Wimpy Analysis

It’s easy to dismiss the characters of Diary of a Wimpy Kid as just comedic actors in a kids' movie series. But there's something more to these characters that I've overlooked. These movies tell a deeper story about development and personality.

First, there’s Greg Heffley, our “hero,” a kid who wants to be popular but somehow does everything to make sure that doesn’t happen. Greg’s charm isn’t in his ability to succeed, it’s in how he repeatedly fails with the sort of grace only a middle schooler can. Sure, he’s selfish, but in a way that makes him a little relatable. His world is full of failures, but that’s precisely what makes him so fascinating.

Then there’s Rowley Jefferson, the ray of sunshine. Rowley is the kind of kid who’s just nice. People call him corny because he makes Greg look worse by simply being himself, but god forbid a kid has a personality. He’s the type of person who takes the high road while Greg scrambles to avoid the consequences of his actions. Some people say Rowley is too innocent or optimistic, but that’s exactly what makes him the best character of the series. He’s loyal, and let’s be real--Greg should count himself lucky to have him. Without Rowley, the movies would not be good.

Rowley’s innocence and upbeat attitude contrast so well with Greg’s constant stress. He’s loyal to Greg despite how he treats Rowley. I think the readers need to know that.

Now, the misunderstood character of the series: Fregley. He’s constantly the subject of Greg’s and the school’s laughter, but it’s time to cut Fregley some slack. He’s more authentic than most of the people in the movie. He’s himself, without a care for fitting in. You know what? I think society needs his ventriloquism once in a while.

And finally, Rodrick Heffley. I think he’s more compelling than people realize. As a kid, I saw him primarily as a mean older brother, but recently I’ve noticed that he still goes through a lot of struggles. I think we’re ignoring the fact that he is holding Loded Diper on his back. He’s our modern king. 

I needed to find other Diary of a Wimpy Kid enthusiasts to help support my arguments, and I stumbled upon Kip Bartloff, 12, a major DOAWK book and movie fan. Kip said “ Rodrick is a queer icon. He is constantly underappreciated throughout the chronicle of the Wimpy Kid movies. This is likely since the story is told from a fragmented brain, with a schizophrenic character (Frank) playing the role of an unreliable narrator.” He later went on to say, “Rowley, an unfortunate victim of Frank's wrath, represents the last bit of sanity left before full brain degradation in neural diseases like dementia, Alzheimer's, and schizophrenia. I think the entire series uses Frank Heffley as a storytelling vessel and the other characters as the effects of what happens when issues such as his go unchecked.”

When talking to Kip, I brought up the fact that Freggley is overhated in the DOAWK series, and surprisingly, the only thing he had to say was: “I don't like Freggley.” I know I can’t be the only one here who thinks that Freggley gets too much hate, right? Anyway, when asked about Greg, I realized that I should’ve ended this interview a while ago: “Greg is the unfortunate product of a childhood without a good father figure. Regardless of your stance on Frank Heffley, it's clear that he causes Greg some serious distress. In the ninth movie, it is hinted that Greg killed Frank and reverted the timeline using Manny's Machine. It's interesting to speculate, but without confirmation from the directors, all we can say for certain is that Greg is not coming back home.” I’m not exactly sure where he went there, but his thoughts on some of the other characters are plausible.

I like to think of these characters like they’re in a band: Greg’s the lead singer who messes up every note, Rowley is the drummer who just keeps things steady, Fregley’s the unpredictable superfan who’s waving his shirt in the air, and Rodrick is (ironically) the guitarist who’s still trying to figure out if he wants to be in the band or not. Together, they somehow make it work, and we keep watching, or maybe just me.