Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

The novel’s concluding chapters continue to utilize shifts in point of view to bring the central emotional conflicts to a climax. Chapter 21, narrated from Josh’s perspective, establishes a layer of dramatic irony as he misinterprets the positive pregnancy tests at Emily’s house. This device demonstrates his dawning realization that he loves Hazel and his longing for a family, but he remains ignorant of the fact that these desires are on the verge of being realized. The narrative then pivots to Hazel’s perspective in Chapter 22, illustrating her emotional turmoil. Her simultaneous joy over the pregnancy, fear of losing it, and deep love for Josh create a high-stakes scenario that Josh cannot yet understand. Through these separate but parallel points of view, the narrative emphasizes that their eventual confessions of love are not a reaction to the pregnancy but the culmination of two independent emotional journeys. When the perspective returns to Josh in Chapter 23, and he discovers the ultrasound photo, the dramatic irony collapses, forcing him to reconcile his newfound love with the reality of impending fatherhood. 

Josh’s character arc reaches its apotheosis in these final sections as he fully reconciles his ingrained sense of tradition with the unconventional life he truly desires. In his conversation with Dave, Josh articulates a commitment to the tradition of having his parents live with him as the eldest son, a responsibility he feels keenly. This adherence to cultural expectation contrasts with his internal monologue, where he fantasizes about a life of joyful chaos with Hazel, declaring, “[I]’d buy a lifetime supply of fire extinguishers and eat bad pancakes every day to have her around again” (261). His love for Hazel becomes the catalyst for synthesizing these two seemingly opposing parts of his identity. Upon discovering her pregnancy, his immediate response is one of protective concern for her well-being. The epilogue presents the integration of these values: his parents become part of the vibrant, blended family unit he and Hazel have created. This resolution signifies a mature evolution of his identity, where the core principles of family and respect are honored through a flexible love that embraces Hazel’s unique nature rather than a rigid adherence to norms.

These chapters affirm the novel’s argument for Friendship as the Foundation for Enduring Love, as the pregnancy tests whether the bond Josh and Hazel have forged can withstand a genuine crisis. Their history of platonic support and vulnerability proves essential. Dave’s revelation that Hazel has loved Josh since college but feared rejection underscores the depth of her insecurity; she worried her core self was incompatible with the man she admired most. This context makes Josh’s unwavering support all the more significant. When confronted with the pregnancy and subsequent bleeding, his actions are those of a trusted friend first and a romantic partner second. He does not demand explanations or express betrayal over the secret; instead, he offers quiet comfort. They punctuate their tense wait at the clinic with the simple, grounding promise of getting milkshakes afterwards. This detail highlights that they’ve built their intimacy on shared history and mutual care, not just desire. By resolving their romantic tension amidst a life-altering crisis, the narrative argues that enduring love is not about avoiding difficulty but having a partner to confidently face it alongside.

The epilogue serves as a thematic culmination, providing a vivid tableau that celebrates Finding Authentic Connection by Embracing Personal Eccentricity and Challenging Social Expectations of Normalcy. The family Josh and Hazel have built is a direct reflection of their union, a harmonious blend of order and chaos. This is literalized in their children: Jia is cautious and thoughtful, like Josh, while Miles is exuberant and uninhibited, like Hazel. Miles’s attire of a dress and cowboy boots is presented as a quiet but firm statement on the family’s acceptance of authentic self-expression free from rigid gender norms. Hazel’s own eccentricity remains undiluted by domesticity; her witch’s hat on a regular Friday date night symbolizes her sustained commitment to a whimsical and unconventional life. This future, which Josh once would have found bewildering, is now the life he cherishes. His concluding reflection that their story would “sound just crazy enough to be true” signifies his complete and joyful assimilation into a world he now recognizes as his own (306). The narrative’s resolution reframes the conventional “happily ever after” as a dynamic, loving, and perpetually surprising partnership built on the radical acceptance of each other’s true selves.