literary explorations
There are several works of literature that could be read as part of a unit or along with Paper Towns.
- “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman is the poem that Margo leaves as a clue for Q. At one point in the novel, Q asks his English teacher, Dr. Holden, for help deciphering what Margo meant: “I’m reading it to understand Margo, not to try to understand Walt Whitman” (Green 161). Dr. Holden responds to this by saying, “I think that is precisely what Whitman would have wanted. For you to see ‘Song of Myself’ not just as a poem but as a way into understanding another” (161). Paper Towns would be a great companion to teaching “Song of Myself” because it introduces a way to read the poem.
- One could also include Paper Towns as part of a transcendentalism unit, including “Song of Myself.” One of the main themes of the book is how people see each other and how the are connected. There are several different ideas about how people are connected in the book, the three main ones are the titles of the separate parts.
- Moby Dick by Herman Melville is the book that is being taught in Q’s English class. Ahab and Q are both obsessed with finding something. Many comparisons could be made between the two characters.
Works CitedGreen, John. Paper Towns. New York: Speak, 2008. Print.