Optimistic Augustus Waters’ Characteristics
was dead. It can be seen from Hazel ’s conversation with her mother Murphy’s
theory which is speech when she said: “Honey,” my mom said. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m like. Like. I’m like a grenade, mom. I’m a grenade and at some point I’m going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties,
okay?” “I’m grenade ,” I said again. “I just want to stay away from people and
read books and think and be with you guys because there’s nothing I can do about hurting you, you are too invested, so just please let me do that,
okay? I’m not depressed. I don’t need to get out more. And I can’t be a regular
teenager, because I’m grenade 2012: 99. From her statement above, she tried to portray herself as a grenade that would
blow up and caused many casualties because she thought that many people who were close to her including her parents would feel sad, thus becoming the
casualties of her death. Therefore, she would like to minimize the casualties of her death by not getting too close to people, so in the event that she was dead, no one
would feel the loss that could cause sadness, sorrow, or pain. One of the thoughts that could strengthen the fact that she prioritized her parents’ happiness could be
seen below: “I wanted to make my parents happy. There is only one thing in this world
shittier than biting it from cancer when you’re sixteen and that’s having a kid who b
ites it from cancer” 2012: 8. From
Hazel’s thought above Murphy’s theory which is thought, it shows that Hazel just wants to make her parents happy. The main reason of her desire to
make her parents happy was because she thought that being a sixteen year old girl with cancer is better than having a child suffering from cancer. Therefore, the
reason why she was being distant was because she tried to avoid her parents from the sadness, pain, or regret once Hazel was dead eventually. The other example of
her being distant to people can also be seen through Hazel and her mother’s conversation:
“Me: I refuse to attend Support Group. Mom: One of the symptoms of depression is disinterest in activity.
Me: Please just let me watch America’s Next Top Model. It’s an activity. Mom: Television is passivity.
Me: Ugh, Mom, please. Mom: Hazel, you’re a teenager. You’re not a little kid anymore. You need
to make friends, get out of the house, and live your life. Me: If you want me to be a teenager, don’t send me to Support Group.
Buy me a fake ID so I can go to clubs, drink vodca and take pot...”
2012: 7. From the conversation above, it shows that Hazel is not interested in
Support Group because she felt like support group is the chance for her to make friends which is something that she avoids as a “grenade”. Therefore, she kept
refusing to attend the Support Group even though her mother insisted her to do so. She even tried to order her mother to purchase a fake ID for her so she would be
eligible to go to the clubs to consume alcohol or drugs by herself without having to make friends or being close to anyone. Thus, her distant personality can be seen
through the idea of characteristic by Murphy which are speech and thought.