Setting




 * Oranjee Restaurant **

On their first date in Amsterdam, Hazel and Augustus had dinner together at a canal front restaurant. Cocooned by the “spring snow,” the falling leaves of elm trees are such a beautiful sight to these two. Upon arrival at their table, two flutes of champagne are waiting to be drunk. When the waiter arrives, he states this fact: “Do you know what Dom Pérignon said after inventing champagne? He called out to his monks, ‘Come quickly: I am tasting the stars.’” Hazel and Augustus are seated at their table along the canal surrounded by falling petals. Also mentioned by the waiter, the “snow” has grown irritating. When something so beautiful is taken for granted, no one stops to smell the roses. When living with cancer, you learn to take in everything and notice the small things.



After conquering the feat of climbing up the 32 stairs of the Anne Frank House, Hazel’s “lungs that suck at being lungs” cannot entice enough air into her body. She must sit down and gasp for the oxygen flowing into her nostrils via her nasal cannula. With help up from Augustus and Lidewij, Hazel is able to get up and they tour around the memorabilia devoted to Anne and her family. At the end of the hallway is a book of the names of the dead. Under Anne Frank, there are four Aron Franks. These four Aron Franks died because of the Holocaust whereas Anne Frank died //for //the Holocaust and the other Jews. Gus notes that there is no honor in “dying of,” only in “dying for.” Following his belief in martyrdom, Gus strives to die //for // a cause. The Anne Frank House emphasizes the contradicting views between Hazel and Augustus about leaving a personal mark in the world or not. Despite the fact that they are both dying //of // cancer, Gus wants to go farther and “die //for //.”




 * The Literal Heart of Jesus **

The Literal Heart of Jesus is the setting of “Cancer Support Group.” Hazel and Isaac being long-time members, they grew to become friends through these soul and sad story-filled meetings. One day, a newcomer, Augustus, comes by as a favor to Isaac because of Isaac’s impending blindness. Gus starts staring at Hazel and she is momentarily uncomfortable. But, as stated by Hazel, “boys do not have a monopoly on the Staring Business, after all,” (p. 10). With the realization of this fact, she returns his staring. To no surprise, she out-stares him. During this whole endeavor, the three cancer-filled kids are sitting in their tight circle in the middle of the “Literal Heart of Jesus.” This figurative “literal heart” is the place where the relationship between Hazel and Augustus first takes off. It is also where this relationship comes to a close, in a sense. Organized by Augustus, these three friends stage his "prefuneral." This event is planned as practice for Hazel and Isaac. Gus also wants to hear what is going to be said about him once he has already passed away.

Works Cited: //Tour Booten in Einen Kanal Außerhalb Einem Restaurant in Amsterdam //. Digital image. //<span style="font-family: Constantia,serif;">123RF Stock Photos //<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Constantia,serif;">. Web. <http://de.123rf.com/photo_3295690_tour-booten-in-einen-kanal-ausserhalb-einem-restaurant-in-amsterdam.html>.

//<span style="font-family: Constantia,serif;">Rear View of the Anne Frank House //<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Constantia,serif;">. Digital image. <span style="font-family: Constantia,serif;"> //Vent: Touched by The Anne Frank House//. Web. <http://www.triloquist.net/2010/06/touched-by-anne-frank-house.html>.

<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Constantia,serif;">Jacob, Zoe, Erin, and Katie. //<span style="font-family: Constantia,serif;">Ripped Art Collage: The Literal Heart of Jesus //<span style="font-family: Constantia,serif;">. 2012. Ripped Paper.