In the novel "The Fault in Our Stars," water symbolizes suffering. When Hazel says "I nodded and sank into an aqueous sleep," this is what she means:
- By saying she is sinking into an aqueous (water) sleep, Hazel means that she is constantly suffering. Even when she sleeps, suffering is involved.
- The quote is said when she is in the ICU. Hazel's lungs are filled with fluid (water) which causes her to have poor oxygenation. She is tired and falls asleep, but it not a normal, easy, and comforting sleep as it would be for most people. She sleeps and wakes up in pain, suffering, which is why it is an aqueous sleep.
What happens in "The Fault in Our Stars":
- The main character Hazel has thyroid cancer. She is just a teenager, but has known great pain already. She meets another teen, Augusts Waters, who also has cancer, and who has already lost a leg because of it.
What does water symbolize in the novel?
- Water is a symbol for suffering in the novel. Hazel is constantly using this symbol to describe her sensations when she is in pain, or when the situation seems to much to bear.
- Notice that Augustus last name is Waters. He is also associated with Hazel's suffering, since his cancer will eventually kill him. However, this is a good kind of suffering, since it means Hazel cared about him.
- When Hazel says she "sank into an aqueous sleep," she means that even in her sleep there is suffering. Her life is filled with pain. At the hospital, tired and hurting, Hazel can fall asleep, but she cannot escape suffering.
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