Realization of what is real and what is not is one of the hardest things someone can do. Paper Towns refers to how Quentin views Margo and the motive behind looking for her when she disappears. Knowing what should be prioritized in life is hard especially when those things that do matter in life are overshadowed by false perceptions. Identity searching and realizing false perception were themes from the book Paper Towns by John Green that teenagers can relate to, and also go through.
Quentin was obsessed over Margo to the point where he lost touch with reality especial those around him who mattered. He Idolized her and saw her as a flawless person whose journeys and adventures kept him mesmerized. When she went missing leaving she left clues behind for him to help him find her. When he finally found some clues he went on his own adventure that lead him to see that things aren’t what they seem.
one of the main character Margo says,“That’s always seemed so ridiculous to me, that people want to be around someone because they’re pretty. It’s like picking your breakfast cereals based on color instead of taste.” This has a real meaning to how society especially high school is. False perception was a theme throughout the book that I was able to fully understand because it happens everyday. Students have a tendency of seeing who seems better to befriend or to be around due to convenience. In the book Quentin is too obsessed over Margo and getting her to notice him that he forgets about his real true friends and tragically that happens a lot.
Most teens prioritize what they think matters, but eventually they find out later on that it never had that much of a significance, but was portrayed as that by the illusion of what was imagined as real. Throughout the book I didn’t understand how Quintin was able to look for someone who he never had a real relationship with and yet considered that person his inspiration and first love. Margo says,“When did we see each other face-to-face? Not until you saw into my cracks and I saw into yours. Before that, we were just looking at ideas of each other, like looking at your window shade but never seeing inside. But once the vessel cracks, the light can get in. The light can get out.” When I read that everything made more sense to me about how the motive he had was all a lie just like a paper town. Paper town was used as a symbol to symbolize how Quentin fell in love with the illusion and thought of Margo,but in reality it was all made up. When he found her he was finally able to have closure and move on from the fantasy world he was living in. This book just like other book by John Green is inspirational and meaningful that everyone should read.