How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will

Grayson?

1. Introduction
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a collaborative novel written by John Green and David
Levithan, which presents the struggles of two different teenagers that have nothing in common
except their name. A first glance at the title already informs the reader about the rollercoaster of
emotions the two teenagers and their friends will go through.
The bestseller tells the story of a teenager named Will Grayson who lives in Chicago,
together with his friend, Tiny Cooper, and another boy who is also named Will Grayson, who

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

lives in Indiana. The story takes place in the modern times and it simply narrates the struggles of
the two teenagers and their friends.
The two authors have presented different types of teenagers, depending on their
perception of them. The teenagers presented in the novel take part of different communities: the
first Will Grayson is unsympathetic and likes to go by his own rules, Tiny Cooper and the second
Will Grayson belong to the LGBT community, having some stereotypical traits, Maura is
described as being a goth and pushy character and Jane Turner is a sympathetic girl who turns
out to be the perfect girl for the first Will Grayson. The authors gave the characters some
stereotypical characteristics but also realistic ones that raise awareness about mental illnesses and
the perception of the LGBT community through the actions of the teenagers from the book.
Furthermore, it expresses that teenagers can have serious problems and struggles, despite the
stereotypes.
The reason I chose this book is because of the interesting way John Green and David
Levithan showed us how different teenagers can be: the two characters have the same name but
they have completely different personalities. Furthermore, their perception of teenagers is clearly
shown in this book by the way their actions, language and syntax are presented differently,
depending on the character. Moreover, the writing style and themes of the book mainly target the
young adult audience by presenting the way they perceive them. This is what made me pick my
research question and what made me narrow it down to only the way the teenagers are presented
in the novel.
The topic is interesting for me because I can relate to a lot of teenagers from the novel
and it is really fun to analyze different types of teenagers. The action and language used in this
novel made it really enjoyable to read and it easily became one of my favorite books.

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

The essay will contain the many categories the teenagers have been placed in, and the
way they are perceived in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John
Green. The language and actions of teenagers will be thoroughly presented in the essay as they
have a major importance in the book, being the characteristics which show us the way the
teenagers have been perceived in the novel.

2. Language
The two main characters from the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson present the way
John Green and David Levithan perceive teenagers, as each one of them belongs to different
communities. However, the two teenagers arent the only characters from the story as even the
secondary characters present the way the authors perceive teenagers.
The language used by each character shows us how different their personalities are,
considering the way they act and how the authors perceive the way we communicate nowadays.
The novel presents many types of teenagers who have different problems, some of them bigger
than another, and personalities which presents the way they have been categorized and perceived
by the authors, depending on the community they belong to.

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

As the main characters and the audience of the book are teenagers, the language used is
simple and easy to understand with an abundance of popular culture allusions, jokes and many
swears that are used by the characters. Many people would agree that the language can be quite
rude but it is however, fun to read. For example, the newspaper The New York Times reviewed
the book and affirmed that:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson is so funny, rude and original that by the time flowers
hit the stage after Hold Me Closer, even the musical-averse will cheer.1
The first teenager the book presents, is John Greens character, Will Grayson. He is a person who
lives a pretty good life at home, with understanding parents and a healthy lifestyle, but who
struggles when it comes to friendship and love. He is a type of person whose main rules are to
shut up and not care too much, believing that they will save him from trouble and heartbreak.
However, throughout the novel, we find out how insecure and scared he is. In spite of his
indifferent nature, John Green shows us that he can actually be smarter than some adults through
the language he uses. For example, when Will Grayson and Tiny were playing baseball in the
Little League:
Tinys gay, adds someone else.
The coach wheels around to the bench and shouts. Hey! HEY! No insulting
teammates.
Its not an insult, Gary says. But he isnt Gary anymore. It isnt Gary talking. Its
me. Its just a thing. Like, some people are gay. Some people have blue eyes. (p.284)

1 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/books/review/Marler-t.html?_r=0

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

In the quote given, Will Grayson uses simple but powerful words. Hes not only
protecting his friend Tiny but also the entire LGBT community. Furthermore, the author tries to
emphasize that he is only eight years old and he is smarter than the coach, an adult. The quote is
taken from Tinys musical, which proves how much that action meant to him as he remembers it
very well. However, Will doesnt exactly remember it before he sees the scene from the musical,
which means that it is in his nature to protect his friends.
Tiny Cooper, Wills best friend, is another teenager presented in the novel. The language
he uses can make him look like a stereotypical LGBT character:
Im sorry, but it appears something more fabulous than your phone call is happening
right now. When fabulous levels fall a bit, Ill get back to you. (p.134).
He uses words different words like fabulous which would make some people believe
that any person who speaks like that is gay, according to the stereotypes. However, Tiny is
described as not having any fashion sense by Will Grayson: And to think, some idiots claim
that the gays have fashion sense. (p.13)
The language used by Tiny can make the audience believe that he is a stereotypical
LGBT character. However, through his behavior, Tiny breaks these stereotypes and gives an
important message to the LGBT audience, trying to give them courage by raising awareness.
Through Tiny, the authors may try to convey that language doesnt automatically make
you belong to a specific community. They perceive Tiny as one of these teenagers that are not
afraid of being who they are.
Will Grayson uses many hyperboles to describe Tiny: I turn around and Tiny Cooper
is crying huge tears. One of Tiny Coopers tears could drown a kitten. (p.13). Thus, by the

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

way he is described by everyone, Tiny is a big boned person and he does not really mind it. His
sexuality is also not one of his struggles and it is not a problem for Will Grayson either as he
describes Tiny as being not the worlds gayest person, and he is not the worlds largest person,
but I believe he may be the worlds largest person who is really, really gay, and also the
worlds gayest person who is really, really large. (p.1). Using a hyperbole, Will Grayson
doesnt describe Tiny with a teasing and mean tone, sounding like he is simply stating a fact.
The friendship between Tiny and Will presents the way the two authors perceive a true
friendship between two teenagers, that completely accept each other. Furthermore, Tinys
nickname is also ironic as he is described as being very, very large. However, Tiny doesnt really
mind it.
Jane Turner, Will Graysons love interest, is a pretty smart character as she knows what
Schrdingers Cat hypothetical experiment truly means and we can tell that she is a
knowledgeable person from her tone and the way she easily explains the experiment: "So
according to the theory that electrons are in all-possible-positions until they are measured, the
cat is both alive and dead until we open the box and find out if it is alive or dead. He was not
endorsing cat-killing or anything. He was just saying that it seemed a little improbable that a
cat could be simultaneously alive and dead." (p.194).
The next teenager that is introduced in the novel is David Levithans character, will
grayson. He is a very relatable character as many young adults went through almost the same
things in high school. Moreover the syntax of his sentences tells us a lot about this character. He
always uses lower case letters to start his sentences which tells us that he doesnt really want a
lot of attention, believing that he is not very important. Furthermore, David Levithan introduces
us to a new theme, mental illness, as will grayson has depression. As many teenagers suffer of

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

mental illnesses, will grayson is the authors perception of how they deal and act around others.
The language used by will can also show us how the author perceives teenagers who have
depression, as will has a pessimistic way of thinking:
every morning i pray that the school bus will crash and well all die in a fiery wreck.
then my mom will be able to sue the school bus company for never making school buses with
seat belts, and shell be able to get more money for my tragic death than i wouldve ever made
in my tragic life (p.21).
He is basically a teenager who hates himself on a daily basis and we can tell that from his
indifferent tone. Moreover, the first sentence will says in this novel is: I am constantly torn
between killing myself and killing everyone around me. (p.20), which means that he is not
really fond of everyone around him either.
David Levithans character not only writes in lower case letters but he uses the names of
the people who talk to him in a dialogue, like an online conversation on social networking
websites. This tells us that he considers that his life is like an internet conversation. At the
beginning of the novel, his language is vulgar, having an angry tone, which makes him a
relatable character to many teenagers, especially the young adults from the LGBT community.
He is not using stereotypical LGBT words which makes him a very realistic character:
me (choking): im choking
tiny (patting my hair): there, there.
me: dude, youre not helping. (p.140)

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

As shown in the quote above, the conversation between will and tiny is exactly like an
online conversation. Furthermore, the language he uses is simple and quite rude but also really
common for teenagers. Even if will spends most of his time online, he doesnt like using the
internet language which can emphasize that the author does not perceive every teenager as a
person who is especially fond of it. In this case, will grayson hates using Internet slangs:
isaac knows how stupid i find these things, and he finds them just as stupid as i do.
like lol. now, if theres anything stupider than buddy lists, its lol.(p.26).
Even if, David Levithans writing style looks like an online conversation, his character is
not very fond of the language used on the Internet, which may be quite ironic.
Maura also plays an important role in the novel, even if she is a secondary character.
Moreover, she is described as being goth and will considers her really pushy. However, the
language she uses is not very different from the other characters but it does emphasize that she is
being pushy as Maura keeps asking will personal questions. The language she uses in her poems
is quite dark as well, which is what characterizes her as a goth.
The language used by the teenagers from the book contains numerous popular culture
references, which shows us how the authors perceive teenagers. For example, one of the biggest
pop culture allusion is the name of Tinys musical, Tiny Dancer which is the name of Elton
Johns song. Furthermore, even after Tiny changes the name of the musical to Hold me closer,
the title still reminds us of the song as it is one of its lyrics.
The two authors present the teenagers and their struggles in their own different way.
However, their writing styles is what differentiates them the most. The even numbered chapters
belong to David Levithan, presenting will graysons story. The chapters were all written in lower

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

case letters and according to the author, it has an important significance. They symbolize his
identity, as will didnt consider that he was an important person that would get a lot of attention.
Moreover, the online chatting format signifies the way he separates, detaches himself from the
real world and sinks himself in the virtual world, where he and Isaac could easily communicate.
John Green had a completely different writing style, being the complete opposite of
David Levithans. Will Graysons problems are less complicated, but it doesnt mean that his life
is easier. John Greens writing style is very easy to understand. He uses many words, expressions
and slangs which are used by teenagers and people in general nowadays. However, even if I
consider that David Levithans writing style is more unique, both authors use a language that is
easy to understand.

3. Themes and Symbols

As David Levithan and John Green have different styles of writing, the themes and
symbols that are mentioned and brought to life by the authors are different too. Both authors
introduce tough themes, like love, sexuality and mental illness, which make the characters
behave in a certain way and take distinct actions. The authors are trying to express that there is
always a cause that makes the teenagers behave in a certain way. With the help of themes and
symbols, the two authors present the teenagers as individuals who have a lot of problems to deal
with when theyre trying to find their identity.

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

David Levithan tried to raise awareness by introducing the themes of mental illness and
sexuality. He tried to explain the behavior of teenagers who suffer of mental illnesses like
depression, through his character, will grayson.
David Levithans character is presented as a pessimistic individual who had a negative
view of the world. He also had a really bad perception about himself as he keeps mentioning that
he is a disappointment at the beginning of the novel. His negative way of thinking and actions
can be the results of depression. The teenager keeps hurting the people around him, for example
his mother, and gets angry and sarcastic from time to time. However, his behavior is obviously
caused by his mental illness as he states that this is why i should carry around extra pills
(p.141) after he gives an angry reply when Tiny tries to help him.
The theme of betrayal appears when Isaac turns out to be Maura and causes his world to
fall apart. In that moment wills behavior towards Maura completely changes, making him hate
her and ignore her more than he usually did.
Love plays an important theme in wills life, as his first love was Isaac, a person he met
on the internet. He was the only person who made him happy, even if theyve never met. Mauras
betrayal made him believe that he would never be able to fall in love again. However, Tiny
proves him otherwise as he slowly makes his way into wills heart.
Tiny Cooper can be considered to be a symbol of change as he brought both protagonists
into their senses. The love and affection felt towards Tiny changed wills behavior and perception
of the world. He taught him that there is more to life than the world of hate and depression he
considers himself to be in. He started being nice to his mom and started making new friends like
Gideon and the other Will Grayson. Tiny also helped him accept himself and be more open with

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

the people around him. Sexuality is also an important theme as he decides to come out to his
mother, a person who he wasnt even talking that much with, slowly coming out to everyone:
He like came out to everyone in the entire world. I swear to God I think he wrote the
president of the United States and was like Dear Mr. President, I am gay. Yours truly, Will
Grayson (p.189). Tiny helped will grayson have a more optimistic view of the world even if he
felt like a pinless grenade.
Moreover, we can see the way he perceives himself and Tiny when they have a talk in
front of The Bean: usually its hard to locate yourself in the reflection, but this time i know
im the wavy twig sitting next to the big blob of humanity. (p.144). Cloud Gate or The Bean
is a public sculpture from Chicago, which makes every reflection distorted. In the moment when
will sees their reflection in the sculpture, he realizes how different he is from Tiny. The Bean
symbolizes the reality which will hates so much. However, he also mentions that it is really hard
to locate yourself in the reflection, but this time he could easily do it with Tinys help. We could
say that Tiny helped him find his identity.
David Levithan used powerful words to describe wills feelings in order to emphasize the
feelings of a person who suffers of depression: im talking about life. in my kind of falling,
theres no landing. theres only hitting the ground. hard. dead, or wanting to be dead. [] i
dont want to fall. all i want to do is stand on solid ground. (p.301). In this quote, will says that
he wants to continue living and fight against his mental illness. This is the first time he is
presented as a powerful person who does not run away from his problems.
Meanwhile, John Green presents the themes differently. However, they majorly affect the
characters, especially the teenagers.

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

Love and friendship are very important themes in Will Graysons life too. He is more
sociable than the other will grayson but his only true friend is Tiny Cooper. When Tiny started
paying more attention to his musical and boyfriend, Will Grayson started believing that he was
always Tinys plan B. Moreover, even if he had feelings for Jane, they were still friends, which
made him feel betrayed by them. Even if he doesnt really show it, Will Grayson is deeply hurt
by their friends actions, feeling abandoned. He literally represents a big majority of teenagers
through his feelings as many of us felt betrayed by our friends at least once. John Green tries to
express that even if we do not have big problems like will grayson has, we still have problems
that hurt us.
Love is a major theme in Will Graysons story, even if it is platonic or romantic. Will
realized that he is in love with Jane only when her ex-boyfriend was slowly coming back into her
life, which happens quite often. Schrdinger's cat, the experiment explained by Jane, is a
symbol for love in this novel. Will Grayson does not know if he wants to be in a relationship
with Jane or not, the cat from the box representing their relationship. In the end, the two
teenagers decide to open the box and give their relationship a chance.
The theme of love and friendship has a big significance in the last part of the novel,
where everyone from the audience, starting with will grayson and the people who share the same
name and were brought here by him, proclaimed their love and appreciation for Tiny Cooper.
The love and appreciations from everyone might as well be what Tiny really needed as will says
that: he may be heavy, but right now he floats.(p.308).The quote signifies that Tiny was so
happy with the surprise that he started floating, finally feeling appreciated and getting what he
truly wanted.

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

Mauras actions were caused by love too. Her love interest, will grayson, didnt really
enjoy talking to her which made her create a fake personality that would be appealing for her
friend. However, she hurt will and acted as the opposite of a friend.
Another important theme in this novel is the identity crisis which is perfectly described
by both authors. Will Grayson doesnt know if he should break his two life rules and start a
relationship with Jane. The other will grayson finds his identity when he realizes that hes gay
and comes out to everyone. The two authors present the teenagers as two individuals who are
searching for what they truly are, something which happens or already happened to many people.
For Will Grayson and Tiny, baseball is a symbol of friendship. Both of them remember
the times when they played baseball together. Even so, Will and Tiny have different memories
about the Little League: Will remembers when Tiny stood up for him when their coach was
scolding him, Tiny remembers how Will stood up for Tiny when some teammates and their coach
were taking his sexuality as an insult. Their memories arent even about baseball, being only
about how Tiny and Will had each others backs and being there for each other. Their friendship
started on the baseball field and that is also the place where Will likes to hang out alone and Tiny
knows that, which shows us how strong their friendship is.

4. Conclusion
The two authors presented the teenagers from the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson in
a very realistic way, describing the problems and struggles they usually go through nowadays.
They were not presented in a stereotypical way as they have particular problems that are faced by
teenagers nowadays.

How have the writers presented the teenagers in the novel Will Grayson, Will Grayson?

John Greens character biggest conflict is human vs. self as he believes that he wont get
hurt if he doesnt care too much. However, Will likes Jane but he doesnt want to break his life
rules and get hurt. This character is very relatable for many people who have experienced the
same feelings. However, it is not only a simple crush as he feels sad and abandoned after Tiny
and Jane stopped hanging out with him.
The other will grayson has a tougher life as he suffers of depression, having a pessimistic
view of the world. His biggest conflict if human vs. society as he was afraid of admitting his
sexuality, being afraid of what the society might say. Furthermore, his only escape from the
reality he hated so much was online, talking with Isaac. In my opinion, I think that will grayson
was created in order to make people understand that teenagers can go through a lot of problems
that are very hard to overcome. Moreover, the author presents the virtual world as a place where
will can be himself and escape from the problems he faces in the real world. Even so, he
successfully expressed that not everyone from the internet should be trusted.
The authors try to raise awareness through the characters by showing the effects of
mental illnesses, how the LGBT youth deals with their sexuality and how a simple thing like love
can affect our lives.
John Green and David Levithan presented many types of personalities and characteristics
the teenagers have nowadays. Moreover, even if they use language typically used by teenagers,
they are deep thinkers, reflecting on the things they believe in. The other teenagers from the book
are also important, each one of them presenting different types of teenagers. For example Tiny
has an easy going personality and Maura represents a person who shouldnt be trusted.