Peloquin,1

AlyssaPeloquin
Mrs.Gallenberg
APLanguageandComposition
2September,2015
PaperTowns
Thenovel,PaperTowns,waswrittenbyJohnGreeninanattempttopersuadereadersto
followafterwhattheywantinlife,nomatterwhattheymayleavebehind.Healsobroughttothe
reader'sattentionthetopicofidentity,notfindingyouridentitybywhoyouareseenwith,or
howothersperceiveyou,buthowyouperceiveyourself.
Thestorybeginswithtwoyoungchildren,MargoandQuentin,formingabonding
friendshipandendswithanadventurethatsendsthemallacrossOrlandoandNewYork.The
storyinbetweenisfullofclues,mysteries,disappearances,paperpeople,andPaperTowns.
Afteralongnightofpouringdownrevengeonanybodythathurteitheroftheminanyway,
Margodisappears.SheleavescluesofherwhereaboutsalloverOrlando,forcingQuentinto
believethattheywereleftforhimtofind.HefollowshertrailtoAgloe,NewYorkwhereheand
hisfriendsfindherinanabandonedbuilding.Theydiscoverthatsheisnotthesamepersonthat
shehadbeenwhensheleftandshewasfuriousthattheyhadcomelookingforher.
However,
theyhadallcometotherealizationthattheydidntneedtobewhoeveryonewantedthemtobe.
Theywereallgraduatedandadults,andtheycouldtakewhateverdirectiontheychoseinlife.
AnditjustsohappenedthatMargochosetotravelandnolongerbethefake,papergirlshe
wasinOrlando.ThenovelendswithMargoandQkissing,butnottothesatisfactionofreaders,
bothcharactersrealizethattheirrelationshipwillneverbeanythingmorethanjustfriends.

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Idbeeninthisparksomanytimesbeforethatitwasmappedinmymind,sowewereonlyafew
stepsinsidewhenIbegantosensethattheworldwasoutoforder,eventhoughIcouldnt
immediatelyfigureout
what
wasdifferentHesdead,Margosaid,asifIcouldnttellI
thoughtyouclosedyoureyeswhenyoudied,shesaid.(5)

MargoandQuentinwerebothnineyearsoldwhentheyfoundthedeadmaninthepark.
Thispassagehelpstobegintheoutlineofthecharactersandtheirpersonalities.Itshowsthat
Margoisunfazedandnotintimidatedbythemysteriesoflife.Shesawthissituationasalearning
opportunityinsteadofascary,unnaturalscene.Shewasverycuriousaboutdeathandthe
meaningoflife.Quentinontheotherhand,hadthecompleteoppositereaction.WhileMargo
steppedforwardandfacedtheman,Quentintriedtorun.Hewasterrifiedandhadnodesireto
askquestionsorfindoutwhyithadhappened.Heplayedonthesafeside.Theybothbeganto
findtheiridentityindifferentways.Theystartedtoseethattheywereverydifferent.
MostnineyearoldswouldhavereactedthewaythatQuentinhad,butMargofoundit
intriguing.Shewasnotanormalchild,andunderthecircumstances,thispassageleadsmeto
believethatshemighthavehadanexperiencethattaughthernottobeafraidofanything.Her
parentsdidnotknowhowtobeparents,andmighthaveneglectedtocareforherastheyshould
have.Margoseemedverycomfortablewiththetopicofdeathanddying.Thispassagemakesme
digdeeperintothelifeofMargoRothSpiegelman,andquestionwhyshereactedthewayshe
did.ItalsosignifiesthestartanddemiseofthefriendshipbetweenMargoandQuentin.Thetwo
childrenweredifferentissomanyways,thattheirfriendshipfellapart.

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Ilikedbeingbored.Ididntwantto,butIdid.Andso,Mayfifthcouldhavebeenanydayuntil
justbeforemidnight,whenMargoRothSpiegelmanslidopenmyscreenlessbedroomwindowfor
thefirsttimesincetellingmetocloseitnineyearsbeforeIneedyourcar,sheexplained
Idontknow.
Q,shesaid,Q.Darling.Howlonghavewebeendearfriends?
Werenotfriends.Wereneighbors....
Q,shesaid,wehavetogo.AndsoIwent.(2429)

Thisisthebeginningofthecrazy,unpredictableadventurethatMargoandQuentin
enduretogether.Theirmidnightescapade.ThisisthepartinthestorywhereQuentinrealizes
thatheisstillinlovewithMargo,andhopesafterspendinganentirenightwithher,theywill
becomefriendsagain.Thereadersfinallyseeandunderstandheradventurousandmischievous
sideandbegintoalsoseethemysteriesthatsheisentangledin.Afterawholenightofrevenge,
tricks,andschemes,MargotellsQuentinthatsheistiredofthepaperpeopleandpapertowns,
andshewantstobefreeofitall.
Thewaysheseestheworldisimpressiveandalittleterrifying.Shehassuchadarkview
onpeople'scharactersandthewaysheseesthateveryonehasafakeside.Sheisvery
pessimistictowardsanythingandeverything.Thewaythattheauthorincorporatesasassyand
mischievoustonehelpstoshapewhoMargois,andhowIunderstandher.Thispassagemademe
laugh,becauseitremindedmethatIamalotlikeMargo,Ihaveanadventurous,sassy,
mischievoussidetomeaswell.ThewaythatshespoketoQuentinliketheyhadneverlost
touch,andthewayshechosehimtojoinher,makesmequestionhermotivebehindtheschemes.

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Itbecameaweekendofreading,oftryingtoseeherinthefragmentsofthepoemshedleftfor
me.Icouldnevergetanywherewiththelines,butIkeptthinkingaboutthemanyway,becauseI
didntwanttodisappointher.Shewantedmetoplayoutthestring,tofindtheplacewhereshe
hadstoppedandwaswaitingforme,tofollowthebreadcrumbtrailuntilitdeadendedintoher.
(117)

Margoleftatrailofcluesleadingtowhereshewas.Quentinandhisfriendsfollowedthe
traildevotedly,hopingtounderstandherwayofthinking.Thispassageisthestarttohislong
journeytofindher.Hebeginstothinkthatshewantedhimtofindher,sotheycouldbetogether
outsideofthefakeworldofOrlando.Quentinknowsthatifhewantstofindher,heisgoingto
needtoleavebehindhisold,boring,routineself,andjustleavewithoutlookingback.
QuentintriedsohardtounderstandwhyMargoleftthewayshedid,hewantedsobadly
justtounderstandher.Hereadoverandover,passagesthatsheunderlinedinabook,hopingto
findaclueorhint.Heisdevoted,loyal,andstrong.Hischaracterintriguesme,becausehestarts
offasawhimpykidthatdoesntknowthemeaningofrisk,butthenhegrowsup,andfollows
afteragirlthatheisntsureevenwantstobefound.Thisquoteisanexampleofhisloyalty
towardsherandhisquesttofindher.Thispassageisanimportantparttothestory,becausethis
isthepartwherehethinksthatshemighthavecommittedsuicide,butherefusestogiveup.He
willlookuntilhefindsher,deadoralive.WhenIreadthispassage,afewthingscametomind.
1.Willheevenfindher?2.Ifhedoesfindher,willshebealiveordead?and3.Ifsheisalive,
howwillshereactwhenhefindsher?

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Okay,soImnotgoing[breath]towalk,becauseI[breath]thinkIfoundMargoand[breath]I
justhavetogo,andIllhavemycellphoneon[breath]andpleasedontbepissedatmeand
thankyouagainforthecar.(239)

Quentinfinallyfiguresoutthepuzzle,andhecantwaittogomeetMargo.Thisisa
significantpassage,becauseQuentindecidestoskipthegraduationceremony.Sincehisquestto
findMargo,hisviewsonwhatisimportantinlifecompletelychanges.Hehadnevermisseda
dayinschool,hewasalwaysagoodkid.Margochangedallofthat.Heknewwhatwas
importantandhechasedit.Hisentirecharacterchangesatthismomentandweseeanew
Quentin.Thelittlethingsinlifedontmattertohimmuchanymore.Thereaderseesalotof
growthanddevelopmentinhischaracter.
ItimpressesmethathewouldgosofarastoskipsuchanimportantdayofhisHigh
Schoolcareertochaseafterwhathebelievedtoholdthehighestimportanceinhislife.Theway
theauthorwrotehisapproachwithhisparentsmakesmefeellikeIknowtheimportanceofwhat
heisdoingandIdontwanttostophim.IfeelthesamefeelingsasQuentindoes.Thisparticular
passageisanimportantpartofthestory,becausehefinallycracksthecodeandleavestofindthe
loveofhislife.Hefollowshisheartandgetswhathewants.

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Istandinthisparkinglot,realizingthatIveneverbeenthisfarfromhome,andhereisthegirlI
loveandcannotfollow.Ihopethisistheheroserrand,becausenotfollowingheristhehardest
thingIveeverdoneThephysicalspacebetweenusevaporates.Weplaythebrokenstringsof
ourinstrumentsonelasttime.Ifeelherhandsonmyback.AnditisdarkasIkissher,butIhave
myeyesopenandsodoesMargo.SheiscloseenoughtomethatIcanseeher,becauseevennow
thereistheoutwardsignoftheinvisiblelight,evenatnightinthisparkinglotontheoutskirtsof
Agloe.Afterwekiss,ourforeheadstouchaswestareateachother.Yes,Icanseeheralmost
perfectlyinthiscrackeddarkness.(304305)

Thispassagegivesthereaderanideaofthethoughtsbehindwhatishappening.Fromthis
passage,thereadercanfeelthehurting,butalsocanunderstandthatitisntmeanttobe.They
knowthattheywillalwaysjuststayfriends.Intheend,theyknewthattheywerenotgoingto
findtheiridentityineachother,buttheywouldhavetofinditontheirown.Theyhaddifferent
dreamsandgoals,theywerentgoingtoholdeachotherback.Theydecidedtheirownfates.
Thispassageintriguesme,becauseaftersuchalongandtediousadventure,theyboth
decideintheendthattheywouldstayonlyfriends.Onlyafterthejourneywasfinished,didthey
decideitwasover.TheendingwasnotasIexpected.IfeltalittlesadasIreadtheend,butI
understoodwhy.Icouldnthelpbuttothinkthattheymighthavebeenabletoworkitout.Butin
theend,Iknewthattoomanystringswerebroken.Itwaschallengingtotryandfigureoutwhy
theykissedandendedthatwayratherthansavetheheartache.Willtheyeverseeeachother
again?Willtheykeeptheirpromisetostayintouch?

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PaperTownsisaverygoodbookifyoulikemystery,adventure,andlovestories.I
thoroughlyenjoyedthebook,becauseitwasintriguingandeasytofollow.Itwasa
hardtoputdownkindofbook.Iwouldmostdefinitelyrecommendthisbooktootherpeople.
Thehardestparttotheassignmentwasreactingasareadertothepassagesabove.Iknew
whatIwantedtosay,butIdidntknowhowtoputitintowordsonthepage.Ittookmealot
longertowritethoseparagraphsthentherestofthem.Theeasiestpartforme,wasfindingthe
passagesinthebookandexplaininghowitfitintothestory,andandfindingthethemeand
summarizingthebasicplot.
ThenovelwasmostinterestingwhenMargoandQuentinbegantheirfirstadventure
togetheratmidnight.Theirescapadewasdescribedsowellthatitdrewmein.Itwasleast
interestingwhenQuentinandhisfriendsweretryingtofindcluesinthebooksandalbumsleftin
herroom.Itwasaslowpartinthestory,butitwasimportant.
Ithinkthatthegreateststrengthtothebookisthatpeoplecanrelatetoit.Somanypeople
arefakeandflimsythatitfeelslikeapaperworld.SometimesIjustwanttoescapefromallthe
unrealisticideasthatsocietybrainwashesuswith.Thestorysweaknessisthatitwasan
unrealisticwayofgettingthatpointacross.Peopledontjustgetupandleave,leavingbehind
cluesandnotwantingtobefound.Also,thewayJohnGreenendedthebookwasdisappointing.
IcanrelatewithbothMargoandQuentin.Icanbeveryrestlessandwanttodisappear
likeMargo,butIalsoknowthatIhavearesponsibilitytowardmyfamilyandmyselftostay
whereIamat,untilabetterplancomesalonglikeQuentin.IknowwhatIwant,andIam
workingtoachievemygoals,butthereisaconstantpullfromamillionotherdirections,trying
toleadmeastray.IidentifymyselfbythewayIviewmyself.IamhappywhereIam.

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