"And I cannot for the life of me see how you can be content to live this tiny life. This life that will take place almost entirely within a five-mile radius and contain nobody who will ever surprise you or push you or show you things that will leave your head spinning and unable to sleep at night."
- Will Traynor, Me Before You
william traynor is alongside louisa clark the protagonist of jojo moyes novel me before you
Biography[]
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live as he was left paralyzed. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Louisa Clark is about to burst into his world in a riot of color. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.
His Accident[]
In 2007, Will Traynor had a perfect life. He had a loving girlfriend, a successful career, and had a deep passion for adventure. On the day of the accident, Will is intent on taking his motorbike out to work, when he realizes it's pouring he decides to play it safe, and take a taxi instead. "No matter what Lissa thinks, he is not a man who believes in taking unnecessary risks." (Jojo Moyes, Me Before You)
As he heads out into the downpour outside he talks to his colleague on his phone, distracted by the call, Will steps into the street, looking for a taxi. "He [Will] glances up at the screeching sound, the rude blare of a horn...and at the edge of his field of vision something he can't quite make out, something coming toward him at an impossible speed...the last thing he sees is a leather glove, a face under a helmet, the shock in the man's eyes mirroring his own. There is an explosion as everything fragments. And then there is nothing."
When he wakes up, Will Traynor is paralyzed, and he will be that way for the rest of his life.
Love Life[]
At the beginning of the book, Will has a girlfriend named Lissa, but they separate after his accident. It is described later on in the novel that Alicia had attempted for months to support and care for Will but due to his cold and dismissive demeanor, made it impossible for her to continue a relationship with him.
Nearly two and a half years later Will's mother Camilla hires Louisa Clark as his newest caregiver. Initially Will is dismissive and rude towards Louisa. Insulting her efforts to be friendly toward him and demeaning her mistakes and falters. This treatment continues for around two weeks until one day Alicia stops by with Will's old friend Rupert. The two announce that they are getting married and that they would hope that Will was well. After their visit Will smashes the photographs in his bedroom of him and his family (including the pictures with Alicia). After this incident Lou attempts to fix the frames, much to Will's dismay. "Do you know what, Louisa? It would be nice-just for once-if someone paid attention to what I wanted. Me smashing those photographs was not an accident. It was not an attempt at radical interior design. It was because I actually don't want to look at them." - Will Traynor. (Me Before You).
"You thought you knew best, Everyone thinks they know what I need. Let's put the bloody photos back together. Give the poor invalid something to look at. I don't want to have those bloody pictures staring at me every time I'm stuck in my bed until someone comes and bloody gets me out again." - Will Traynor (Me Before You). After Will's harsh treatment of Louisa she finally has enough of his behavior and snaps at him for treating her so poorly over the past few weeks. In the moment she is fearful that Will will become even more frustrated with her but much to her surprise he accepts it and tells her to put the photographs in the bottom drawer and leaves. After this interaction the two of them become much closer, frequently bantering and sharing witty conversations together.
Through their conversations together both begin to gain deeper insight into one another's perspectives. With Will letting his guard down around Louisa and putting his trust in her to allow him to be vulnerable with her. And Louisa coming more out of her shell and trying new things that she otherwise might not have had the motivation to accomplish had it not been for Will's insistence.