The Fault in Our Stars Book Project

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is about a sixteen year old girl named Hazel Grace. Yes, this story includes a tale of first love, but its not a sappy Nicholas Sparks version.

Hazel Grace has been battling cancer mostly all of her life. At one point it got so bad that everyone was sure she was going to die, but then the miracle happened. The doctors treated Hazel Grace with this new medicinal drug called Phalanxifor that has a very low survival rate, but lucky for Hazel it worked on her.

Depression, which is a side effect of cancer, which is a side effect of dying, is something Hazel began to struggle with. With her doctor’s suggestion and her mother’s enforcement, Hazel began attending a support group at church. Hazel doesn’t really make many friends, but one day a new guy shows up with Isaac (another regular support group attendee). His name is Augustus Waters, and is a cancer survivor himself, but he lost a leg during the process of getting rid of his disease.

Hazel Grace and Augustus become very close friends and yep you guessed it -- fall for each other. They end up going to Amsterdam together to meet a favorite author of theirs, courtesy of Augustus’ never used cancer wish. But things turn South when Augustus’ cancer returns.

When they return to the States Augustus soon ends up in the ICU at Memorial Hospital. He dies not too long after.

This isn't just a love story with a sad ending, it’s luminous, its shows true compassion and will. It shines, just as Augustus’ body did during his PET scan, the cancer occupying all of his body -- but Hazel Grace will always occupy his heart.

Character Option #2: Provide two important passages that relate most to the character.

Character: Augustus Waters

Passages:

“The marks humans leave are too often scars. You build a hideous mini mall or start a coup or try to become a rockstar and you think, “They’ll remember me now,” but (a) they don’t remember you, and (b) all you leave behind are more scars. Your coup becomes a dictatorship. Your mini mall becomes a lesion.”

“After my PET scan lit up, I snuck into the ICU and saw her while she was unconscious. I just walked in behind a nurse with a badge and got to sit next to her for ten minutes before I got caught. I really thought she was going to die, too. It was brutal: the incessant mechanized haranguing of intensive care.She had this dark cancer water dripping out of her chest.Eyes closed. Intubated. But her hand was still her hand, still warm and the nails painted this almost black dark blue and I just her hand and tried to imagine the world without us and for about one second I was a good enough person to hope she died so she would never know that I was going, too. But then I wanted more time so we could fall in love. I got my wish, I suppose. I left my scar.”

Why I chose these passages:

I decided to write about Augustus Waters instead of Hazel Grace because I love how much he cares for her in the book. Both passages I chose are from his point of view and shows how different he is from most kids his age.

I chose the first passage because it shows how badly he wants to make a difference in the world. Augustus just wanted to be remembered when he died, he didn’t just want to be known as that guy who was really good at basketball and got a prosthetic leg because he had some strange disease, he wanted to be remembered for doing something great, and making a true difference in the world. I admire Augustus because if I had such an awful disease it would be so hard for me to see the bright side of life still, especially after losing a leg. I would be so mad at the world, but he shows the world that having something like that wouldn’t faze him and that life goes on. I believe he will be remembered for doing something great, because he showed the world up.

I chose the second passage because it shows a completely different side of Augustus. It shows the other side of him that cares so much for Hazel Grace. He would do just about anything for her and hates to see her on the brink of death. He knows that he soon will die too, but he spends every possible hour with Hazel. I can’t get over this, because just about any person would think he should be trying to fight the cancer, but he already knows there isn’t a point.

Every girl wants to have the love Augustus and Hazel have, and wants to be thought of as someone so beautiful and irreplaceable. He does something so amazing as to make Hazel feel this way, even when she can barely stand to look at herself because of how her cancer has made her look over the years. I believe that everything happens for a reason; if Hazel and Augustus had never had gotten cancer they would never have met, became great friends, and fallen in love. Now I’m sure they would have loved to not have had cancer, but through these unfortunate events, great memories have emerged after them.

AP Free Response:

Option #4: The most important themes in literature are sometimes developed in scenes in which a death or deaths take place. Choose a novel or play and write a well-organized essay in which you show how a specific death helps to illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere summary.

The feeling is unmistakable; the moment when you find out the awful news. Everything slows down, time seems to have stopped, the loss of feeling and sudden overwhelming sensation of numbness spreads across your body. Nothing seems real; you don’t want to believe its true. You cry because you feel as though no one understands; you feel like you’re falling but fallings not the problem, its the moment when you hit the ground that everyone is filled with grief.

Death not only affects the actual person dying, but almost every other person who has met them. The family is devastated, the person married to or dating them can’t accept that its true, the friends are shocked and scarred. Death brings people together, and splits them apart. It brings out the best and the worst in people.

Cancer is a side effect of dying. Some deaths are quick and painless, but some are an ongoing battle of trying to catch just one more breath, in those cases dying is a relief. When someone has been suffering for so long, and fighting so hard, its anything but hard to let go.

For Augustus Waters, death was quick and sweet. When his cancer first appeared, he got away with only losing a leg, but the second time it appeared he wasn’t as lucky. When the pain first started returning, he knew something wasn’t right. When he went for his PET scan he saw how he lit up, he was luminous and glowing from the tip of his toes to the top of his head, the cancer occupying every crevice of his body.

The next few months of Augustus Waters’ life was filled with good and bad days. His health and body was always changing and getting weaker, but there was one thing that never changed about him, his eyes. He had the kind of eyes that you could get lost in, they were a deep blue and when you looked into them it was almost as if you were swimming. A persons eyes can tell you a lot about someone. Whether they’re happy, sad, angry, or just overwhelmed. But the light that Hazel Grace saw in Augustus’ eyes  never diminished. Death can do a lot of things, but it can’t separate the love that two people have for each other.

When Augustus died, he had been with his mom, dad, and sisters. The funeral was mostly filled with students from his school coming to respect his death, but Hazel knew he barely talked to most of the kids. What happened after the funeral was what shocked Hazel, their favorite author they had met in Amsterdam had come to deliver something after he died. It was a sequel to Hazel’s favorite book he had promised to write. Hazel had assumed he got too weak and tired to write it, but he had been doing it in secret.

In some cases death is bittersweet. Bitter because you would do anything to have the person live and never want to let them go, but sweet because of the memories you had with them and all the reminders that they’re looking down on you from a better place.

Question Responses on Ayn Rand's Philosophy

Questions on Ayn Rand’s Philosophy

• Explain how Anthem is Ayn Rand's Anthem of who she is and whether or not you embrace any or all of her philosophy.
• Show how you do or do not adopt all or any of Ayn Rand's philosophy in your life.
• In addition, show how the world around you does or does not adopt any of Ayn Rand's philosophy.

Q#1:

Growing up during the Russian Revolution, Ayn Rand has learned to hate being like others and having your own happiness forced upon you. I can’t say as I blame her, everyone is different and has other dislikes and likes. But putting yourself before others all the time is just selfish and makes you look conceited. I’ll admit sometimes I make some pretty selfish decisions, but I don’t totally embrace her philosophy of Egoism.

Q #2:

Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Egoism is mostly centered around a singular and somewhat selfish wanting. In a way I believe I adopt some of this philosophy in my life, but then again I don’t. For example at a soccer game this season one of the less experienced freshman grabbed my jersey number. I always wear that jersey and she found out and not wanting to make me angry, offered to trade with. I could have snatched it right from her, but I let her have it, I let her feel special for a day, even though she didn’t even get to play in the game and I ended up playing the whole time. But sometimes I can be very selfish, like when my friend didn’t have a lunch one day and I ate all of mine, not offering her any because I was super hungry.

Egoism can apply to more aspects of my life than I had ever thought of, so its important to make good decisions and not be selfish, but also not let people walk all over you or take advantage of you.

Q#3:

I believe most people these days do pertain to Rand’s philosophy of Egoism. It seems like all anyone cares about these days is themselves, and what they need to do. Instead of stopping to help the poor kid in the hallway who dropped all his things, people rush around him because they don’t want to be late for class. Its sad to see how society has changed and become so selfish, judgemental, and just downright mean. There’s a point when you have to realize the world doesn’t revolve around you.

Anthem Creative Writing Response

Anthem Creative Writing Response

Topic #6: Rewrite the meeting between Equality and Liberty from her perspective.

We work in the fields near the great road that winds North. Not many come to these parts beyond the city. Then one day a group of street sweepers began coming every day. They all looked unhappy and unlively, except one -- one that could not seem to keep their gaze off we.

Many days after, this continued to occur. We began to study this street sweeper, and we noticed they were not like the others at all, they were curious.

Then one day it happened. The curious street sweeper came over to the hedge we were working near and spoke to we. We couldn’t believe it, never had such a thing occurred. But yet, we liked it. They ended up coming to talk to we quite often. They even gave we a name -- such a name that is forbidden. They called we the Golden One.

Anthem Advanced Research Response

Anthem Advanced Research Response

Topic #3: Is Anthem a realistic portrayal of life in a totalitarian society? Compare the fictionalized society in Anthem to a real dictatorship, past or present.

The cold war and communism of the Russian Revolution in 1917 is similar to that of the dystopian society portrayed in Anthem. Not only did Rand grow up during Russia at this time, but she also based her book off of the thoughts it gave her.

A lot of major events happened in Russia during 1917, this year was also known as “The End of Tsardom”. During March of 1917 food riots broke out in St. Petersburg -- troops in the city refused to fire on the people and mutinied. Under pressure from St. Petersburg the Duma set up a provisional government under Prince Gregory Lvov on March 14th. Three days later Russia became a Republic. The soviets challenged the Provisional Government for control, and by October 1917 were controlled by the Bolsheviks, this marked the beginning of the Bolshevik Revolution. Lenin promised the people “Peace, Land, and Bread”. They so obviously didn’t receive this -- thus explaining their uprising. By November 1917 -- the Bolsheviks are in total control of the Soviets and took over the telephones, railroad stations, and power companies in St. Petersburg. The Bolsheviks later became a communist political party. (Mason)

To compare this to Anthem, this almost sounds like what could have scared the people in her story into going back into the Dark Ages. In Russia there was also The Purges that was also referred to as “The Great Terror” -- this could have been what influenced Rand to have the story take place in a future where people all act the same because they are afraid of one individual having too much power.

The heart of the dystopian society in which Equality and the Golden One were forced to live in is a lot like the communistic dictatorship of Russia.All though in Anthem the people are dictated by different sets of councils, in a real dictatorship everyone is typically controlled by one person -- hence the term dictator. Communists believe in collectivism which is the same thing as believing everyone is one big “whole” or “we”. In communism you don't have a say, or an opinion -- you must only fall in routine with the crowd and go through the motions.

Poetry Project

My poem:

Morning Song by Sylvia Plath

Love set you going like a fat gold watch.

The midwife slapped your footsoles, and you bald cry

Took its place among the elements.

Our voices echo, magnifying your arrival. New statue.

In a drafty museum, your nakedness

Shadows our safety. We stand round blankly as walls.

I’m no more your mother

Than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow

Effacement at the wind’s hand.

All night your moth-breath

Flickers among the flat pink roses. I wake to listen:

A far sea moves in my ear.

One cry, and I stumble from bed, cow-heavy and floral

In my victorian nightgown.

Your mouth opens clean as a cat’s. The window square

Whitens and swallows its dull stars. And now you try

Your handful of notes;

The clear vowels rise like balloons.

 

Disillusionment of Ten O’Clock

 

The houses are haunted

By white night-gowns

None are green,

Or purple with green rings,

Or green with yellow rings,

Or yellow with blue rings.

None of them are strange,

With socks of lace

And beaded ceintures.

People are not going

To dream of baboons and periwinkles.

Only, here and there, an old sailor,

Drunk and asleep in his boots,

Catches tigers

In red weather.

 

Writing Response:

 

Disillusionment of Twelve O’Clock

 

The crowd is mesmerized

By contortionists, trapeze artists and magicians.

All with crazy talents,

Costumes,

Makeup,

And names.

None are simple.

When they perform

They are swift, graceful and get their applause.

But the illusionist wears a simple gown,

No makeup,

And is merely called just “the Illusionist”.

She needs nothing exquisite

Because nature does it all for her.

She does not gain an applause at the end,

But instead takes everyone’s breath away.

As the sun and the moon

Chase each other around the clock

She lingers in the dawn of moonlight.

 

 

Poem #1:

Keeping Things Whole by Mark Strand

 

In a field

I am the absence

of field.

This is

always the case.

Wherever I am

I am what is missing.

 

When I walk

I part the air

and always

the air moves in

to fill the spaces

where my body’s been.

 

We all have reasons

for moving.

I move

to keep things whole.

 

Writing Idea: Write about a time when you have struggled with your identity, like the speaker of this poem.

 

My response:

 

Being ignored and unnoticed are some of the worst feeling’s in the world. My sister has always had good grades, great friends, and incredible qualities. I sometimes find myself trying to fall in her footsteps, not only because I look up to her, but also because I want my mom to treat me like she treats her. After Liz recently graduating high school last year and starting college, I’ve felt useless and invisible at some points. I can’t imagine how the speaker of this poem deals with this feeling all the time.

 

Poem #2:

Meeting at Night by Robert Browning

 

The grey sea and the long black land;

And the yellow half-moon large and low;

And the startled little waves that leap

In fiery ringlets from their sleep,

As I gain the cove with pushing prow,

And quench its speed i’ the slushy sand.

 

Then a mile of sea-scented beach;

Three fields to cross till a farm appears;

A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch

And blue spurt of a lighted match,

And a voice less loud, thro’ its joys and fears,

Than the two hearts beating each to each.

 

Writing Idea: Would you go through anything it takes to get to the person you love?

 

My response:

Yes, If I was truly in love with them. I would want to make them happy, and if I did love them I would want to be with them so I could be happy as well. But in the poem he walks quite a lot to get to his lover-- I might would drive...

 

Kisses From Katie Book Project

Kisses From Katie by Katie Davis

         Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis is told from the point of view of-- yep you guessed it Katie Davis. Katie decides that she wanted or no better yet needed to go on a mission trip for a year after she graduated from high school. She travels over three thousand miles from her hometown in Tennessee to the bright blue skies and rusty red dirt soil of Uganda. Leaving behind her wonderful life of a loving family, gracious boyfriend, and not to mention tons of delightful friends, Katie is ecstatic about what God has in store for her on this trip. What Katie wasn't expecting though was how quickly the children would grow on her and how after her year was up she couldn't find herself wanting to leave.

         When Katie returned to the States she just didn't feel the same. She felt as if the glamorous life she had left from before wasn't like it used to be and longed to be back with all the loving children she had met in Uganda. Convincing her parents to postpone college for one more year, Katie once again returns to Uganda, but this time she is teaching a group of kindergarteners.

         Katie makes a connection with the children of Uganda and decides that she wants to live in Uganda and start a ministry to help kids in need go to school and provide the supplies needed for it. After discovering how much some of these sweet, loving children had never had in their life (some of them never even having the luxury of having a mom) she instantly fell in love and ended up adopting them. Thirteen children later Katie is not only a single mom raising all these girls but she’s also running a full time job with her growing ministry called Amazima. So many people ask her how she does it all, and there is only one explanation for that: Jesus Christ. He has provided her with all the resources and ability to make this happen, and she couldn’t be happier to do it all for Him.

Writing option 2:

Create an epilogue, showing the characters’ lives after the novel ends.

         The wind blew stirring up the rusty red soil making it look like a bright orange mist was coming from all directions. It was one of those days where the temperature is just right, there isn't a cloud in the sky, and the sun filters down making everything shine. As I walked up the front steps of my home I couldn’t wait to see my sixteen beautiful daughters. Yep that’s right we’ve had several new additions to the family, and I’m overly blessed to be able to have every single one of them in my life.

         Josie is five years old and our most recent add on to the family. She loves just about anyone she has the opportunity to meet. She is one of the most gracious and giving people I have ever met-- did I mention that she’s only five?! Just the other day Josie was outside playing with her favorite doll in the front lawn, across the street was sitting a little girl who had just fallen over and hurt her knee. The little girl started sobbing immediately Josie who had just witnessed the whole thing got up,went across to the girl and gave her her favorite doll and helped her find her mom. My heart smiled as I watched how kind my little girl is, and the wonderful future she is going to have with Jesus Christ.

         Christina and Caroline are identical twins and thirteen years old. I’ve never quite understood the term “two peas in a pod” until I met them. The two are inseparable. They go everywhere together spreading joy to every person and animal they come across. Caroline is extremely smart and plans on starting a ministry of her own when she gets older, and Christina has such a marvelous personality and can make anyone laugh. The two have both recently accepted Christ into their lives and I’m so excited for the plans God has laid out for them.

         Amazima has also had some recent changes as well-- we are now sponsoring over three hundred children! We provide them with an education, food and basic necessities, and teach them the love that Jesus has for them. God is reaching down and touching the lives of all these wonderful boys and girls and bringing them hope of a bright future.

         I am beyond excited to see what the future holds for not only my family of sixteen wonderful girls, but also my family of Amazima with over three hundred boys and girls. The light of Jesus is shining down on all the people of Uganda and I am delighted to watch their lives with Him unfold and transform them into something new.

Character option 6:

Provide a famous poem that relates to the character. Highlight the lines that relate. Explain in well-developed paragraphs how the poem relates to the character. Use textual support from both the poem and the book.

Life’s Car by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

'Hurry up!'

No lingering by old doors of doubt -

No loitering by the way,

No waiting a To-morrow car,

When you can board To-day.

Success is somewhere down the track;

Before the chance is gone

Accelerate your laggard pace,

Swing on, I say, swing on -

Hurry up!

'Step lively!'

Belated souls are following fast,

They shout and signal, 'Wait.'

Conductor Time brooks no delay,

He rings the bell of Fate.

But you can give the man behind,

With one hand on the bar,

A final chance to brook defeat,

And board the moving car.

Step lively!

'Move up!'

Make way for others as you sit

Or stand. This crowded earth

Has room for every journeying soul

En route to higher birth.

Ay, room and comfort, if no one

Took double share or space,

Nor let his greed and selfishness

Absorb another's place.

Move up!

'Hold fast!'

The jolting switch of obstacles

With jarring rails is near.

Stand firm of foot, be strong of grip,

Brace well and have no fear.

The Maker of the Car of Life

Foresaw that curve--Despair,

And hung the straps of faith, and hope

So you might grasp them there.

Hold fast!

           I chose this poem to represent Katie because It sums up and covers a lot of the major things going on in her life. Katie is a strong and courageous girl in which God has been working through for quite sometime now. Her life was simple and easy one day and then after traveling to Uganda, deciding to live there for her whole life, and becoming a single mom of thirteen daughters her life became very hectic. But before any of this happened she had to make one very big choice:to keep her simple, luxurious life, or to hop on the “Life Car” and follow God’s will for her.

The poem talks of this “Life Car” that is moving fast and you have the decision to hop on or watch it pass. The car is bringing you to your destination of where God wants you to be in order to be successful. and follow out His plans for you. “No lingering by old doors of doubt - No loitering by the way, No waiting a To-morrow car, When you can board To-day.” After falling in love with the loving and grateful kids in Uganda Katie listens to what God is telling her and decides to move there. This is a very big and stressful decision for a nineteen year old to make-- especially when this involves movie three thousand miles across the world.

Katie is fearfully and wonderfully made, she sees hope in the future that God has presented her with. She is faced with many obstacles and hills to jump over bust she has great perseverance and pushes through to do what God has asked of her, “Stand firm of foot, be strong of grip, Brace well and have no fear.” (from poem) she knows that her Lord and Savior would not give her too much to handle without helping her out.“Many days I am still overwhelmed by the magnitude of the need and the incredible number of people who need help. Many days I see the destitute, disease-ridden children lining the streets in the communities I serve and I want to scoop them up every single one of them, take them home with me, and feed and clothe them and love them. And I look at the life of my Savior, who stopped for one.” (page XIX of introduction from book) Katie follows the path that He has laid out for her and knows there will be a spot with for her in heaven, but meanwhile she’s enjoying the life God has made for her.