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Quentin's mom says, "We idealize them as gods or we dismiss them as animals." We know that Quentin didn't quite hear what his mother was saying, that for a minute he realized Chuck was a person; then, his mind drifted to Margo Roth Spiegelman. Let's say that he dismissed Chuck as an animal--because he was a bully and all--and idealized Margo as a god--because we all know how obsessed with her he is. Can you tell me how Quentin (or other characters) views anyone else, and why? It can be anyone--even a character with a very small role. For instance, I think Quentin dismissed his ex-girlfriend as an animal; he thinks of her only once in the book. Or Ben dismissed Margo as an animal because...Or Radar idealizes so-and-so because this-and-this. Or...no "ors". Just kidding!

i feel like something interesting would be how Margo views everybody she gets revenge on. You could argue animal, because she looks down on them and feels like they are nothing but scum. On the other hand, you could say she views them as Gods, because she spends so much time and thought on them.

@hanmahbm13

True.

hannahbm13 wrote:i feel like something interesting would be how Margo views everybody she gets revenge on. You could argue animal, because she looks down on them and feels like they are nothing but scum. On the other hand, you could say she views them as Gods, because she spends so much time and thought on them.

You could almost say gods for the same reason. A lot of mythology shows the gods didn't have a high opinion of "humans" or those they thought of as lesser beings. Mar go looks down on them almost as if a good would look down on those below.

hannahbm13 wrote:i feel like something interesting would be how Margo views everybody she gets revenge on. You could argue animal, because she looks down on them and feels like they are nothing but scum. On the other hand, you could say she views them as Gods, because she spends so much time and thought on them.

I think Margo looks down on almost everybody as animals, and that factored into her decision to leave. She condescendingly calls everybody "paper people" and insists they aren't leading real lives. She is very dismissive of everybody and didn't think about the effect her leaving would have on her sister or friends.

Margo is condescending and looks down on almost everybody as animals, and that factored into her decision to leave. She condescendingly calls everybody "paper people" and insists they aren't leading real lives.

Margo absolutely looks down on the paper towns as being full of ´animals´. She generally insists that no one in the towns are living real lives in comparison to her and her dreams. Therefore, it would absolutely make sense for her to look down on everyone else.

Margo was a conundrum. I think in her case she had initially viewed everyone in the town as Gods, from her constantly trying to get her parent's attention by running away to being apart of the 'it' crowd. Overtime it's like she stopped trying and after playing out her revenge card and leaving the town that's when she dismissed them as animal, probably seeing her leaving as her being better than them - a god.

In some way, I believe we all do this. There are some people we wouldn't give the time of day, while there are those who we would die for a scrap of their attention. It goes to show the fickleness of human nature, and the Gods and Animals concept is a wonderful representation of this.