The Fault in Our Stars
John Green
Contributed by Margherita Wickersham
Chapter 20
Summary

Hazel still prefers spending her time with Gus. This time, he calls her over to the church where the cancer support group holds their meetings. Gus request Hazel to arrive at 8 pm and says she should be prepared with a eulogy. Hazel’s decision to keep seeing Gus makes her parents worried as they claim that she hardly spends time at home. However, she defends herself by saying that Gus is dying and soon her parents will have all the time in the world with her, resulting in their complete loss for words in an attempt to a response. Subsequently, she prepares the eulogy and drives to the meeting point. On arrival, she meets Gus and Isaac who were patiently waiting for her. Isaac gives his eulogy first, following by Hazel. This process is a way of allowing Gus to attend his funeral before he dies (Green 73). Nonetheless, the eulogies give a clear and concise reflection of Gus’s character thus surpassing the eulogies delivered during the actual burial.

Analysis

Hazel’s parents show their concern about her continued behavior of spending most of her time with Gus. They already know Gus’s impending death and this worries them greatly considering that Hazel may be next-in-line. They also believe that the death of Gus and his suffering may negatively affect Hazel, thus changing her situation. However, Hazel knows exactly what she is doing, and she is not afraid of death anymore. So she considers spending time with Gus to be of greater importance, especially since his days are numbered.

On the other hand, Gus chooses to have his eulogies from Hazel and Isaac delivered before his death, as a way of showing the joy of having the two most important people in his life present. In addition, he gives them a chance to prepare for his death even before he passes on, thus eliminating any chances of the adverse hurt that may follow his death.

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