Will Junior

Character Analysis

Maybe it's just the Meeks family, but Will Junior—like his sister, Bobbi—isn't what he seems. He starts off in Savvy as a nice, if also kind of annoying kid who keeps hanging around Mibs, saying—no, insisting—that he's her friend. But there's more to Will than meets the eye, and we're not just referring to his crush on Mibs

Really? Me? You Think I'm Special?

We humans have this weird thing we do sometimes, which is expect people not to like us. It's an emotional defense mechanism: if we don't get our hopes raised, then we can't be hurt, right? Not really, but it's something we all seem to try at some point anyway.

Not Will Junior though. His character serves the purpose of reminding us to follow our hearts and like whomever it is we feel drawn toward. He crushes hard on Mibs even though her family is weird and even though she and her brother have highly unusual abilities; and his crush stays strong even after Mibs lets him know that she isn't ready to kiss him yet. He isn't creepy or pushy about his feelings—but neither is he ashamed of them or easily discouraged.

And Will's kindness and friendliness doesn't stop with Mibs. He shows a genuine interest in the rest of the Beaumonts, especially Fish, even if the two of them do get into a few rough ups along the journey. In this way, Will sends the message to readers that there are people in the world who will like, love, and respect you for the ways in which you're different… even if you don't automatically like, love, and respect yourself for those very same reasons.

Perhaps the sweetest moment, though, that best shows Will Junior's acceptance of people for who they are, comes near the end of the book when Mibs tells him she likes him but isn't ready to kiss yet. Instead of responding verbally to her, Will Junior grabs a pen and draws a sun on his hand. Mibs says:

A moment later, a voice filled my head like a deep-toned bell and the sound of it rang and echoed in my ears. I can wait. (27.23)

Aw… While we think it's really awesome that Will is so respectful of Mibs and not discouraged in his feelings by her need to take things slowly, we think that the true display of Will's compassion comes through the way he chooses to tell Mibs this. Instead of saying it out loud, he communicates with Mibs through her savvy, and in doing so, shows Mibs that he sees and respects her for who she is as a whole person. That, dear Shmoopsters, is the mark of true friendship.

All Is Not What It Appears To Be

Like we mentioned earlier, Will is similar to his sister Bobbi in that there's more to him than meets the eye. On the surface Will Junior looks like he's just the nice, younger child of Pastor Meeks and Miss Rosemary, who hopes to someday grow up and be just like his dad. However, Mibs realizes (and calls Will out on) the fact that the Pastor's name isn't William… so why is he called Junior then?

It turns out that Will Junior is actually Pastor Meeks and Miss Rosemary's grandson. Their oldest child, Bill, was a wild child in his youth and had Will Junior at a very young age. Oops.

So basically the Pastor and Miss Rosemary are trying to protect their reputation and hide from any gossip people may spread about Will Junior. Interestingly, though Will willingly hides his parentage, he also repeatedly states that he wants to be like his father, and is willing to tell the truth about his name if asked. So not only does Will make it clear that he accepts the Beaumonts for who they are, but he also seems to accept himself and his own family in the same way.

Whether he's refusing to back down from friendship with Mibs, or walking through life unashamed of his own backstory, Will Junior shows time and again that it is okay to be yourself, and that people will love you for who you truly are.