Love and Sacrifice Theme Analysis

Five Feet Apart centers around two teenagers, Stella and Will, who fall in love while hospitalized for cystic fibrosis. Terminal illness and the danger of cross-infection frequently force Will and Stella to make difficult decisions about what they are willing to sacrifice to continue their romance. When they first meet, in fact, Stella is closed off to the idea of a relationship with Will, since he carries a bacterial infection (B. cepacia) that could kill Stella if she contracts it. As she falls in love with him, though, she becomes increasingly willing to potentially shorten her life in order to spend time with him. At the same time, Will becomes more mindful of Stella’s health as he falls in love with her, and he ends up sacrificing his proximity to her in order to keep her safe. Though these sacrifices come with hardship and pain, Will and Stella both end up happier than they were before they met. Falling in love makes both characters realize that they value the other’s needs even more than their own desires.

Stella, Will, and many of the novel’s other characters also find themselves making personal sacrifices for friends and family. After Stella’s sister Abby dies, Stella sacrifices much of her limited time and energy to make sure her parents are okay, even when Stella herself is suffering. In return, Stella’s parents do their best to ensure that Stella is happy, even though they are suffering through the grief of losing their other daughter, as well as a divorce. Sharing the common goal of refocusing on Stella’s wellbeing instead of their own ends up bringing Stella’s parents back together. Will’s mother also sacrifices a lot of time and money to ensure Will gets the best treatment. At first, Will resists complying with his treatment regimen, but he eventually abandons his personal motto of “life fast, die young” for the sake of both his mother and Stella. Through these complex relationships, the novel illustrates how sacrificing personal desires for the sake of loved ones can end up being paradoxically fulfilling.