Author

Elpha E. Escabal
Claver National High School; Surigao Norte State University, Main Campus
Surigao del Norte, Philippines
Email: elvin.lava@deped.gov.ph

Abstract

This comparative study analyzes love and life choices in Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride and John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, focusing on the protagonists’ characters, conflicts, and symbolism. Using Formalism as the main theoretical lens, the study examines how Sparks and Green construct literary elements to depict love as a force that shapes decisions, personal growth, and relational dynamics. Psychoanalytic theory serves as a supporting framework, providing insight into the protagonists’ psychological motivations, fears, and desires, which influence their choices. The research highlights key symbols such as art collection and Bull riding in The Longest Ride and Augustus’s cigarettes and Hazel’s oxygen tank in The Fault in Our Stars this serves as reflections of the characters’ internal struggles and values. Through qualitative textual analysis, the study reveals how both novels portray love as both empowering and challenging, demonstrating how literary and psychological elements together illuminate human resilience and the complexities of moral and emotional decision-making.

Keywords: Love, life choices, bull riding, oxygen tank, cigarettes, art collection

DOI: http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0501745

Recommended citation:
Escabal, E. E. (2026). Love and Life choices in Nicholas Sparks’ The Longest Ride and John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. Pantao (The International Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences) 5 (1), 8239-8246. http://doi.org/10.69651/PIJHSS0501745

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