Me Before You

“I watched relationships begin and end across those tables, children transferred between ex-spouses, the guilty relief of those parents who couldn’t face cooking, and the secret pleasure of pensioners at a fried breakfast. All human life came through, and most of them shared a few words with me, trading jokes or comments over the mugs of steaming tea.”

Louisa describes her job at the local café and how much she enjoys observing humanity. An empathetic and observant character, she thrives in environments where she can learn more about other humans and socialize. Her relationship with Will further challenges her perspective of the world.

“I was twenty-six years old and I wasn’t really sure what I was. Up until I lost my job I hadn’t even given it any thought. I supposed I would probably marry Patrick, knock out a few kids, live a few streets away from where I had always lived. Apart from an exotic taste in clothes, and the fact that I’m a bit short, there’s not a lot separating me from anyone you might pass in the street. You probably wouldn’t look at me twice. An ordinary girl, leading an ordinary life. It actually suited me fine.”

At the beginning of Me Before You, Louisa lives an ordinary, safe life with her long-term boyfriend, Patrick, in her familiar hometown. She doesn’t actively think about her plans for the future. This early portrayal serves as a point of contrast for Louisa’s later ambition and independence—learned from Will.

“I saw that he seemed determined not to look anything like the man he had been; he had let his light-brown hair grow into a shapeless mess, his stubble crawl across his jaw. His gray eyes were lined with exhaustion, or the effect of constant discomfort (Nathan said he was rarely comfortable). They bore the hollow look of someone who was always a few steps removed from the world around him. Sometimes I wondered if it was a defense mechanism, whether the only way to cope with his life was to pretend it wasn’t him it was happening to.”

Louisa reflects on Will’s unkempt appearance and ponders whether he uses it to dissociate from his active, past self. The use of the words “hollow,” “exhaustion,” and “discomfort” highlight the physical, mental, and emotional toll Will’s disability has had on his once vibrant self. Despite Louisa’s best efforts to inspire a love of life in Will, his view of his condition ultimately leads him to end his life.