Hazel and Augustus' will to live

The novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green focuses extensively on  Hazel's and Gus's will to live. The two main characters have certain coping mechanisms that help them focus on their life instead of their inevitable death.

Favorite book as a support

Hazel's favorite book, An Imperial Affliction by the fictional author Peter Van Houten (Chapter 1, 56%)) has a special significance in her life. It represents a great support for her, as the work reflects the worries which she feels in her own everyday life because of her incurable illness. The novel’s main characters, Anna, also has cancer. The death of the main character also affects Augustus. Augustus is immediately enthusiastic about the cancer novel, which, according to him, also brought Hazel and him together(Chapter 12, 24%). 

The book becomes the motivation for both of them to fly to Amsterdam together and find out what happens to the characters after the end of the novel. This hope gives Hazel the will to live, at least until the trip is over. She asks her lungs to keep going for that long: "If I could just stay alive for a week, I’d know the unwri...