37 pages • 1 hour read
The Deep End
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Character Analysis
Greg Heffley
Greg Heffley is the anti-hero protagonist and narrator of the story. His perspective, expressed through his comical illustrations, sense of humor, and observations of the world around him, forms the basis of the story as he navigates the life of a middle-schooler. Greg has a strong imagination and is highly creative, and many of his drawings feature fantastical creatures, strange situations, and skillfully unique variations on simple cartoon figures that distinguish one character from another, like the size of a character’s nose.
Greg’s narrative, including his drawings, is expressive of his ambivalent self-image and his anxieties, many of which he seeks to conceal. He draws himself with an extremely slim body, which he occasionally jokes about, a round head, and three single hairs sticking out the top. He is like a typical “stick man” figure and sees himself as somewhat anonymous and invisible. In his view, his family seems to forget about him sometimes or loses track of where he is. He wishes that he could be something more:
Sometimes I wish I was born a little SOONER so I had a chance to actually DISCOVER something. Because when you find something new, they NAME it after you. But by now, everything worth finding has already been discovered (43).
As this passage shows, Greg is often dissatisfied with his lot but lacks a sense of agency or responsibility about deciding his own character and future. He prefers to blame his discontentment and sense of inadequacy on others.
Greg is antagonized by his older brother and occasionally his father. His mother is kind and optimistic, but Greg resents her because she limits his screen time and pays a lot of attention to three-year-old Manny, which makes Greg jealous. His narrative shows that, although Greg complains about his family, he is still deeply emotionally reliant on his family as a child. Part of the humor and pathos of his character is in the tension between his need for his family and his rejection of his family members. Handling Fear and Anxiety is not something Greg does well, and perhaps his biggest flaw is his tendency to avoid confrontation and the consequences of his actions. He doesn’t protest when someone steals his stall at the showers and never argues with his mother when she pressures him. The book shows that avoidance (i.e., hiding in “the deep end” only leads to more trouble (like being left stranded in a lightning storm).
Mom and Dad
Greg’s parents are both fairly flat characters defined by one or two main traits. This is part of the book’s ironic purpose as they are portrayed only through Greg’s limited perception of them in their “parental” role. Greg’s father, who is drawn simply as a bigger version of his two older sons, spends most of his time focused on work. On the vacation, Greg’s father is resourceful and agreeable. He mostly does what the others do and goes along with whatever his wife suggests. He often handles the traditionally “male” tasks.
Greg’s mother is portrayed as typically maternal and as the driver of the family’s emotional bond. She is more insistent on Appreciating Family, building memories, and spending as much quality time together as possible:
Mom said the whole point of being on a family vacation is to do things TOGETHER. She says that one day us kids are gonna go our separate ways, and time’s running out to make happy memories as a FAMILY (19).
Greg’s mom is both ordinary and well-presented: She wears glasses, has done-up black hair, and is usually shown smiling or excited. Greg notes how she is always comparing her own family to perfect families on social media. Greg’s mother is optimistic and hopeful, always believing that the next place or event is going to finally be the one that gives the family the experience they’ve been seeking. Her optimism is rewarded in an unpredictable way, as it is only after a disaster that the family gains the peace and space to enjoy one another’s company.
Manny Heffley
Manny Heffley is Greg’s three-year-old brother. He is a dynamic character who is always the one to bring a twist or surprise, and his abilities are often unbelievable, verging on magical realism. At first, Manny is merely an object of Greg’s complaints as, in Greg’s view, Manny takes up all the family’s time and attention. Greg’s mom rightly insists on doing things Manny can do and doing them his way, but the narrative shows Manny as the focus of Greg’s resentment. Manny is depicted as being much smaller than his actual size—about the size of a kitten. He looks distinctly different from the rest of his family, who are all very alike, which strengthens the uncanny element of his character and his role as the family’s habitual savior. Not only is Manny capable of knowing how to shoot a flare gun, but he also demonstrates that he can maneuver a large RV down a flowing river. Manny becomes the story’s hero, providing the campers with a way to escape and giving the Heffleys an opportunity to enjoy Campers’ Eden without the chaos and crowds. The figure of Manny as the providential or unnaturally wise baby is absurdly humorous but also challenges Greg’s perspective of him as a waste of the family’s resources. It also creates a subtle Messianic allusion, part of Kinney’s regular inclusion of Christian tropes.
Rodrick Heffley
Rodrick Heffley is Greg’s older brother. He is antagonistic toward Greg, often harassing, bullying, and pranking him while taking advantage of Greg’s naivety as the younger brother. While Rodrick has a larger role in some other Wimpy Kid titles, his character in The Deep End is fairly reserved and usually just exists as a minor annoyance or even as a comforting familial presence. Rodrick is drawn as tall and slim, with the same head, body, and face as his brother and father. What distinguishes him is his mischievous eyebrows and (slightly) thicker hair. He is usually drawn sitting in the background looking unimpressed with whatever is going on around him. Greg complains about having to sleep next to Rodrick both at Gramma’s house and in the camper. Both of them resent being cast as a brotherly pair by the family needs and dynamics. While camping in the woods, Rodrick and Greg’s father plan an elaborate prank on Greg to make him think that the ghost of a lost dog is out to get him. The prank spooks Greg and irritates Greg’s mother, who only wants her family to get along. Rodrick’s troublesome behavior and treatment of Greg is very like Greg’s own behavior: The story doesn’t draw a moral distinction between the two boys. Rather, Greg’s narrative presents Rodrick’s behavior as bad and Greg’s as fine because this is Greg’s limited view, and he is often the victim of Rodrick’s pranks. In the story’s conclusion, Greg is seen enjoying Campers’ Eden with his entire family, including Rodrick, showing that they can get along, but it takes a “miracle” for that to happen.
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By Jeff Kinney
