Table of contents
- Introduction
- Concept of Revenge in Paper Towns
- Self-Satisfaction and Revenge
- Anger and Revenge
- The Prevalence of Revenge
- Conclusion
Introduction
Revenge is the punishment for pain, the consequences of pain, or the violation of duty. There are several factors that lead to the encouragement of seeking revenge on others, such as breaking trust in any kind of relationship, lack of individual satisfaction, and angry behavior.
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'Concept of Revenge in Paper Town'
Concept of Revenge in Paper Towns
Trust is integral to relationships as it is built through connection, consistency, and follow-through. However, trust is a delicate phenomenon that can be destroyed even faster than it is created. When trust is broken, it often leads the victim to seek revenge as a form of self-satisfaction. In Paper Towns, a girl named Margo Roth Spiegelman seeks revenge on her friends after realizing that they had betrayed her trust. Margo has a boyfriend named Jase Worthington; it is revealed in the story that Margo took revenge on her boyfriend after he broke her trust by cheating. The story states, "He’s been cheating on me for six weeks and he has probably given me God-only-knows-what diseases" (Green, 2008, p. 43). These lines clearly illustrate that Margo's boyfriend was unfaithful, and she was aware of it. These events prompted her to take revenge on her boyfriend by buying a club to lock up the steering wheel of Jase’s car and calling Becca’s father to inform him that his daughter was in the basement with Jason. In this way, she took revenge on her boyfriend, Jason. Margo also had a friend named Becca who betrayed her by being with Margo’s boyfriend. Upon discovering this, she decided to take revenge on Becca as well. Margo informed Becca’s father while she was with her boyfriend in the basement and later, when Becca’s father was scolding her, Margo placed a fish in Becca’s closet with a message, "A message from Margo Roth Spiegelman: Your friendship with her – it sleeps with the fishes," and wrote "M" on the window with a blue spray (Green, 2008, p. 42).
Self-Satisfaction and Revenge
Self-satisfaction is one of the main reasons people seek revenge. For some, revenge provides a sense of self-satisfaction. In this novel, Margo took revenge on Lacey because she believed, "She did not tell her about Jase, but not just that, when I look back on it, she is just a terrible friend." Margo was not sure if her friend Lacey had hidden the truth about Jase and Becca’s relationship from her. Instead of seeking the truth, she sought revenge on Lacey for self-satisfaction. However, it turned out that Lacey didn’t know about Jase and Becca’s relationship. According to some studies, people often seek revenge for self-satisfaction rather than fully understanding the situation (Smith, 2015).
Anger and Revenge
Anger also stimulates the desire for revenge. Anger or rage is one of the most common reasons for seeking revenge. People with short tempers tend to seek revenge more than those with normal tempers. According to the article, "Accomplishing Anger Motives Predicts Adolescents' Ratings of Anger’s Benefits," there is evidence that people with short tempers conduct acts of revenge to justify their rage (Anderson, 2012, p. 91). In Paper Towns, Margo is portrayed as a short-tempered girl compared to Quentin. Margo spoke rudely to Quentin without any reason while they were in the car going to Karin’s house, and Quentin said, "Don’t be pissed at me, I just had a guy point a freaking shotgun at me for helping you, so don’t be pissed at me" (Green, 2008, p. 43). Another example of Margo’s short temper is when Karin informed her about Jase; Margo reacted badly and shouted at Karin, "Well, when she told me about Jase, I sort of shot the messenger" (Green, 2008, p. 46). These incidents demonstrate that Margo’s short temper encourages her to seek revenge. In contrast, Quentin seems to manage his anger well, as evidenced when he finds Margo in New York and she refuses to return with him. This indicates Quentin’s positive approach to life, choosing to start anew instead of being disturbed by Margo’s decision and seeking revenge.
The Prevalence of Revenge
Nowadays, revenge is very common. "If revenge really has serious drawbacks and unfavorable consequences, then why is it so common among people?" One answer is that famous and well-publicized examples of vengeful behavior often come to mind easily, encouraging us to assume that revenge is widespread. After the attacks of 9/11 on the World Trade Center in America, 90% of Americans surveyed approved of retaliatory attacks in Afghanistan (Jones, 2001). It appears that "revenge in the heart" is a fairly common response to harm.
Conclusion
To conclude, revenge has many reasons and consequences. There are three primary reasons as stated above: the breaking of trust in any kind of relationship, self-satisfaction, and anger or rage. These reasons drive individuals to seek revenge. People with a positive approach to life tend to handle such situations better, while those with one of the aforementioned issues are more likely to harbor thoughts of revenge. The examples of Margo and Quentin illustrate the concept of anger and demonstrate the type of approach one should have towards life. Revenge may have numerous outcomes, but it typically begins with one of these issues.
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References:
- Anderson, C. A. (2012). Accomplishing Anger Motives Predicts Adolescents' Ratings of Anger’s Benefits. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 48(1), 91-95.
- Green, J. (2008). Paper Towns. Dutton Books.
- Jones, A. (2001). Public Opinion and the War on Terrorism: The American Experience. Public Perspective, 12(4), 11-15.
- Smith, D. L. (2015). The Psychology of Revenge: Why We Should Forgive and Forget. Psychology Today.
