The Fault in Our Stars: Chapter 20 Summary & Analysis

Hazel states that one of the worst clichés about cancer is that every cancer kid gets “The Last Good Day”, where the sufferer finds herself in a moment of reprieve form the pain of cancer. She says that the hardest part of this cliché is that one can never know what day is the Last Good Day, as opposed to just another bearable day.

Hazel takes a day off from visiting Augustus because she is not feeling well herself. Augustus calls that day and asks Hazel to prepare a eulogy. He tells her he loves her and then hangs up. When Hazel tells her parents that she needs to go see Augustus that night, they tell her that they feel like they never see her anymore. Mr. Lancaster takes a hold of her wrist, which makes her feel like a two-year-old. She argues that Mrs. Lancaster was the one who didn't want her to be a homebody. She tells her mother that she doesn't need her like she used to. She tries to leave, but her father has her wrist. She notes that all she wants is am “old-fashion teenager walkout”, but she is unable to because she can’t breathe.

Hazel eventually goes to her room and writes Augustus’ eulogy. She struggles to find the right words, and at 7:40 she realizes she will be late if she doesn't leave. As she tries to leave, her father tells her she cannot leave without his permission. She tells him Augustus wanted her to write a eulogy, and when he is dead she will be home every night. After this, her father is quiet, and she leaves.

At the church, Hazel waits for the elevator. When she reaches the bottom floor, she finds the support group chairs arranged as usual, but as she walks in she only sees Augustus, thin and sitting at the center of the circle of chairs in his wheelchair. Isaac is there, standing at the lectern. Augustus tells Hazel that he wanted to attend his own funeral, and asks her then if she will speak at his real funeral. He says he hopes he can attend his funeral as a ghost, but just in case wanted to have a pre-funeral.

Isaac begins his eulogy by saying that Augustus is a “self-aggrandizing bastard.” He notes how Augustus was constantly thinking metaphorically about everything in his life, and how he was so vain. He finishes by saying that even if scientists could five him his eyesight back, he wouldn't want it because he’d have to see a world without Augustus, but then having made his rhetorical point, he would take the eyes because they would probably include x-ray vision to see through girls shirts. After he is finished, Augustus suggests not saying anything about seeing through girl’s shirts. Isaac notes that only Augustus would edit his own eulogy.

Then Hazel takes her turn at the lectern. She says that she will not share their love story because it should die with them. She turns to math, stating that there are infinite numbers between 0 and 1, and that there is an even larger set of infinite numbers between 0 and 2. She says she is thankful for each little infinity she was able to spend with Augustus.