Theme

The theme of Paper Towns is experience and friendships. Road trips anchor the beginning and the end of the book. The first road trip that Margo and Quentin take through Orlando is its own self-contained set piece, an adventure of revenge that begins and ends in a night. Quentin could have forgotten all about this road trip and resumed his normal life. Physically, the road trip ends exactly where it started: at Quentin’s house. However, Quentin is transformed by this initial trip with Margo. He grows obsessed with Margo’s disappearance, which occurs directly after this adventure. Quentin uses this experience to fuel his own journey of both searching for Margo and searching within himself. Quentin searches for his independence through driving. Taking small road trips around Orlando to find Margo makes Quentin feel more in control of his life, rather a passive follower of the rules as he has always been. For the first time in his life, Quentin skips school to go looking for Margo, and the simple act of driving to these locations gives Quentin a sense of adventure he never knew he had. Though driving and road trips go along with independence and self-realization, they also highlight and solidify friendships. Though the purpose of Margo’s Orlando adventure with Quentin is to take revenge on her enemies, the unintended consequence is that it cements a bond between them. The same happens in Part Three. The purpose of Quentin, Ben, Radar, and Lacey’s road trip is to find Margo, but the trip ties the four together in a shared experience they will always remember. Road trips alter Quentin’s geographic location, but they also signify changes within Quentin. The first road trip with Margo makes him realize that there are ways to experience the world outside of comfort and routine, and the second with his friends makes him realize that he can be content with his values and with himself. In this way, road trips highlight the inherent differences between Margo and Quentin, and, ultimately, their incompatibility. On Quentin and his friends’ road trip, he drives with his friends from home in a minivan that anchors him to his roots and parents.