The Fault in Our Stars: Chapter 22 Summary & Analysis

When Hazel arrives at the Literal Heart of Jesus Church for Augustus’ funeral, she sits in back of the visitation room. She notices that there are about eighty chairs, but one third of them are empty. She watches people walk to his coffin, some cry, others just say something to him. Each person touches the coffin, too afraid to touch his body. Hazel notes that no one wants to touch the dead.

When Augustus’ parents notice Hazel, they shuffle over and both give her a big hug. She notices they both look old and tired. Augustus’ mother tells Hazel that Augustus really loved her, which Hazel already knows. As she talks to them, she says it feels like stabbing and being stabbed. When Augustus’ parents begin talking to Mrs. Lancasterand Mr. Lancaster, Hazel decides to go to Augustus’ coffin.

As she approaches the coffin, Hazel pulls the oxygen tube off and hands it to Mr. Lancaster. As she walks to the coffin, she tells her lungs quit complaining, that they are strong and can do this. When she sees Augustus, she notices that his hair is parted and his face plasticized, which he would have hated, but she knows it is “[her] lanky, beautiful Gus.” He is wearing the same suit he wore to Oranjee.

Hazel kneels beside his coffin and places her hand on Augustus’ chest. She says, “I love you present tense,” and that it is okay that he has died, although she is not sure whether he can hear her. She opens her clutch purse and pulls out a pack of cigarettes. She then slips them into the coffin. She whispers to his body that he can light them; she won’t mind.

When the funeral starts, the minister walks to the coffin and talks about how courageous Augustus was during his fight with cancer, and how his valiant battle had inspired everyone in the room. When the minister says, “in heaven, Augustus will finally be healed and whole,” Hazel lets out a sigh of disgust. Immediately afterward, she hears a voice behind her say, “what a load of horse crap, eh, Kid?” She turns to find Peter Van Houten sitting behind her. When the minister says it’s time to pray, Hazel hears Van Houten say, “We gotta fake pray.” Hazel tries to forget about Van Houten and pray for Augustus.

The minister then calls up Isaac to deliver his eulogy. In the eulogy, Isaac talks about a visit he received from Augustus in the hospital just after having his eye removed. When Augustus arrived, he said, “I have wonderful news! You are going to live a good and long life filled with great and terrible moments that you cannot even imagine yet!” After telling the story, Isaac is unable to go on, so he sits down.

After another one of Augustus’ friends talks about how Augustus was a great basketball player and teammate, the minister calls Hazel up to speak. He says, “now we will hear a few words from Augustus’ special friend, Hazel.” His choice of words bothers Hazel, so when she gets up she tells the minister, “I was his girlfriend.” She begins by reciting one of the encouragements that hangs in Augustus’ house, “without pain, we couldn’t know joy.” She continues her Eulogy, spouting “bullshit encouragements” for the audience, as she has decided funerals are for the living.

When the speakers finish, the congregation says a prayer for Augustus. While they pray, Hazel remembers their conversations in Amsterdam when Augustus had told her that he didn't believe in mansions and harps in heaven, but he did believe in something with a capital S. Hazel can not quite convince herself that they will be together again. She knows that she will go on accumulating loves and losses, and Augustus will not. She realizes in that moment that Augustus has once and for all “been demoted from haunted to haunter.”

They leave the church and head toward the cemetery to bury Augustus. Hazel tries to talk her way out of going; she doesn't want to see Augustus parents in pain, or her own parents knowing that they will bury her someday. Mrs. Lancaster, however, insists they go.

After the burial is over, Van Houten approaches Hazel and asks if he can hitch a ride out of the cemetery. Inside the car he introduces himself as “Novelist Emeritus and Semiprofessional Disappointer.” Van Houten takes out a bottle of whiskey and takes a swig. He offers it to Mr. Lancaster, who refuses, and then hands it to Hazel to takes a swig, despite her mothers scolding.

Van Houten tells Hazel that he and Augustus corresponded after their trip. He says that Augustus demanded he come came to the funeral to make amends by telling Hazel what happens to Anna’s mother after her death. He tells Hazel answer to her question is, “omnis cellula e cellula,” explaining that every cell is born of a previous cell; life comes from life, and continues indefinitely. He asks her if she would like a further explanation, but says no. She calls him a pathetic alcoholic who just says fancy things to get people to feel bad for him. She tells him he is not the same man who wrote An Imperial Affliction and to get out of the car. As they drive away, Hazel feels bad for him.

After the funeral, Hazel goes home with her parents and eats dinner in bed. She sleeps for a while and then wakes up to brush her teeth. As she looks into the mirror, she realizes there are two kinds of adults: those who are miserable like Van Houten who look for something to hurt, and those like her parents who walk around “zombically” doing whatever they had to do to keep walking around. Neither is appealing to Hazel. She feels like she has already seen everything pure and good in the world and was beginning to suspect that the love she felt for Augustus could never last.

Mr. Lancaster knocks on the door and comes into the bathroom. He hugs Hazel and tells her that he is sorry Augustus died. He says that it was a privileged to love him. Hazel agrees with him. Mr. Lancaster then tells Hazel that Augustus death gives her an idea of how he feels about her as her father.