Themes
There are several themes in Paper Towns. They are themes that readers can learn from and think about in context of their own lives.
How do we view other people?
The theme of “how do we view other people” is very prominent and obvious in Paper Towns. Everyone sees Margo differently. However, few of them acknowledge that Margo is simply a person trying to find adventure. Students should think about how they view celebrities they admire. Do they think of them in only one way? Or do they acknowledge that some of the time they are very much not themselves? “Margo herself was -- at least part of the time -- very unMargo” (Green 169). Students should think about this quote. Are there times when their friends or people they come in contact with would say they are very un-them? Do they think that there are times that they would think their friends are very un-them?
Real vs. Fake
Margo calls Orlando and her neighborhood a paper town (Green 57). Why does she think her town is fake? Students should think about Margo’s definition of “fake” and if they agree with it. They should think about the town that they live in and it fits Margo’s definition of fake. They should also think about what makes a person “fake” or “real.”
How much of this world is really “ours?”
When reflecting how empty Orlando is at night, Q notes that it was “like I’d survived the apocalypse and the world had been given to me, this whole and amazing and endless world, mine for the exploring” (Green 53). Students should think about why Q does not think about exploring it anyways. Why should it take an apocalypse to make the world Q’s to explore? What does Margo think about this? Does Q change his opinion by the end of the book? If so, how?
Works Cited
Green, John. Paper Towns. New York: Speak, 2008. Print.
How do we view other people?
The theme of “how do we view other people” is very prominent and obvious in Paper Towns. Everyone sees Margo differently. However, few of them acknowledge that Margo is simply a person trying to find adventure. Students should think about how they view celebrities they admire. Do they think of them in only one way? Or do they acknowledge that some of the time they are very much not themselves? “Margo herself was -- at least part of the time -- very unMargo” (Green 169). Students should think about this quote. Are there times when their friends or people they come in contact with would say they are very un-them? Do they think that there are times that they would think their friends are very un-them?
Real vs. Fake
Margo calls Orlando and her neighborhood a paper town (Green 57). Why does she think her town is fake? Students should think about Margo’s definition of “fake” and if they agree with it. They should think about the town that they live in and it fits Margo’s definition of fake. They should also think about what makes a person “fake” or “real.”
How much of this world is really “ours?”
When reflecting how empty Orlando is at night, Q notes that it was “like I’d survived the apocalypse and the world had been given to me, this whole and amazing and endless world, mine for the exploring” (Green 53). Students should think about why Q does not think about exploring it anyways. Why should it take an apocalypse to make the world Q’s to explore? What does Margo think about this? Does Q change his opinion by the end of the book? If so, how?
Works Cited
Green, John. Paper Towns. New York: Speak, 2008. Print.