Diary of a Wimpy Kid

As the school year draws to a close, Greg is horrified to discover that Rowley has become the school’s new cartoonist with “Zoo-Wee Mama.” However, what really angers Greg is the fact that people are actually laughing at Rowley’s cartoons. Even though Greg got bored with “Zoo-Wee Mama” and turned the whole project over to Rowley, he now demands recognition for the work he put into it because the comic strip is popular. This fight between Greg and Rowley demonstrates Greg’s lack of work ethic and how he wants to stand on his friend’s accomplishments without putting in any real work. Rowley, however, has had enough and won’t allow Greg to bully him anymore. Rowley has changed, and he has gained self-respect that outweighs his loyalty to Greg. 

Although Greg undergoes very little change over the course of the novel, he has a rare moment of kindness and self-reflection after watching Rowley eat the Cheese. Greg realizes that if anyone finds out what Rowley did, Rowley’s social life will be over, and all his popularity will be gone in one fell swoop. Greg decides to take the blame for the disappearance of the Cheese, and in the process he becomes a social pariah with the infamous Cheese Touch. This goes against everything Greg was striving for, but at least he knows Rowley’s reputation has been saved from scrutiny. This event also mirrors the incident with the kindergarteners and the worms, where Rowley took the blame for something Greg did. This time, Greg takes the blame for something Rowley did, which demonstrates his development as a character. Still, as the novel concludes, Kinney hints that Greg hasn’t changed too much. After all, he still throws away his yearbook when he sees Rowley was named Class Clown, and he remarks that he won’t let the fame go to Rowley’s head. Greg is still deeply jealous of Rowley, but at least he did the right thing by protecting his friend.