Books of different genres, and movies of various categories - whether anime, action, comedy, or drama - are didactic. All works of literature have inherent lessons. Even cartoons and anime, which people often claim are solely for children, offer valuable lessons. Naruto, my favorite anime, is a notable example, as it is fully loaded with numerous life lessons. When reading a book or watching a movie, do you look out for lessons, or do you engage with it solely for aesthetic purposes? Do you ask yourself questions like, "What is the underlying purpose of this literary piece? What does the writer want us to know? What is it encouraging us to do, and what is it cautioning us against?" “What is a movie(book in this case) that inspires you?
As soon as I saw this topic, the first piece that came to my mind was “The Fault in Our Stars.” I watched the movie adaptation a few years back. I didn't know there was an original book adaptation until last year. I don’t if this is weird, but sometimes, I prefer reading book adaptations of literary pieces than watching them. Sometime last year, I downloaded an E-book of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Although it doesn't make it to my top favorites, it is one of the books that inspires me. You know, when you read a book or watch a movie, you can feel a strong connection to a particular character; their way of life, experiences, and thoughts resonates with you. That's exactly how I felt when I read John Green’s The Fault In Our Stars. When I watched the movie, I wasn't drawn to the themes, but my perspective changed after reading the book.
The character’s journey and experiences, the movie's theme, underlying quotes and messages, the character development, and the emotional connection I felt after completing the book, and most importantly, the book provided a new perspective on life. These are the reasons why this literary work came to my mind as soon as I saw the prompt.
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green revolves around two teenagers; Hazel and Augustus, who met at a cancer support group. Hazel has thyroid cancer that has spread to the lungs, while Augustus had his leg amputated due to bone cancer. As the plot progresses, Augustus’ health worsens which ultimately leads to his death. The movie/book explores the theme of love, the realities of death, and love. The main characters are entangled in these themes. These are some of the lessons I learnt from John Green's The Fault In Our Stars and how it inspires me.
LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST
Life is short. Too short to live your life worrying about the future. This doesn’t mean that we should go about making terrible decisions without thinking about the consequences. “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”- Henry David Thoreau. Hazel and Augustus are cancer patients who are on the verge of death. Although to some extent, they dreaded the future, this didn’t stop them from enjoying life. Instead of licking themselves up and giving up on the beauties of life, they enjoyed their time with their loved ones. Death is an inevitable part of life. We don’t have the power to control death, but we have the power to control our lives and choices. Instead of worrying about the future, cherish the moment with your loved ones.
PAIN
2023 was the worst year of my life. Things didn’t go well for me and my family. At one point, I sat down in my room, In my little corner, and thought about why bad things kept happening. “What did we do wrong? Where did we go wrong? What are we not doing? Why is life so mean to us? This shouldn’t be happening to me. This shouldn’t be happening to us. I pondered on these questions. I concluded that life is just a big bully who picks on whoever it wants. It is as if it plays eenie meenie with humans and unfortunately, the dice landed on my family that year. The Fault In Our Stars made me realize that pain and suffering are inevitable whether you are a good or bad person. Hazel and Augustus are good people (at least, the writer presented them that way), yet cancer came for them (something much worse than what I experienced in 2023.) If you think life is unfair to you and that you are going through so much more than other people, if you saw the pain and crosses other people are carrying, you’d be happy with yours.
“GETTING HURT IS INEVITABLE, BUT WE HAVE A CHOICE IN WHO WE ALLOW TO HURT US.”
These are Augustus’ words in the letter he sent to Hazel. I have established the fact that pain and suffering are inevitable. We have all been hurt at some point in our lives. Last year, I got back-stabbed by people I called my friends. Getting hurt by close people is inevitable, but what we can control is who we allow to hurt us. Control the people you allow into your life- keep the good ones and kick the bad eggs out. Surround yourself with people who care about you, people who want to see you grow and lift you to greater heights.
This literary work is a great piece. You can either watch the movie or read the book.
This is my entry to INLEO prompts for day 9.
ALL IMAGES IN THIS POST ARE MINE.
Thanks for reading.
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STOPThanks, Buzzy.
I read this when it first published years ago. Loved it.
Have you seen the movie adaptation?
Yes, I have. Both are equally good.
Thought-provoking reflection! I also love finding deeper lessons in books and movies. The Fault in Our Stars is such an inspiring choice. Thanks for sharing!