Have you ever been particularly impressed by a character after reading a movie or book? The characterization, symbolism and conflict of a character in a story to help readers better understand the character which also contributes to highlight the character image, and specifically here is Augustus. First, when you want to analyze a character, the most important thing is the characterization of the character, and this is also the point that makes readers easily visualize out of the picture, and the character’s personality. According to John Green’s book » The Fault in our Starts, » « he is the main character in the classic book « The Fault in our Starts, » which is also an inspiring character and left a strong impression on the readers of the book. In appearance he is described by Hazel as a tall but bad posture and his right leg has been replaced with prosthetic due to his osteosarcoma. Moreover, he has blue eyes, mahogany hair and a crooked smile as well as a warm and seductive voice. He impresses people with his cuteness, charm and intelligence. In addition, he is a basketball talent, and he has achieved many trophies for this subject ». In terms of relationship, he fell in love with Hazel during his first meeting in the Support Group and he had a close friend named Isaac. Not only that, his story revolves around other characters like Peter Van Houten, his father and mother. Next, the symbol is also one of the representatives to enhance the more specific characteristics in the character’s personality and thinking. Gus’s symbolic item was a cigarette, and he considered it a metaphor as if he had just stuck a cigarette in the middle of his teeth but did not burn it, and it was a metaphor. He said « They don’t kill you unless you light them »(20) he explains to put the killer in his mouth but didn’t allow it to kill him, it symbolized his cancer control. Through the image of a cigarette we can see that he loves metaphors and he seeks metaphors to create interesting things in his life. Also, one thing that stands out to Gus is his symbolic. When Isaac broke up with Monica and arrived at Gus’s house, Gus said “Dude, pillows don’t break. Try something that breaks”(62) ,so he broke the trophies at the request of Augustus. As his explanation, he said “I’ve been looking for a way to tell my father that I actually sort of hate basketball, and I think we’ve found it”(62), his father wanted him to play basketball, not his favourite sport, and Gus wanted Isaac to smash the trophies to confirm that he wanted to control his life. In the end, the conflicts will make the character stronger with his character and it also contributes to making the story more dramatic. According to John Green ‘s book » The Fault in Our Starts , » writer writes “I fear oblivion,” he said without a moment’s pause. “I fear it like the proverbial blind man who’s afraid of the dark”(12). He is afraid of being forgotten, so he wants to make a mark on the world. That’s why, he hated the idea that he could not leave any mark, so he wanted to become a person who is still remembered by many when he dies. This is probably because he knows he has cancer, so his fear for it is so much stronger. it was when he shared his fear with everyone in The Support Group that he had a conflict with Hazel. When he read he would fear being forgotten, Hazel said « when all of us are dead. All of us. There will come a time when there are no human remaining remaining to remember that anyone ever repeated or that our species ever did anything There will be no one left to remember Aristotle or Cleopatra, let alone you. « (13). Although this was not really a conflict, it was the first time Gus and Hazel talked and shared about a problem. Moreover, the conflict was most evident when he was preparing to go with Hazel to Amsterdam, and before he left he had a conflict with his mother, as John Green wrote « I could hear someone crying inside. I did not think it was Gus at first, because it didn’t sound anything like the low rumble of his speaking, but then I heard a voice that was definitely a twisted version of his say, « BECAUSE IT IS MY LIFE, MOM. IT BELONGS TO ME. ” « (139). In addition to external conflicts, the main characters are often described clearly and carefully by internal conflicts. In addition to external conflicts, the main characters are often described clearly and thoroughly by internal conflicts. Typically here is his cancer, a 17-year-old man with bone cancer lost his leg. Perhaps he struggled a lot to overcome moments of helplessness with his own illness, and turned back into a cute and witty guy. Not only that, his wit and empathy helped Hazel to be more open to everyday life, even though she had previously thought and things that were not optimistic, and loved life. Namesake is also one of the interesting things in this character, because his name coincides with the Roman king (Augustus). This is considered one of the noble titles in the Roman Empire, and it also means « majesty » or « reverence » in Latin. He also want to be like the first Roman emperor, leaving his life with great accomplishments so that people will always remember and never forget his name. In short, John Green portrayed Augustus’ character is a diverse character with many personalities in every situation, and that has made him leave a deep impression in the minds of every reader of the book « The Fault in Our Starts ».
Word count: 967.
Works Cited: Green, John » The Fault in Our Starts, « Penguin books, 2012.
.
ca-mai-thy 