"The Price of Dawn"Īs a book series and a video game, The Price of Dawn is attractive for its simplicity, high body count, and - unlike An Imperial Affliction - its lack of ending. Furthermore, with Hazel's main issues with living and dying being the impact she makes on her parents and others, it makes sense that she would want to get the reminder of her childhood away from her parents and attempt to make a positive impact on another family while she can. Hazel acknowledges that she has no strong specific memory there, but that seeing it makes her sad in general. The swing set as a symbol is a strong one, hearkening back to a generalized and likely idealized childhood in which she was young, cancer-free, and able to play un-tethered to an oxygen machine. The day that Augustus and Hazel give away the swing set online is the day she allows herself to fall in love with him (though she doesn't tell him yet). However, from the way he explains it outside of their first Support Group meeting together, he seems to see it more like holding the power over something that could make you sick, betraying his desire for control and agency. It is almost masochistic, like wanting to love Hazel even when he knows about her illness, keeping something that could hurt you so close. Gus's unlit cigarette is a clear symbol, even to him who chooses to do it for that reason. Furthermore, some of what draws Hazel (and Augustus) back in is the brutal lack of ending, demonstrating their reasonable mutual interest in childhood death and what happens after for the child and especially the world around them (hence their fixation on what happens to the Dutch Tulip Man and Sisyphus the Hamster. Hazel seems to like the book because she approves of the girl in the story not allowing herself to be defined by her cancer. Hazel likes the book because it is about a girl with cancer, allowing her to relate and empathize, but is not a "Cancer Book" in that the girl is not presented as the most strong and amazing person ever and does not start a charity that is cancer-related, instead creating The Anna Foundation for People with Cancer Who Want to Cure Cholera. While allusions to real literature can be revealing, a book created entirely for the purpose of existing within Hazel's world is of even more interest. An Imperial Affliction, unlike most of the books and poems referenced in The Fault in Our Stars, does not really exist.
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