Assikatsum answers “Why does everybody hate Margo? I didn't...”

Isabella asked this question about Paper Towns:

Why does everybody hate Margo? I didn't love her but calling her self-absorbed and selfish seems a little harsh, she wasn't perfect by any means but no one in real life is.

Assikatsum I just finished the book. I didn't hate Margo, but it's quite obvious from the beginning that Margo is a very intelligent and curious person who isn't…moreI just finished the book. I didn't hate Margo, but it's quite obvious from the beginning that Margo is a very intelligent and curious person who isn't afraid to do things by herself (a 9-year old investigating the death of Mr.Joyner, wow. When Q was almost crying for mommy, Margo became a junior journalist of sorts). She also didn't seem to think like the majority of people; to her, school, studying, getting a job, having a family didn't seem so important (she said that for most people life is about living for the future and not in the 'now'). Margo is an excellent strategist and does well in school dispite her lack of interest in going to college. I see her as the kind of person who thinks differently about what is important in life, and has very different values from most of her peers - maybe that's why she never let anyone see the real 'her', she didn't think they'd understand or something? I would have liked to have known more about Margo's parents because their relationship with Margo seemed quite terrible and Q's parents' comments about her parents were interesting.

In my opinion, it is selfish to act out like Margo did. I think she's an emotionally selfish, maybe even a 'cold' person and sees herself as something very special, something very different from the 'paper figures' of her hometown that she feels contempt for (she said something like that she left the clues so that Q would step out of his careful 'paper role' and live a little) - but then again, she is a teenager in search of herself. She wanted to leave home, and she was going to leave for good (her original plan was to come back to graduation? and then leave), but not until she had caused people some worry.

You're right, no one in real life is perfect, and I'm glad that Margo isn't perfect either.(less)

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