to a special trip with Hazel, he had a PET scan appointment and it showed cancer all over his body. This is a conflict because Augustus was Hazel’s first love and he was the first person to make her feel happy since she was detected with her disease. This is a problem that affects Hazel because she will feel alone and go back to her old ways without Augustus around. He doesn’t feel happy about it because he knows he has a certain amount of time alive but he tries to make them the best days when he’s with Hazel and Isaac. The conflict is both internal and external because Augustus and both of his friends know that he is dying inside but they all act as if cancer didn’t exist is his body. According to the book, it says, “Don’t worry about me Hazel Grace. I’m okay” (pg. 215). This quote shows that Augustus doesn’t want Hazel to worry about what is happening and wants her to enjoy their last moments together. “I don’t think you’re dying. I think you’ve just got a touch of cancer” (pg. 217). This proves that Hazel is deeply hurt but still expresses a bit of happiness towards her boyfriend. The conflict is resolved nearly at the end of the book when Gus finally dies. “Augustus Waters died eight days after his prefuneral, at Memorial, in the ICU, when the cancer, which was made of him, finally stopped his heart, which was also made of him” (pg.261). Hazel will never forget her one and only love, Augustus Waters.
Sunday Oct. 23, Reading Log #3, Topic Choice #3 -Plot
There are many important scenes in this book. One of the most important scenes is when Hazel and Augustus take a trip to Amsterdam. They decide to take a trip to Amsterdam to meet up with Hazel’s favorite author, Peter Van Houten. This scene is important because many details are discovered as the story goes along. In the trip, we find out the true love that Gus has for Hazel and how she finally decides to change who she is for the better. Also, in the trip we find out about Gus’ killer cancer that spread all over his body. This creates the conflict because it changes the way Hazel thinks about the time she has with her boyfriend. This scene shows the characteristics of these characters and it also helps create the theme of the story. When Hazel found out about Gus, she didn’t change the way she felt about him and Gus didn’t want her to either. He wanted to pretend like nothing was wrong with him because he wanted to keep Hazel happy just like the day he met her. Evidence for this can be found in page 217 that says, “He smiled with half his mouth. I don’t suppose you can forget about it and treat me like I’m not dying.” Another reason why the trip to Amsterdam is an important part of the plot is because Hazel finds out about who the real Peter Van Houten is. The main reason why Hazel and Augustus took this trip was to meet their idol but they quickly found out that he wasn’t the person they thought he would be. “I spent your wish on that doucheface. You didn’t spend it on him. You spent it on us” (195). This shows that the couple was angry but they decided to forget about it and enjoy their time in Amsterdam. This scene takes place at the climax of the plot structure. I believe that this part of the story was the most important and nobody will forget the memories that the characters created there.
Sunday Oct. 23, Reading Log #4, Topic Choice #4-Literary Elements & Devices
A very powerful metaphor is used in this novel. In the beginning of the book, we see that Augustus puts a cigarette in his mouth without lighting it. He calls it his “metaphor” which means that he puts the dangerous part of the cigarette in his mouth but doesn’t give it the power to hurt him. Evidence for this can be found in page 20 that says,“It’s a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don’t give it the power to do its killing.” The author’s purpose for using this literary element is to show that if we continue to do the things that hurt us, we are only killing ourselves. We have control of our actions and we should know when to stop the things that do us bad. “They don’t kill you unless you light them” (20). This quote from the story relates to what Augustus said about the cigarettes but it can also connect to many other things. The literary element presented in this novel is “metaphor.”
Friday, December 2nd, Reading Log #5, Topic Choice #1- Characters
In the book Hanging on to Max, Sam is a senior in highschool with an 11-month-old baby named Max. According to the book, it says, “When I got to the daycare, Christie and Meredith were in the corner” (61). Sam got to school but since he was in an alternative school, he had to drop off his son. Sam and Max live with Sam’s father but not his mother. Max’s dad has full custody of him because his young mother found out that having a baby while being a teenager is not easy at all. “Some of the babies, or most of the babies, this age, cried when their moms left. Max didn’t even seem to notice I was gone,” says page 62. Sam is a very calm boy who wants to be able to grow up and give his son a good future even though it can kill his. This character is dynamic because when he meets up with his old crush Claire, he sees that she has a baby also but she is studying hard for his SATs which makes him want to do that to. He meets up with his best friend Andy which he had lost touch with for a while and begins to remember what it’s like to be a regular teenager.
Friday, December 15, Reading Log #6, Topic Choice #2- Conflict
The main conflict of the story is Sam is not sure what to do, if he should worry about Max’s future or his own. The problem started when Sam’s girlfriend, Brittany, decided that taking care of a child is not easy. She went away and left the full custody of the child to Sam. In the book, it says, “A moment in their life that they see as a turning point. A moment in their lives that made them live their lives differently” (82). When Brittany left Sam and Max’s life, it was all a mess. This is a conflict because Sam doesn’t know if he should keep studying or begin working for Max and this problem affects his family. “And he doesn’t miss a beat, he doesn’t even stop eating. I just sit there” (87). The communication between Sam and his dad is bad because ever since the baby was born, his dad has stopped carrying on conversations with Sam and only cares about him paying his money back. The conflict presented in this story is external because it not only affects Sam and his family, but it also affects his girlfriend Claire and his closest friends.