Moyes’ Me Before You is flawed in many ways, but one of its truly shining points is its insistence on personal choice. From Lou’s choice to return to work after finding out about Will, to Will’s ultimate decision to end his life, the message is clear. This book tackles the topic of disability and euthanasia, and in doing so, the author poses a few unique arguments to the reader. In this novel, Moyes uses Will’s character to ask the reader to accept his choice of assisted suicide, and in doing so argues that each person has a right to choose how they die. From the moment we meet Will, he makes it very clear that he longs for his old life, and just can’t live with his new one. He despises his current position and makes his reasons for suicide very clear. When Alicia and Rupert pay him a visit to tell …show more content…
I don’t want you to miss out on all the things someone else could give you. And, selfishly, I don’t want you to look at me one day and feel even the tiniest bit of regret or pity that — ... You have no idea how this would play out. You have no idea how you’re going to feel even six months from now. And I don’t want to look at you every day, to see you naked, to watch you wandering around the annex in your crazy dresses and not... not be able to do what I want with you. Oh, Clark, if you had any idea what I want to do to you right now. And I... I can’t live with that knowledge. I can’t. It’s not who I am. I can’t be the kind of man who just... accepts.” (p. 325-326) Another leg of Moyes’ argument becomes clear through this passage, and the picture she illustrates is a sad one. Will cannot bear the thought of living a life in which his wants and needs are all handled by somebody else, and Moyes uses it as a compelling point. At this point, Will is asking the same as Moyes, he is asking that Lou understand the position he is in and in turn respect his decision to end his