3 Awful Messages that 'Me Before You' Sends

"Looking straight at the world is part of your duty as a writer," -Pat Barker

I had heard rave reviews about Me Before You, that it was touching and heartbreaking and funny and lovable. 

ig: @olivia.j.the.wordshaker

But, like your friendly neighborhood critic I am, I found many problems with it. 

While it wasn't a poorly written or constructed book, and it was funny at times, there are major problems it has. It was smartly written and realistic, but the undercurrent of harmful messages it sends trumps any strong character or good writing. 

The story was mostly about Lou, whereas there was so much underdeveloped potential with Will's story. The author barely scratched the surface of many different important elements, like assisted suicide, living with a disability, mental health, free will, and loving someone. There was so much potential, and I was promised that it would be fulfilled. 

*Hint: It wasn't.

So, here goes the 3 Awful Messages that 'Me Before You' Sends

1. Your disabilities define you. 
Many times, Will talks about his condition and his disability as if that's the only part of him. He lets the disability hold him back. 

Will acts as if his disability has degenerated his brain, which it hasn't. He was seeking fulfillment in material things. The problem is, is that Will had emotional problems before his accident, and then, these could only be addressed post facto. 

Do they do this?  Of course not. They let Will mope around and never confront his issues head on, just trying to get him out of the house and 'have fun'. 

Bullshit. 

I am here to tell you that you should never, ever, let any disability, any disadvantage, any weakness, anything define you. Nothing physical, nothing mental, nothing you've ever done in your past truly defines you. Because you know who defines you?

You. And everything good about you. 

2. Quadriplegics lead, and always will lead, terrible lives. 
*All ideas from this point are from Just Happen to Be on YouTube*

Noted, I don't know much, if anything about paralysis.  And while this book was educational so far, I don't think it's an accurate or positive depiction of people with spinal chord injuries.  

While the complications with SCI are numerous, and never fun, this doesn't mean that this consumes their life. Quadriplegics can go on to live full and successful lives. It just reinforces another harmful stereotype that 

*cough* Stephen Hawking, a world renowned theoretical physicist who has obviously never let his disability hold him back, Christopher Reeve, who continued directing and became a powerful activist after his accident, Curtis Mayfield, a famous singer who continued to compose music while paralyzed, and countless more. *COUGH*

And, probably the worst one by far: 

3. There's no hope. 
*Spoilers* Will dies at the end. He goes through with assisted suicide, and it's terrible. It's terrible because this slaps the readers in the face with there's no hope. By killing him off, it shows that the author believes that there's never hope for Will getting better. And I don't mean physically - I mean he could have the same condition until he dies of old age - I mean mentally, emotionally. There's always hope, because, who knows, even if a person with quadriplegia never goes on to become famous, they can still go to college, get married, have kids, drive, write books, create art, have businesses, travel the world, and, most importantly, be happy. 

So, screw off, 'Me Before You'. You make people with quadriplegia (and many other people) shake their heads. 

~The WordShaker