Writing Style
John Green's The Fault In Our Stars is written in the perspective of its protagonist, 16 year old Hazel Grace Lancaster. Over the course of the novel, it becomes very easy for the reader to become attached to the characters of the book, due to Green's ability to get the audience to connect to them. Green makes it simple for the reader to connect to Hazel; for them to understand her, and to sympathize with and realize what she is going through, even if the audience themselves have never been touched by the disease which her life revolves around.
The reader is able to do this due to the style in which Hazel narrates. Hazel speaks and thinks in a manner that causes the reader to feel as if they and Hazel have been friends for quite some time. "Look, let me just say it: He was hot. A nonhot boy stares at you relentlessly and it it is, at best, awkward and, at worse, a form of assault. But a hot boy...well." (9)
Green's sarcastic, yet out going and humorous style makes the reader feel like they know her, and assists in the formation of the attachment to the character.
Green writes Hazel as a snarky, intelligent young woman, but also a bookworm teen with more introverted hobbies/tendencies. Green makes Hazel likable, which therefore helps with the attachment to the character.
His diction and way of phrasing his sentences allows this to shine through, hazel is a typical teenager with some atypical characteristics.
John Green also portrays his characters as real human beings, and especially his cancer patients, for whom they are. He recognizes, throughout the book, that the majority of young cancer patients are not heroes, who "fight" the disease with a passion, and set up charities and are remembered forever and ever after they die. He shows that the majority of cancer patients are just normal people who are attempting to beat the disease, and go back to regular life. Green does not portray Hazel and Augustus as heroes; larger than life people, he portrays them as fairly normal, struggling along in the world. “'The real heroes anyway aren't the people doing things; the real heroes are the people NOTICING things, paying attention.'” (312) This allows the reader to really connect to his characters, because they are not perfect people, they are not larger than life, they have things that make them human, they have faults, they get angry, and they can be hurt. It gives the reader the chance to connect with them, without the feeling that they are inadequate to the character. “Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.” (217)
Atmosphere
the Fault in our stars has many moods, many atmospheres, depending on the portion of the book one is in. However, throughout the entire novel, this is an underlying feeling of sadness, mainly due to the topic of which the book deals with. (Ahem..Cancer..Ahem..) "Little boats were moored at the brick banks, half full of rainwater, some of them were near sinking." (162) This quotation especially demonstrates this underlying atmosphere of sadness, because although Hazel and Augustus are out, enjoying a wonderful meal in Amsterdam, on a beautiful night, there are these poor little boats, left to sink into the canal. this sentence may just be a casual observation, but it does have a tint of sadness to it, which helps convey this subtle emotion throughout the book.
John Green's The Fault In Our Stars is written in the perspective of its protagonist, 16 year old Hazel Grace Lancaster. Over the course of the novel, it becomes very easy for the reader to become attached to the characters of the book, due to Green's ability to get the audience to connect to them. Green makes it simple for the reader to connect to Hazel; for them to understand her, and to sympathize with and realize what she is going through, even if the audience themselves have never been touched by the disease which her life revolves around.
The reader is able to do this due to the style in which Hazel narrates. Hazel speaks and thinks in a manner that causes the reader to feel as if they and Hazel have been friends for quite some time. "Look, let me just say it: He was hot. A nonhot boy stares at you relentlessly and it it is, at best, awkward and, at worse, a form of assault. But a hot boy...well." (9)
Green's sarcastic, yet out going and humorous style makes the reader feel like they know her, and assists in the formation of the attachment to the character.
Green writes Hazel as a snarky, intelligent young woman, but also a bookworm teen with more introverted hobbies/tendencies. Green makes Hazel likable, which therefore helps with the attachment to the character.
His diction and way of phrasing his sentences allows this to shine through, hazel is a typical teenager with some atypical characteristics.
John Green also portrays his characters as real human beings, and especially his cancer patients, for whom they are. He recognizes, throughout the book, that the majority of young cancer patients are not heroes, who "fight" the disease with a passion, and set up charities and are remembered forever and ever after they die. He shows that the majority of cancer patients are just normal people who are attempting to beat the disease, and go back to regular life. Green does not portray Hazel and Augustus as heroes; larger than life people, he portrays them as fairly normal, struggling along in the world. “'The real heroes anyway aren't the people doing things; the real heroes are the people NOTICING things, paying attention.'” (312) This allows the reader to really connect to his characters, because they are not perfect people, they are not larger than life, they have things that make them human, they have faults, they get angry, and they can be hurt. It gives the reader the chance to connect with them, without the feeling that they are inadequate to the character. “Because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of.” (217)
Atmosphere
the Fault in our stars has many moods, many atmospheres, depending on the portion of the book one is in. However, throughout the entire novel, this is an underlying feeling of sadness, mainly due to the topic of which the book deals with. (Ahem..Cancer..Ahem..) "Little boats were moored at the brick banks, half full of rainwater, some of them were near sinking." (162) This quotation especially demonstrates this underlying atmosphere of sadness, because although Hazel and Augustus are out, enjoying a wonderful meal in Amsterdam, on a beautiful night, there are these poor little boats, left to sink into the canal. this sentence may just be a casual observation, but it does have a tint of sadness to it, which helps convey this subtle emotion throughout the book.
Tone
the tone in The fault in our stars is uniquely teenager and very john green. His writing style comes through in his tone as well, making his work conversational, and adding to that teenager-y element. "I nodded. I liked Augustus waters. I really, really, really liked him." (31)
the tone in The fault in our stars is uniquely teenager and very john green. His writing style comes through in his tone as well, making his work conversational, and adding to that teenager-y element. "I nodded. I liked Augustus waters. I really, really, really liked him." (31)