Chapter 5- The Fault in Our Thoughts

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by RuhiThukral

by RuhiThukral

Chapter 5-
Words differently arranged have a different meaning,
and meanings differently arranged have different effects.
~ Blaise Pascal
The Fault in Our Thoughts

Though this chapter only mentions three potential meetings, the possibilities are endless, showing the real genius of John Green because, John Green's title, "The Fault in our Stars" has greater meanings than you might realize.
The first possible meaning behind "The Fault in Our Stars" is how we hold celebrities or stars in a high regard, but no matter how high you hold someone, they are bound to have faults. In Hazel's case, for most of the book, she holds Peter so high that in her eyes he is a god. Yet when we meet Peter we find that there is much to be desired. When they first meet Peter, his initial reaction is, "There are- Lidewij, there are two adolescent apparitions outside the door" (Green, 180). To Hazel, this was a huge disappointment and she started feeling guilty. As she says, "I spent your Wish on a doucheface," (Green, 195). Gus is also disappointed with how Peter asks and says, "I'm not going anywhere with that monster" (Green, 196). Even his own assistant, Ludwij, resigns on the spot saying, "I RESIGN" (Green, 193). However, the person who this behavior affected the most was Peter himself. He comes back to apologize to Hazel in his own pathetic way saying, "I had one acquaintance who only spent time with me because I pained her to do so- worse, still, since she quit, leaving me the rare soul who cannot acquire companionship even through bribery " (Green, 284). But what significance do these select moments have and why are they important enough for them to be part of the title? In this book, if there is only one theme, it is showing life and all of its hardships in the clearest light possible. And nowadays, what is more fake and misunderstood than our perception of celebrities and fame? Throughout the exposition and rising action, Hazel sees Van Houten as the god who wrote the book that is getting her through some of the hardest times of her life. In Hazel's eyes, Van Houten is god among mortals but in reality he is, as Hazel describes him, "a pathetic little man, dependent upon alcohol " (Green, 283). This just goes to show that you can't always believe what is shown to you and that no matter how much fame one possesses, they are human and can be terrible, terrible people. This meaning behind John Green's title tells the reader that you can never truly know a person and to prevent the reader from getting so attached to the book, like how Hazel got to AIA.
The second meaning behind John Green's title is how hope doesn't always end in happiness. Humans have this tendency to believe that hope brings happiness and ends in it too. In the Fault in Our Stars, Gus represents hope for Hazel, teaching her how to live and all is going great! Until, Gus dies. Hope dies. But, Hazel doesn't and neither does her will to live. In the title the word "Stars" represents the tiny, shiny, bright, holes in the night sky that represent hope. The fault in them is that they aren't always happy like when it is written, "Augustus Waters died eight days after" (Green, 261). And, "Anastasia got kicked off. She threw a fit. It was awesome." (Green, 300). This shows how even though Gus, hope himself, died, Hazel didn't stop living. She continued to enjoy the small things like her favorite show and drama that was caused by a character. This meaning behind "The Fault in Our Stars" is trying to correct human perspective on the word hope to, ironically, prevent false hope.
The final meaning behind John Green's title is about how people believe that you never truly die and that you become a part of the stars. This is a very popular belief and is shown in popular pieces of media like the Lion King. However, stars do eventually die and so does your impact on the world and your lasting memory. This is something repeated throughout the novel multiple times and is one of Hazel's big beliefs. In the rising action, during the support group, Patrick is reading out a list of kids who have passed away and Hazel thinks, "Mostly imagining the day when my name would find its way onto that list, all the way at the end when everyone had stopped listening." (Green, 14). This proves that everyone is forgotten eventually. People like to say that they respect every human life but through the mass casualties or even on a smaller scale like at the support group, eventually, people stop listening. Stop caring. Everyone's impact, everyone's memory eventually fades. In Gus's eulogy for Hazel he writes, "You think, "They'll remember me now," but (a) they don't remember you, and (b) all you leave behind are more scars " (Green, 311). These powerful words written by John Green are trying to send across the message that everyone is forgotten eventually. No matter how big of a thing you do, it will eventually leave this Earth. Whether it be in a day, a year, a decade, a century, or trillions of years from now when Earth eventually ceases to exist, your story will be forgotten.
All three meanings to these five simple words, "The Fault in Our Stars" show just how well thought out and symbolic this simple on the surface level story about a boy and girl falling in love and ending in tragedy is.

To Keep False Hopes is to Prolong Misery...
~ Amy Tan