Book Review : Paper Towns
I. Title
Author: John Green wrote the book for three
years and the reason why most of his stories were road trips and fun because as
he reasoned in a Youtube video “Road trips are fun and secondly, it is really,
really a good metaphor.” Green wanted to write a mystery because he’s in for
mystery novels, so he did one for himself and his readers. Secondly, Green
himself said that he was really bothered by the way that he was seeing people
idealize the people they are romantically interested in. Whether its that Edward Cullen or that beautiful girl in biology class. People feel
like people consistently treat the people they are infatuated with as if they
are not regular people but instead something more and better.
John Green, therefore, wrote paper towns, which focuses
on a character named Quentin Jacobsen as his friends calls him in short, “Q”
that has so profoundly and consistently misimagined another character which is
Margo in which he can’t find her. Not because she’s lost or anything (she
doesn’t want to be found, actually) but also in a sense Q is looking and
percepting his own Margo Roth Spiegelman, not Margo. The whole thing about the
weird cartographic phenomenon of Paper Towns, Green wrote because they are
interesting in which Green learned it back in college.
II. Settings
8328
bartlesville Avenue: The exact location of an abandoned building
that Margo lefy with a riddle about doors. In which led Quentin and his friends
on a wild goose chase thinking that Margo may be there.
Jefferson
Park:
The neighborhood of Quentin and some of the other characters. It was back then
owned by an actual Jefferson where
the name came from. Furthermore, it was once a NAVY base headquarters. In the
first pages of the book, as Quentin and Margo were still little and kids, it’s
the place where they found a man’s dead body that Quentin thinks changed
Margo’s outlook of her life. The place is regularly mentioned in the book by
the characters.
Orlando,
Florida: The exact state, city where Quentin’s neighborhood is.
Algoe
Florida: Where they finally saw Margo Roth Spiegelman and in which
the group which includes, Q himself, Ben, Radar and Lacey missed their
graduation.
Sun
Trust Building: There, Margo showed the whole Orlando and
describe her definition of Paper Towns.
Sea
World: The place where Quentin and Margo busted inside and
eventually before leaving the place, they got to kiss.
III. Characters
a. Central
1. Quentin
“Q” Jacobsen – He is in loved with his misimagined Margo
and of central character of John Green’s Paper
Towns for not only that he is the one who narrates the whole book, he also
plays an important role in the development and resolution of its central
problem, finding Margh Roth Spiegelman in which at the end, he and his friends
eventually found her in Algoe, Florida and the group, miss their high school
graduation day.
2. Margo
Roth Spiegelman – Quentin’s childhood friend who later
disappears bringing trouble for Quentin and his friends as well as others.
After her run away, a detective explains Margo’s odd mentality regarding clues
that she left behind before a major run away and a few of her odd habits. She
is also physically beautiful with slim body and attractive eyes described by
the people around her especially Quentin. However, her mind is something
completely contradictory to what she looks like.
b. Minor Characters
1. Ben
Starling –
One of the best friends of Quentin. He is in the part of a school band. Plus,
he helps Quentin to find Margo where she is. Ben becomes Lacey’s boyfriend.
Towards the beginning of the book, Ben has an obsession with the idea of prom
and refers to girls as "honeybunnies".
2. Marcus
"Radar" Lincoln – One of Q’s best friends. In the novel
he is constantly editing pages on a website called Omnictionary (which is very
similar to Wikipedia). He was nicknamed by Quentin and Ben after the character
from M*A*S*H. His parents own the world's largest collection of black santas.
He is in the school band. He assists Quentin in finding Margo.
3. Mr.
and Mrs. Jacobson – Both psychologists (and parents of
Quentin) in which tends to make them to handle things differently. They help
Quentin and Margo’s family through it emotionally.
4. Mr.
and Mrs. Spiegelman – Parents of Margo that are tired of that
Margo always ran away. They are an example of cold parents, when Margo left
they didn’t go further and continuesly attempt to look for her. They
even changed the locks of the doors of their house.
5. Ruthie
Spiegelman – The sister of Margo and her crime in scene side kick.
c.
Dynamic
1. Chuck
Parson – He bullies Quentin and his friends but Q doesn’t mind
that, Q is not affected by his doings in the whole story. During Radar’s party
in his house, Chuck mentions an apology to Quentin before they officially
graduate.
2. Margo
Roth Spiegelman – She shows two personalities somehow. She’s
pretty different went she is around her school friends it’s like they see her
as a mirror of themselves and what and who really Margo is completely
different. Especially on the part that Quentin thought he knew Margo in a
different perspective all along, until they met again at the end of the
chapter.
3. Quentin
“Q” Jacobsen – He is basically an awkward guy and an
introvert. He would always dismay the idea of prom at the beginning of the book
but his life is simple like any other teen. One thing that was emphasized is
his great fascination about his misimagined Margo. In which from this fearful
guy, through Margo, made him courageous.
4. Jason
“Jase” Worthington – He was a jerk at the beginning (cheating on
Margo with Becca) but eventually asked for forgiveness to all the people that
he had offended.
5. Ben
Starling – At the beginning of the book, he was the goofiest among
them. He would talk about honeybunnies all day and about prom. When he and
Lacey Pamberton started to date, he became intellectual and slightly less goofy
than before.
6. Lacey
Pemberton – Lacey is pretty but not as beautiful as Margo. Quentin,
Ben and Radar perceived her as a snob and was surprised when suddenly she wants
to be a part of them and help to find Margo.
d. Static
1. Marcus
“Radar” Lincoln – He is known to be great in electronics and
dedicated on Omnictionary. His girlfriend is Angela and his parents have the
largest collection of Black Santa Collection. He is the type of a guy that is
like the glue of the group together and he is the always the smart and chill guy.
2. Becca
Arrington – Margo’s best friend who was found sleeping with Margo’s
boyfriend, Jase. She is another the stereotypical “it” girl, and a trend
setter.
3. Ruthie
Spiegelman – Ruthie is Margo’s sister and partner in
crime. She can be an easy ally, one just have to pay her in which Quentin did
so at a time when she visited Margo’s room and got the book A Song To Myself.
e. Round
1. Margo
Roth Spiegelman – The girl that was misimagined and
misinterpreted by Quentin, himself. The whole story is about her and Quentin’s
– you can say- obsession of finding her. Margo is a self-described Paper Girl
who runs away from home only to be pursued by her childhood friend, Q. Her pet
dog, Myrna Mountweazel, is a reference to Lillian Virginia Mountweazel, a woman
who never existed, but was listed in the 1975 edition of the New Columbia
Encyclopedia.
2. Quentin
“Q” Jacobsen – He is basically an awkward guy and an
introvert. He would always dismay the idea of prom at the beginning of the book
but his life is simple like any other teen. One thing that was emphasized is
his great fascination about his misimagined Margo. In which from this fearful
guy, through Margo, made him courageous.
f. Flat
1. Gus –
The security guard of the Sun Trust Building. He lets Margo and Quentin inside
the building, since Margo’s been friends with Gus back when she was a freshman
and Gus was a senior.
2. Mr.
and Mrs. Spiegelman – They were cold parents on Margo and too
harsh that made Margo, Margo.
3. Mr.
and Mrs. Jacobsen – They are physiologists. They believe mat,
they have a great job in rising as their son.
4. Becca Arrington – The
aggressive she want it all girl can
be easily an ally sun just have to Juliet , fake, trend and dynamite
5. Rutie
Jaconsem – She can be easily as an ally.
g. Stock
1. Jason
“Jase” Worthington – “stereotypical jock” that usual famous and
popular guy in school that everyone wants.
2. Becca
Arrington –“stereotypical “it” girl” in which that girl in novels
that gets the popular sporty guy/s and that protagonist’s enemy.
h.
Protagonist
1. Quentin “Q” Jacobsen – He is in loved
with his misimagined Margo and of central character of John Green’s Paper Towns for not only that he is the
one who narrates the whole book, he also plays an important role in the
development and resolution of its central problem, finding Margh Roth
Spiegelman in which at the end, he and his friends eventually found her in Algoe,
Florida and the group, miss their high school graduation day.
2. Margo
Roth Spiegelman – Quentin’s childhood friend who later
disappears bringing trouble for Quentin and his friends as well as others.
After her run away, a detective explains Margo’s odd mentality regarding clues
that she left behind before a major run away and a few of her odd habits. She
is also physically beautiful with slim body and attractive eyes described by
the people around her especially Quentin. However, her mind is something completely
contradictory to what she looks like.
3. Marcus
"Radar" Lincoln – One of Q’s best friends. In the novel
he is constantly editing pages on a website called Omnictionary (which is very
similar to Wikipedia). He was nicknamed by Quentin and Ben after the character
from M*A*S*H. His parents own the world's largest collection of black santas.
He is in the school band. He assists Quentin in finding Margo.
4. Ben
Starling – At the beginning of the book, hye wa the goofiest among
them. He would talk about honeybunnies all day and about prom. When he and
Lacey Pamberton started to date, he became intellectual and slightly less goofy
than before.
5. Lacey
Pemberton – Lacey is pretty but not as beautiful as Margo. Quentin,
Ben and Radar perceived her as a snob and was surprised when suddenly she wants
to be a part of them and help to find Margo.
6. Chuck
Parson – He bullies Quentin and his friends but Q doesn’t mind
that, Q is not affected by his doings in the whole story. During Radar’s party
in his house, Chuck mentions an apology to Quentin before they officially
graduate.
7. Mr.
and Mrs. Jacobsen – They are physiologists. They believe mat,
they have a great job in rising as their son.
i.
Antagonist
1. Becca
Arrington – Margo’s best friend who was found sleeping with Margo’s
boyfriend, Jase. She is another the stereotypical “it” girl, and a trend
setter.
2. Mr.
and Mrs. Spiegelman – They were cold parents on Margo and too
harsh that made Margo, Margo.
j. Anti-Hero
1. Quentin
“Q” Jacobsen – He pretty much struggled on where to find
Margo but eventually seek help from his friends.
2. Margo
Roth Spiegelman – Ran away from her parents because of their
cold parenting.
k. FOIL
1. Margo
Roth Spiegelman – She made Quentin braver and more courageous.
2. Lacey
Pamberton - She brought out
the parts of Ben as a girlfriend that the readers didn’t knew initially.
l. Symbolic
1. Margo
Roth Spiegelman –
She is the main topic of the whole book. In which its about Q’s obsession of
finding her. Moreover, she talked about the deep meaning of strings, grass and
like vessel.
IV. Plot
a. Exposition –
The story left off as Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Spiegelman were kids,
specifically, they were nine year olds. In a certain subdivision named
Jefferson Park that was own by an actual Jefferson. There, they discovered the
corpse of Robert Joyner, a divorced man who has committed suicide. Little Margo
took some steps closer to the dead body as Q says “WeGottaGoHomeZAndTell” to
Margo. As she-Margo wonders why would he do such a thing, she said “why he
wasted his life?” Quentin understood Margo in wchich he knows that she loves
mysteries such as this scary situation. As kids and their houses is side by
side, they would see each other and through the windows they connect. The novel
flashes to Quentin and Margo as high school Seniors of their school who have
grown apart through time. Quentin assumes everything Margo’s footsteps, in
short, for a very long time, Q likes- more like romantically interested in
Margo.
b. Rising Action –
One afternoon Margo climbed up to Quentin’s window out of nowhere. Then she
asked if she can borrow his Car, technically his mom’s car and Quentin said no.
Margo was continuously disciplined by her parents for many reasons. Later that
night, she knocked again, and drag Quentin on a night owl road trip with
revenge. To avenge to the people who have hurt her. There were eleven parts of Margo’s scheme.
One of them were to kind of bust Jase for cheating on Margo in which the two
saw Jase naked and took a photo of it by Quentin. One of the parts were for Q
to choose who’s gonna be the next victim in which was Chuck. The whole plan was
a success anyway, and one of the highlights is where Margo explains Paper Towns inside the SunTrust building
and Margo and Q kissed around in Sea World.
c. Climax – It
has been three (3) days since Margo has gone missing. Q starts to worry and
investigates and observes Margo’s clues for the everyplace she has visited. One
example is she went to Mississippi and left a bowl of canned letters soup and
she left once a Minnie plushie to sign she visited Disney Land. One time
Quentin visited Margo’s room with the ally of Ruthie and Q saw a book A Song to Myself the book, Q realized it
has highlighted parts that may help to find Margo. Once he stayed in a building
of rats in which Q missed his Senior Prom.
d. Falling
Action – Quentin continues to re-read Song
To Myself and Radar keeps searching some information about the pseudovisions
and New York, any clues where Margo is. While Ben, thought of having a party in
his house and asked his friends to help him, a little party before graduation. Three of them were the hosts and
without embarrassment Ben and Lacey kissed in front of Radar and Q which they
thought it was gross! The party continued and ended up Lacey and Q talking in the
unfilled water bathtub in the bathroom, about Margo and the people.
e. Resolution –
Graduation day was approaching, the friends thought of having a naked
graduation. Quentin received a two-year old FORD minivan from his parents as
his graduation gift. As Radar searching in the omnictionary he saw a comment a
few days ago, it’s a clue where Margo is, not in a psubdivision but in Algoe,
19 hours from Orlando. The group of friends with Lacey decided to miss
Graduation and find Margo in Algoe. Before that, the group of friends called
and of course informed their parents why and reasons why would they miss
graduation.
f. Conclusion –
Quentin found Margo. In which Margo didn’t expected. She was furious a first,
something like you miss graduation
because of me? Lacey and Margo did a catfight. Q calmed Margo, then she
explained EVRYTHNG about the strings, grass and vessel. Margo mentioned in
liking Q when they were around 10. They eneded up in different paths like Margo
continues to New York and promised each other to stay connected.
V. Vocabulary Words
1. Cummerbund –
We should use a cummerbund for our neckties in the upcoming prom, next
month.
2. Glumy – It's raining again,
I feel so glumy!
3. Pseudovisions –
This abandoned pseudovision will be rebuilt by next year, according to the mayor.
4. Particle Board –
We need to use a particle board for our project next semester!
5.
Unambiguousky
–
The instructions on this manual should be unambiguousky.
6.
Scuming
–
The men nowadays are so pervert they’re already created some bunch of words
like scumming.
7.
Whitewashed
-
Just because I am open minded does not mean I am whitewashed. Get it
straight!
8.
Lonesome
-
He ate the meal all by his lonesome.
9.
Aneurism – Be careful with your health you may already have Aneurism.
10.
Cadence- Patrick’s cadence beatbox was so funny,
I chuckled through my lungs.
VI. Themes
1.
Chasing after what you want in life, no matter
what is left behind –Quentin shows his
desperation to find Margo. In which Margo showed he dedication to wave her own
path. And Margo keep moving forward though
she kind of influenced by of her childhood is.
2. Road trips are a good metaphor – Quentin’s road trips from pseudovision to
pseudovision
3.
. When you go on a road
trip, you are not only hoping that your geography will change: You’re hoping
that the literal journey will be accompanied by an emotional or spiritual
journey, and that you will come home different. So I think I keep returning to
them because as a teenager, road trips were one of the places where metaphor
was real and alive and relevant to me. And I like metaphors that are born of
life instead of imposed upon a narrative.
4.
Freedom is good and Freedom is great but.. – Margo abused her freedom and right by running
away and rebelled against her parents.
5.
Teenagers, so everyone can relate – The characters itself. The sequence of the
story, when you sink in the reader would appreciate it more. Thus, Green
planned so that everyone may relate and more love the book.
6.
The idea of having a ultimate crush on someone,
romantically – This includes Quentin
and his obsession of finding Margo just because he love her and he misses her
and of course worried she might be dead.
7.
The
symbols and challenges we face in adolescence – The peer pressures and that
first puppy love of Quentin and of course the family, the different family
problems that the characters have that affected/influenced by the flow of the
story of the book.
8.
Don’t judge a person by its appearance – It is seen by Quentin’s imagination of love
for his imagined Margo. And also to Lacey in fact they thought she was a snob
well actually she even join their group around by the ending.
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