Me Before You

In this section, Will and Louisa continue to get to know each other. Their relationship deepens as they share more intimate stories of their pasts. Louisa notices how often she forgets about her position as Will’s caregiver and feels like “it [is] just [her], sitting next to a particularly sarcastic bloke, having a chat” (83). She speaks of yellow-and-black striped tights she loved as a child, which offers a glimpse into her affinity for fashion. In addition to the past, Will asks about her future and encourages her to experience more of the world outside of her small English town. The pair’s relationship also grows physically, as Louisa begins to anticipate Will’s physical needs. She learns to decipher Will’s nonverbal cues like “the strained look around his eyes, the silences, and the way he seem[s] to retreat inside his own skin” (94). In an act of intimacy, she shaves Will’s beard and cuts his long hair, both of which symbolize his dissatisfaction with his new life. Will grows out his hair in an unkempt fashion to signal his lack of desire and effort to engage with the world. Louisa’s grooming of Will signals a new era for him as he begins to regain some of the joy he lost in the years since his accident. Unlike the previous times she touched Will for medical reasons, this act of grooming reminds Louisa of Will’s humanity. As she touches him, she allows her fingers to “rest lightly upon his skin, trying as much as possible to make the movement as far from the dehumanized briskness that characterize[s] Nathan’s and the doctor’s interactions with him” (97). Unlike Will’s family and other caregivers, she sees the importance of allowing Will to feel human.

However, rather than criticizing Will’s mother Camilla for her inability to provide Will with the humanity he desires, Moyes highlights the difficulties of life as a caregiver by devoting a chapter to Camilla’s perspective. Despite her reserved nature, Camilla loves her son and wants to make him happy. She doesn’t want to control her son but rather to show him “that there [is] a bigger picture, a brighter future” (106). Throughout the novel, she serves as a catalyst that reunites Louisa and Will as they navigate their complex relationship. Camilla’s desire to inspire Will to live leads her to sacrifice her own feelings to ensure he and Louisa maintain their relationship—reinforcing the theme of Navigating Love in the Face of Adversity.

Despite Camilla’s intentions, Moyes does emphasize the moral ambiguity of her actions. When Louisa overhears Camilla supporting Will’s plan to die by assisted suicide in Switzerland, Moyes introduces the theme of The Right to Die. Through her exploration of this nuanced topic, she questions the “selfish” nature of choosing to die. Although she is a Christian woman, Camilla chooses to prioritize Will’s wishes and will travel with him to the assisted suicide program Dignitas in six months. On the other hand, Louisa, a non-family member, struggles to reconcile her morals with Will’s desire to die. She judges Camilla for her approval of Will’s plan and only agrees to return to work if she can attempt to convince Will to live. As the novel progresses, she learns more about Will’s disability and its impact on his life. The more knowledge Louisa gains, the more she questions whether or not Will should be allowed the right to choose his own death.

Unable to confide in her boyfriend Patrick, Louisa relies on her younger sister Treena. Their relationship is complicated since Treena’s pregnancy at a young age limited Louisa’s ability to gain independence, as her family relies on her for financial support. While resentful of how Treena’s decisions impacted her, Louisa still turns to her as her closest confidant. Treena suggests Louisa take Will on a series of adventures to reignite his passion for life. When she begins to pursue her own dreams again, Louisa must follow through with her plans on her own. No longer able to rely on her sister, she must push herself outside of her comfort zone—reinforcing the theme of Personal Growth Through Challenges.