And I've never lit one. It's a metaphor, see: You put the killing thing right between your teeth, but you don't give it the power to do its killing. A metaphor.
According to Petrie and Boggs, many of the methods used to charge an object symbolically also serves as clues that the object is taking on symbolic value (60). Therefore, during this conversation, the dialogue blatantly tells viewers that director Josh Boone is using character, Augustus Waters to place value on the unlit cigarette. The director accomplishes this by having Augustus talk about the meaning of the unlit cigarette to Hazel. In this scene the clue tells viewers that Augustuss unlit cigarettes are a symbol and carry more value than what they are at face value. However, the film contains more hidden details or clues that reinforce the fact that Augustuss cigarettes are a symbol. For example, with each change in the camera angle the cigarette remains visible in that his mouth. Even when the camera focuses on Hazel as she speaks, the shot emphasizes the unlit cigarette is in Guss mouth. This is because the cigarette is the closest object to the camera. Therefore, in this scene the director, John Boone is using repetition and differing camera angles to show that the cigarette is a symbol by showing the cigarette many times in one scene with differing camera angles. Boone also uses the dominate color teal to draw attention to the cigarettes. He does this by having the cigarette box teal in color. This draws attention to this object because it is a much brighter color than everything else on the screen. .
With so much emphasis on the unlit cigarettes, the director gives so much meaning to this simple surface object. The cigarette symbolizes Augustuss sense of control. He fears cancer, and not lighting the cigarette holds the power from the cigarette because he is not giving it the power to kill him. This alone gives Augustus the ability to control something in his life.