False Perceptions
In the book, Quentin spends most of his time obsessing over Margo that he forgets about his own life. Quentin holds on to the memories him and Margo had as children, whereas Margo has long ago abandoned the friendship they had as children. After Quentin has discovered the whereabouts of Margo, she shows little concern for what everyone has gone through due to her disappearance Although Quentin will always love Margo, he realizes that he can no longer hold up his life for her. This growth stems from him overcoming his false perceptions and seeing his love in a truer light.
Identity Searching
Very few teenagers have a full understanding of their identity, and the characters in "Paper Towns" are no exception. Margo references to the idea of "strings" that hold a person together, repeatedly. The "strings" represent emotional stability and inner peace. In the beginning of the book, Quentin tells the readers about a memory in which he and Margo discover a dead body in a park that is by their houses. While Quentin is disturbed of the discovery, Margo is quite fascinated. Margo infers that "maybe all the strings inside him broke." The memory and the idea of strings follow Quentin as the years go on. The search for one's strings represent the identity crisis both Quentin and Margo undergo. Quentin's occurs as he comes to terms with the false representation he has created of his childhood crush. When Margo's occurs, she learns to stop fleeing responsibility and loses Quentin as the realization comes too late.
Friendship
Quentin eventually realizes that his friendships with Ben, Radar, and Lacey are more fulfilling to him than a relationship with Margo. As Quentin discovers himself and Margo in a realistic light, he begins to prioritize the individuals in his life that have shown genuine care for him. Lacey, who was once Margo's best friend, criticizes Margo for her lack of regard for her supposed "friend's" feelings. Once timid and complacent, Lacey grows more comfortable with expressing her opinions to those who truly care to listen. While Quentin's friendship with Ben and Radar were once overshadowed by his love for Margo, he learns to appreciate them and recognize their loyalty to him.
Admiration
In "Paper Towns", Margo isn't quite a celebrity, but everyone in school treats her as though she's a goddess among them. Margo is of two minds about this: she clearly likes the attention because she keeps doing things to keep the attention coming, but she also isn't able to make normal connections with the masses. This makes her not just out of touch with other people, but also out of touch with herself.
Dissatisfaction
After you've read "Paper Towns" many times, watched the movie many times, and looked up information about it, you might be bored. Maybe even a little dissatisfied with life. Now you know how Quentin feels after Margo disappears from their town. So what's a boy or girl supposed to do? You could obsess over Margo. Who is she? Where is she? Why is she? Or you could do something. Organize a road trip, even if it's just to find out where Margo went. You might have quite the adventure along the way.
Text-to-World
The themes, shown above, of "Paper Towns" have a connection to the world because most teenagers nowadays admire someone, are dissatisfied with something in their life, have difficult friendships, are searching for their true identity, and have a false understanding of something in their life.
A photo of a map with a quote by the author of "Paper Towns".
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