Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Rowley Jefferson is Greg’s best (and only) friend in the novel. Greg claims that while Rowley “technically” his best friend, “that is definitely subject to change” (17). Greg feels no loyalty to Rowley and often complains that Rowley is hopelessly unpopular and doesn’t understand the importance of popularity in middle school.

Unlike Greg, Rowley seems completely comfortable in his own skin. He isn’t obsessed with popularity like Greg is, and he is a sensitive boy with simple interests. While Greg has brothers, Rowley is an only child, and his parents are very protective of him. Greg complains that “whenever [he] bring[s] a game up to Rowley’s house, his dad looks it up on some parents’ Web site. And if [Greg’s] game has ANY kind of fighting or violence in it, he won’t let [them] play” (26). On Halloween, Rowley was supposed to go trick-or-treating as a medieval knight, but at the last minute “Rowley’s mom made all these safety improvements to it, and you couldn’t even tell what he was supposed to be anymore” (64). Rowley’s parents don’t seem to approve of Greg because they think he is a bad influence on Rowley, who is sweet-tempered and easily manipulated by Greg.

Greg likes having Rowley around, because “[Greg] get[s] to use all the tricks Rodrick pulls on [Greg]” (19). Greg treats Rowley like a younger brother, even though the boys are the same age. Greg also uses Rowley as a test subject and willing participant in his schemes and because Rowley is a loyal friend, he goes along with Greg’s ideas, even when it means getting in trouble or getting injured. Still, Rowley’s loyalty has a breaking point, and toward the end of the novel Rowley has enough and decides to stand up for himself by breaking off all contact with Greg. Rowley is liked by his classmates because he is genuine, kind, and funny, and although he and Greg renew their friendship at the end of the novel, Rowley undergoes the most change as a character and learns to value and stand up for himself.

Mr. Heffley is Greg’s no-nonsense father and the main disciplinarian in the family. Greg’s dad is the father of three boys, and he has an old-school approach to parenting that is very different from Greg’s mom. Greg states that his father “wakes up at 6:00 in the morning no matter WHAT day of the week it is” (17), and he has a strong sense of personal discipline and tradition. Mr. Heffley believes in hard work, and he lives in a constant state of disappointment when it comes to his two older sons not measuring up to his expectations.

Greg says that when it comes to video games, his father “does not exactly appreciate [Greg’s] skills,” but is “always getting on [Greg] about going out and doing something ‘active’” (24). Greg’s dad is more traditional and believes in the importance of sports, physical exercise, and kids playing outdoors like in the “good old days.” He becomes very excited when he learns that Greg wants to start weightlifting, and Greg recalls that when he was a kid, his father became very upset when he thought Greg wanted to play with dolls. Mr. Heffley has a certain idea of what makes a man “manly,” and he tries to hold his sons to this standard.

Greg says his father has a temper and that “when [Dad] gets mad, he cools off real quick, and then it’s over” (38). Mr. Heffley is the type of parent that needs to yell to release his anger, but much like Greg he lacks the follow-through to actually discipline his children. Greg even notes that “if [he] mess[es] up in front of Dad, he just throws whatever he’s got in his hands at [Greg]” (39). Greg has learned that there are good times and bad times to screw up in front of his father, and he is careful to avoid getting caught. Greg’s father’s brand of discipline does not foster trust or communication but abrupt punishment.