Blog #4- Theme

There are many themes and life messages throughout the book Paper Towns. Paper Towns is such a well-written book, and there are so many details that symbolize messages about life. One of the underlying messages in this book is chasing after what you want in life is the only way to accomplish your goals, no matter what is left behind. That is definitely a theme displayed throughout the book, between numerous characters. Ben Starling used this as his motto when trying to pursue the girl of his dreams, Lacey Pemberton. He knew was going to be made fun of, and he knew there was a chance he would crash and burn, but he still did it anyway because he knew he wouldn't get anywhere if he didn't try. Margo displayed this when she left Orlando, she knew it would be hard and risky leaving all her friends, family, and that sense of security, but she knew she didn't want to stay in Orlando. Although it was a dramatic move, she accomplished her goal by leaving the town she hated, not caring about the sacrifices she had to make. Quentin also shows this, by leaving behind the end of his senior year, not caring about graduation or his prom, and seeking his goal which was to find Margo. All of the characters are determined and they all followed that underlying theme of chasing your wants in life.

Another theme that I believe is strong is seeing the truth in people. I know that John Green was definitely trying to explain to people that love is blinding. Quentin Jacobsen is in love with Margo Roth Spiegelman, and he sees her as a “miracle.” He describes her as this magical creature who is absolutely perfect and somewhat unreal. Many people tend to dehumanize the people they admire and love. They think of them as so wonderful and so amazing that they forget that those people are normal human beings. Everyone does that, whether it’s with celebrities or someone you strongly admire, we forget to realize that they are real. That message was a very strong one in this novel, Margo says “it’s kind of great, being an idea that everyone likes” but in the end she was just a normal girl, and she wanted to feel real somewhere. She never felt real in Orlando, so she ran away to a “paper town” that became real. She had the idea that if a paper town could become real, so could she if she went there. The idea of people overestimating their loved ones and not fully understanding them is a constant theme within this novel.