The importance of enjoying life
The importance of loving, enjoying and spending your life the best way possible was a strong theme and moral discussed in the story. Greg isn’t compassionate to the situation Rachel is in, but when he introduces her to Earl, they start talking together. Earl is considerate and enlightens Greg. He tells him that there is a big difference between life and death, and even though time is running out, the seconds suddenly start meaning something when you have a limited amount of time.
Accepting and finding youself
Greg is a lanky, tall, and scrawny seventeen-year old. He has low self-esteem and is worried about experiencing the stereotypical bullying that is associated with high schools. Therefore, he doesn’t speak to anyone about what he likes and dislikes, doesn’t offend anyone and doesn’t get to close enough to anyone to let them dislike him. When Rachel dies, and Greg gets the opportunity to reflect on his situation, he gets an epiphany; he should study in film school, since film is something that he truly enjoys.
Being strong in hard situations
Rachel was dying, and she knew it. Yet, she is one of the strongest characters in the story. She doesn’t act as if she is sickly or needs sympathy, while she stays very human. The fact that life gave put her into a hard situation with difficult circumstances, she knows they don’t need to define her, who she is and how she decides to live her life.
