Our Stars Themes

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green has a multitude of running themes throughout the novel. In my opinion, even though this is a fictional book, the themes, especially those pertaining to the way the universe works, are relatable and weigh on my people’s minds. For example, one theme is the fear of oblivion. I believe this is a theme in many people’s lives, not just in this book.
The most prevalent theme, in my opinion, is the insensitivity of the universe. This theme is supported by the characters and the event that occur with in the book. Overall, the predominant theme in the Fault in Our Stars is the insensitivity of the universe, because of the unceasing occurrence of bad things happening to good people, the strictly objective nature
All of the characters, and most people, don’t like the feelings of unimportance the universe imposes on it’s inhabitants. Peter Van Houten let’s this reality turn him into a cold and depressed man, he says, “What a slut time is. She screws everyone.” (pg. 112)Yet, Peter also understands that humans are not perfect either, and as a human he takes responsibility for some of the failures in the universe, he writes, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/ but in our selves.” (pg. 111) Similarly, Augustus takes ownership of the choices he, and other humans, have made, and avoids always blaming it on the universe and it’s insensitive ways, by telling Peter, “You don’t get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you.” (pg. 313)Augustus understands that he has some say in his life, but he also understands that the universe is not one to fight with, “we’re as likely to hurt the universe as we are to help it, and we’re not likely to do either.”(pg. 311). Additionally, Hazel, who is usually objective, feels the same resentment towards the universe as the other characters, “I thought of my dad telling me that the universe wants to be noticed but what we want is to be noticed by the universe, to have the universe give a shit what happens to us- not the collective idea of sentient life but each of us individuals.” (pg. 281). Even though Hazel understands that the universe is insensitive and she is just one in seven billion people, who live on just one of the 100 billion planets in the Milky way, which is one of 100 billion galaxies in the universe, and even if the universe was capable of conscious thought, it wouldn’t have the ability to care about one little human, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting it. There are positive ways to look at this of course. As Augustus pointed out while playing a video game, “All salvation is