Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green is regarded as young adult literature that presents the difficult time of American teenagers who struggle to find their identity. Quentin Jacobsen or Q, the narrator of the story, is a high school boy who falls in love with Margo Roth Speigelman, his girl next door. Q represents young people in general who want to be accepted by society. Thus, he conforms to social norms and the rules of society. In contrast with Q, Margo represents a teenager who is independent, rebellious, and brave. She wants to exclude herself from social restriction and follows her own will. While Quentin lives in his comfort zone, Margo thinks that it is more challenging and exciting to live the life in her own way. After inviting Q to her adventurous missions, Margo disappears. Q’s love for Margo leads him to follow the clues that she left behind, and try every possible way to find her. Finally, Q finds out that Margo goes to paper towns because she suffers from the way people idealize her. Living in paper towns, Margo can reveal her own inner self and develop her identity. Although Q knows that he cannot take Margo back, he enjoys that short time with her. After leaving the graduation ceremony to find Margo, Quentin realizes that he experiences significant things in life. He learns to follow his own wishes and makes his own decisions.