The desire for a meaningful life

Augustus' urge to become a hero

The desire for a meaningful life is an important theme in the novel The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. During his first visit to the self-help group, Augustus expresses his fear of being forgotten (Chapter 1, 44%). He fears that after his death, no one or very few people will think of him and remember him. Once these people die, he will be forgotten and it will be as if he had never existed. Hazel counters that he will have to come to terms with this, since it cannot be changed.

Nevertheless, this question of being forgotten continues to concerned Augustus. A good month later, on his way to Amsterdam, he tells Hazel that he has been wondering about the relationship is between the living and the dead. Therefore, he was eager to find out if there were enough living to remember all those who had died (Chapter 11, 45%). 

On the same day, while eating together in a restaurant, Augustus connects his fear of oblivion with his wish to do something heroic, which would make people remember him:  

'If you don’t live a life in service of a greater good, you’ve gotta at least die a death in service of a greater good, you know? And I fear that I won’t get either a life or a death that means anything.'  (Chapter 11, 64%). 

Hazel considers him obs...