Augustus regularly has a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, but never lights it. As Hazel puts it, “It’s a metaphor… He puts the killing thing in his mouth but doesn’t give it the power to kill him” (146). • Defend the purpose of this particular metaphor—what does Augustus’s choice of metaphorical smoking show the reader about his character? • Consider how much choice or power anyone—but Hazel and Augustus, in particular—has over what will kill him or her • Identify the symbolism of Augustus’s cigarettes within the context of the novel.
Sample Solution
