The Fault In Our Stars Themes

The Fault in Our Stars is a hotly debated book due to its mature themes and morbid ending. This book portrays death, explicit language and sexuality through its characters. As a result of these themes and the book’s ending, it has been banned by several school districts. Books can help introduce difficult concepts and promote intellectual and emotional growth. However, they need to be appropriate to the level of maturity of the reader. Children’s literature should be able to teach a lesson that is relatable and appropriate to the age and maturity of the intended audience. A sixth grade brain is not completely developed and the introduction of these intense themes too early could cause trouble, as the child grows older. Mature themes that may …show more content…
However, The Fault in Our Stars introduces the ideas of death, depression, and cancer very early without the explanation or development necessary for a sixth grader to fully understand. Hazel continuously tells her parents and the reader that she will die. And Augustus does die as a result of his recurrent cancer. Although it is an entertaining book, the degree of realism is too great for a young reader. Hazel tells the reader that she continuously thinks about death and that is the cause of her depression. Most children have little or no understanding of death or cancer and presenting these ideas together on the first page could cause children to struggle with both ideas. Further, the despair associated with the incident at the gas station with the infected G tube would be too intense and difficult to fully understand for a young reader. Augustus actually says that he just wants to die. That is not appropriate for a sixth grader who does not yet have the maturity to fully understand and process such a