Lafiguera, Maria Jennica L.

March 21,
2024
BSED English 2B EL107

“The Fault in our Stars”

In the movie “The fault in our stars” with the characters leading by Hazel Grace Lancaster and Agustus
Waters. The support characters, the parents of Hazel Grace, Mr. and Mrs. Lancaster. Peter Van Houten
the author of her favorite book and Issac which is the friend of Agustus.

Hazel Grace Lancaster which is the main character of the story is a 16year old cancer patient who wanted
to try different things and enjoy her life to the fullest, despite having illness she wanted to at least make
her last moment memorable just like a life of a normal teenager. She may be wanted it to go that way
but she can also balance her desires with the practicalities of her situation. She has a great control with
her understanding of her limitations to make a responsible decision, and the thing that she also have this
compassion of being concern and protective to those people around her, she does not let her desires
swallow her up that will bring pain to someone she loves. While, Agustus Waters who was also a cancer
patient who she met in weekly cancer patient support group who was just invited by his friend Isaac.
Agustus’ pursuit of pleasure and adventure. He wants to make a lasting impact on the world and seeks
joy and fulfillment in his actions. However, just like Hazel Grace, Augustus's ability to balance his desires
with the reality of his illness is also present in the story, to the point that he faces the challenges of his
condition with a practical mindset and tries to make the most of the time he has left. He also has a
strong moral compass and concern for others and cares deeply about how his actions affect those
around him that he wanted to leave a positive influence on the world.

Through out the movie, we can observe how Hazel Grace was too attached by the book entitled “An
Imperial affliction” written by Peter Van Houten. A novel about a cancer-stricken girl named Anna and
has an abrupt ending. Hazel Grace was eager to ask Van Houten which is the author of the book with so
many questions about how it end with just a sentence leaving them ‘readers’ with confusion and
questions. This ending left her with unanswered questions and a desire for more explanation. Hazel
Grace wants to understand the meaning of that sentence and how it connects to the whole story and by
talking to Van Houten about it, she hopes to learn why he chose to end the book like that. She also has
her own thoughts and feelings about the ending, and discussing it with the author lets her explore them
further.

We can also see a various of defense mechanism that has been used throughout the story. First, the
defense mechanism Denial, which some of the character especially the parents of Hazel Grace, they
seem to be like happy about their life with their daughter but they are struggling to accept the severity
of their daughter illness. Treating it like it is nothing because they are being denial and trying to protect
themselves from the emotional distress associated with the potential of losing their daughter. Second is
Regression, how the mother of Hazel Grace treating her like a child to cope with their situation. Third is
Projection In the movie, Hazel projects her fear of hurting others onto Augustus. She believes that her
illness will only cause pain to those around her, so she tries to push him away. This shows her struggle
with accepting love and intimacy. Fourth is Displacement, it can be seen that Hazel sometimes takes out
her frustration and anger about her situation on her parents. She may snap at them or become irritable
as a way to release her pent-up emotions. From the part of Agustus, defense mechanism such as
Rationalization can be observed on the movie. Augustus rationalizes his desire to be remembered and
make an impact on the world. He believes that leaving a legacy will give his life meaning, despite his
challenges. This helps him find comfort and a sense of control in the face of his fate. These are just some
of the defense mechanisms that the characters used in the story. This shows us the struggles, fear, and
coping mechanism of the characters and gives us insight into their emotional journeys and the
complexities of their experiences.

In Conclusion, the characters in "The Fault in Our Stars" Hazel Grace and Augustus find a balance
between their desires and the reality of their illnesses, showing strength and kindness. Hazel's
connection to the book and her conversations with the author show her desire to understand. Defense
mechanisms like denial, regression, projection, displacement, and rationalization help us understand the
characters' thoughts and actions. By looking at these defense mechanisms, we can see their motivations
and relationships more clearly.

REFERENCE:

Wikipedia. (2022). The Fault in Our Stars (film). Retrieved from

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fault_in_Our_Stars_(film)