The fault in The Fault in Our Stars

I don't like The Fault in Our Stars.  I'm referring to the book.  I haven't seen the movie and I won't, since I didn't like the book and it doesn't have Spock.  I don't object to the author or plot.  I think John Green is a superlative writer and he tells an interesting story, which, although manipulative, is still rather touching.  My complaint is with the language that issues forth from the teenage protagonists' mouths.  "Colorful" might be one adjective for it, or "adult," or if my grandmother were here she might say, "uncouth!"  Whatever it's called, I don't like to hear it or read it, and I never use it.

I've heard the arguments; "That's how teenagers talk today.  Mr. Green was being realistic.  Those kids are dying a terrible death.  Their world stinks.  Profanity reflects that."  Hmm.  Maybe.  But I don't believe that a rotten world justifies or even requires rotten language.  In fact, if the world is truly so ugly, wouldn't beautiful language make it a little nicer place to be?

Heinrich Schütz would think so.  Schütz was born in 1585 in Germany to a family of innkeepers.  His musical talents were recognized early.  Accordingly he was sent to Venice to study composition, Venice being the most important city for composers at that time.  Upon his return to Germany he became the Kapellmeister (chapel master) for the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.  He was soon the preeminent composer in the area and was enjoying great success.  But life was not kind to Heinrich.  His beautiful wife whom he adored died after just 6 years of marriage, leaving him with two young daughters.  Then the Thirty Years' War descended upon central Europe, and madness reigned.  From 1618-1648 economic hardships, pillaging by soldiers, plagues, and anarchy were common.  Dresden suffered terrible deprivations.  Between 25-40% of the population of Germany died during this time.  Some communities lost two-thirds of their citizens.

And yet, Heinrich Schütz continued to compose exquisitely beautiful music.  Listen to Selig Sind die Toten (Blessed are the Dead).  Everything he produced during this brutal time praises his God and strives to elevate his gifts and talents to the highest.  Why didn't he succumb to the ugliness all around him and create something profane?

Words and music are powerful.  Ancient people understood this.  In the creation myths of Egypt, the sun, the earth, the moon, and all other objects came into being as Re spoke their name.  The Acoma people of New Mexico taught that two sisters sang a creation song to bring life to the earth.  The Samoans have a story about Tangaroa who spoke to a rock, bringing forth water, sky, maleness, femaleness, and ideas.  Christians believe that "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," and that "the morning stars sang together" at the creation.

Words and music create worlds.  Heinrich Schütz knew this, and I wish the youth in The Fault in Our Stars knew it as well.  If your world is crumbling under the weight of terrible things (and everyone's does, at some point) the relief, the peace, the hope you are seeking lies in beauty, not profanity. And if we all worked harder at sharing a little more beauty despite our circumstances, we could create a new world, a world that would bless us all.

Heinrich Schütz