The Moral Of The Novel | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

The Moral Of The Novel

'Me Before You' is much more than a cheesy romance novel

78
The Moral Of The Novel
US Magazine

Jojo Moyes' bestselling book, "Me Before You" has recently been turned into a very popular movie, and understandably so. It's beautiful love story and charming British wit leave anyone's who's read it feeling sappy, giddy and probably slightly depressed. Aside from the whirlwind of mixed emotions that both the novel and the movie evoke, there's something deeper there, as there is with any novel. However, I feel it necessary to justify this one specifically due to it's mushy genre. We are reminded of lessons that we often forget because they are so mundane in our world today. Moyes' novel refreshes our memory on a few very important life lessons.

1. Life is short.

You've heard it time and time again, but seeing the fun-loving, successful and adventurous Will Traynor being confined to a wheelchair before the age of 20 suddenly makes this commonplace phrase so real. The truth is, you don't know what will happen a few years from now or tomorrow or even within the next couple minutes. Life is short and unpredictable, so do absolutely everything you can to make the most of it; live in the moment.

2. Be yourself.

So maybe Louisa Clark is a little out there, but she certainly isn't ashamed of it. She always wears her heart on her sleeve, never leaving any bit of her feelings to question. Her chatty personality and unique sense of style are certainly a lot to take in, but she never changes herself for anyone. Despite Louisa's financial struggles and past personal problems, she is shamelessly herself, and by doing so, landed herself a good job and a love story.

3. Never settle.

Before realizing that Will was the one for her, Louisa was long-term boyfriend, Patrick. There was nothing significantly wrong with Louisa and Patrick's relationship: he didn't cheat on her, hit her, or even yell at her. Some might have even considered him sweet. But he didn't always put Louisa first, didn't always listen to her, didn't always fully understand her. Louisa wasn't totally unhappy with Patrick, she was just much happier with Will; even though the latter ended in extreme sadness, Louisa learned from that experience and grew more as a person in six months than she had with Patrick in seven years. Be passionate and hold yourself in high enough esteem to know that you deserve the absolute best and to be your absolute happiest.

4. Family comes first.

Throughout the course of the novel, it was evident that Louisa's family faced never-ending financial struggles. Louisa made sure that she always gave as much as she could to them; once she had gotten her job with the Traynor's, despite her initial hatred of Will and the position, she stuck with it because it was good money that she knew her family needed. She slept in the box room for years just so that her sister and her son could be more comfortable. Louisa made endless sacrifices for her family so that they could live as happily and easily as possible.

5. Keep on keeping on.

Even after the tragedy, Louisa managed to continue living her life. Not only that, but she actually sought to improve her life. She rekindled her desire for adventure and travel. Everyone faces heartbreak, tragedy and other obstacles throughout their lives, but it is how we handle these situations that determine the outcome. Louisa, we should all try to face our struggles head on and do our best to overcome them.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1199
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2237
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

3438
How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments