Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Introduction
The main reason for the catapulting into a whole new life involved in another person’s life might make one’s face pressed against their window. Therefore one may rethink their idea, causing a majority not to self-accept themselves. In the book, we read about Louisa Clark, who was unwilling to leave her job at the Buttered Bun. After six years, she became more comfortable in making tea routine and comfortably chatting with the customers at Buttered Bun. Unfortunately, Louisa’s boss decides to close down Buttered Bun, and Louisa, an unskilled twenty-six-year-old, loses her job and forces her to apply for a new job as a companion at the ex-Master of the Universe. The wealthy ex-Master of the Universe is bound in a wheelchair after a tragic accident. Through the help of Will Traynor, Loisa can widely open her eyes to the limitations she self-placed in her life, which only love can awaken.
The article by Jojo Moyes, Me Before You, is a novel mainly about Romance between the main characters, Louisa Clark and Will Traynor, and how they bonded to make an exceptional love story. Among the aspects, there is the father of Will, known as Steve Traynor. The father since Will got into an accident he has not supported his son’s decisions same case to Will’s nurse Nathan, who’s the main objective is to take care of Will medically, his main wish if for Will to change his mind since he wasn’t going to get any better. Therefore, the opinions of Mr. Steve viewed as non-supportive, and the pictures from Nathan seen as neutral (Moyes).
The novel Me Before You is a story about Will Traynor, a known wealthy, and successful young man. Before Will used a wheelchair, he had a perfect life, but unfortunately, after an accident from his motorcycle and becomes severely injured, he spent almost two years undergoing primary treatment to adjust his spinal cord. Unfortunately, Will was not able to move both his chest and feet, he was not able ever to walk again, no matter the treatments, and the therapy he underwent. With such a situation, Will became different, making him more of a desperate man (Moyes). The case also made him antisocial; he spent most of his time in his room, thus isolating himself from the rest of the world. Due to his disability, Will felt self-worth became low, he hated life and was not convinced that he had any other purpose in his life, and he even opted to die.
It was until Will hired Loisa, and then things in Will’s life began to change. Though at first, their relationship was rough finally, Louisa started to get some attention from Will. Will began to change his behavior, but still, he opted to take away his life, he was even suicidal. In the novel, Jojo Moyes explains a theory by the tittle existentialism; the theory explains the essence of Will’s existence. Jojo argues that the significant character traits he expressed are challenging to analyze, unusual among other characteristics. Therefore, however much, those surrounding Will try to change his mind on the suicidal thoughts has, no matter the true love and acceptance received from those surrounding him, Will still defines himself with low self-worth. All this can be explained by the fact that no one had any experience of using a wheelchair, therefore no one fit into his shoes, and no one knew the deep feelings from Will through the situation he had faced (Moyes).
The Novel posts an affirmative argument, “Wouldn’t life be much better if one was dead.” The raw material fatalism, and through romanticism from the foreign death clinic influence our notion of human rights, then as human beings will create a darker world. The world has gone ahead to advocate disability and anti-euthanasia as low people in society. The society has placed higher values on the physical appearance of human beings, but there is also a stigma for those living with disabilities. There are many issues to be dealt with on the issues a physical disability brings forth, such as loss of one’s dreams (Moyes).
Will’s family at first was not accommodating; she faced hesitation from Will’s mother. Unfortunately, back at Lou’s home, her parents were not in her favor. They considered Treena more, Louisa’s younger sister; this is because Luisa always accustomed herself last. Louisa had a boyfriend by the name Patrick, and they had been dating for six years. Patrick was majorly concerned about himself; his next triathlon’s performance mattered more than the relationship he had with Lou. But as Will and Louisa grew stronger together, Will began to convince Louisa that she also deserved more respect from those who surrounded her.
According to the book, disability has placed as a life-ending problem; the book has explained disability as a problem that once you have it, one cannot survive. According to research done from the entrainment industry, indicates the majority of the storyline focuses on suffering. Then death and the book Me Before You is not an exception since Will after becoming a quadriplegic. He becomes suicidal. Therefore the majority of such novels are a sad and tired trope. To be clear, assisted suicide is an issue that many have actively fought against, and for making the whole issue a nuanced. Therefore, my main concern on the book I was before you, and how it has portrayed disability on a scale, has widened. The paper suggests that it can be impossible to live boldly when one is disabled. In the book, there’s little talk on how to live with a disability (Moyes).
For people with newly acquired SCI, the book can be tormenting and dangerous. The book seems to encourage suicide for those with disabilities. The end of the book indicates death as freeing Louisa. The book portrays a destructive message that disability is a burden; this is seen when Will explains to Louisa his decision to commit suicide. He also tells Louisa not to get tied to him through his hospital appointments and many life restrictions. For people with disabilities, support, opportunities, and love should be given to them. But as for the character displayed through Will, the act of love, support was not grasped, leading to situations such as pessimism (Moyes). As a reader, I am worried that Will’s character will spread, such as a negative attitude to the viewers. It is very troubling to see how quickly Will wants to end his life, and due to the little mental help he receives from those surrounding him, he gets a strong urge to commit suicide.
An actual person living with an injury with their spinal cord takes longer to live, unlike the character Will in the book takes two years till he dies, Will kills himself. On the other hand, Will’s needs make it seem that a life without sex is impossible for those living with disabilities. However, those who’ve written the book address the issue and carefully indicate that they had no intention of harming the disabled community, neither that the book has no intensions to disrespect the disabled people. The audience shows that what anger them are the presented possibilities since the book only examines a singular case and does not bring a broader context to highlight the issue on disability (Moyes). The audience also indicates that the book paints the life of a disabled as one that is not worth it. The situation displayed by Will’s character also shows the mental health of such people is profoundly affected, and one begins to experience situations that bring such kind of people to an end their lives.
Will states that He is unable to accept his current situation causing him to be forever bound to a wheelchair. Such a character portrays him as stubborn and headstrong through his convictions that make his wrong choice noble; instead, his decision should be personal, and that’s how the editors should have tried to portray his character as safe. The situations in the book confuse the audience giving then a painful result. The last scene shows Will embracing Louisa as they were in the assisted facility in Switzerland, after which he asked her to get her parents (Moyes). The gravity in this novel places Will’s situation as one that dissipated through the consequences that haphazardly brushed aside. The next scene after the death of Will is the note reading, indicating who is to save who, therefore, the whole novel reveals a glaring issue as to how those with a disability treated.
The disability and death of Louisa are treated as a tool to improve Louisa’s life since he left her money to help her life throughout her life. Thus Louisa is no longer tied down by her financial woes; the way will be tied down by disability. Louisa experiences a fresh start through the help of Will. Therefore the attachment of a severe issue to a famous romantic fantasy trope was mainly to make it more accessible and palatable. However, the character molded to fulfill the requirements through the disability role given through a dimensional treatment. Will’s character has a lot to question from the novel. It has affected those in the disabled community. The majority of the disabled people find the new offensive and dangerous, and that’s how many protests have arranged to come against the novel (Moyes).
Conclusion
The right to die is a severe issue considered to be beyond the weepy scope of the romantic drama displayed by the novel. According to the authors of the book, they insisted on being careful all along as they created the characters, generally the story. The authors emphasized that they wanted to indicate a particular situation throughout the story, not an opinion. Moyes, the author of the book, clearly stated that through the sentiment, he wanted to make people aware and think twice before judging other people and their choices. Making Will seem he had no opportunity, and through the addition of a list that exhausted the disability individuals seem worthy of pity, and patronization, however, there those few disabled people who are thriving, therefore the book Me Before You does not allow people to think twice but to cut the conversation entirely
Reference
Moyes, Jojo. Me Before You: The internationally bestselling phenomenon. Penguin UK, 2012.
Moyes, Jojo. “Me Before You.” (2012).