Gregory "Greg" Heffley is a fictional character in the ''Diary of a Wimpy Kid'' franchise, serving as the

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ic main

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and

unreliable narrator In literature, film, and other such arts, an unreliable narrator is a narrator who cannot be trusted, one whose credibility is compromised. They can be found in a wide range from children to mature characters. While unreliable narrators are al ...

of the books, online series, and

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. He was created by Jeff Kinney, and portrayed by Zachary Gordon and Jason Drucker in the first three films and the fourth film, respectively.

Characteristics and role

Greg was originally conceptualized in early 1998, after creator Jeff Kinney struggled to become a newspaper cartoonist. In all of his appearances, Greg is portrayed as a self-righteous

narcissist Narcissism is a self-centered personality style characterized as having an excessive preoccupation with oneself and one's own needs, often at the expense of others. Narcissism, named after the Greek mythological figure ''Narcissus'', has evolv ...

, who has little-to-no moral compass, is only looking out for himself, and has an obsession with becoming rich and famous. He steals, lies, cheats, and is a bully to the few less popular than him at Westmore Middle School. Greg is obsessed with his social status, but is bullied by the bigger students at his school and his older teenage brother, Rodrick. He often mistreats his best and only friend, Rowley, for being wimpy and socially inept, despite Rowley having a happy family and life. Greg receives bad grades in school, is addicted to video games, especially the fictional ''Twisted Wizard'', and loves junk food. Despite these negative traits, he does show humanity, sensitivity, and care for those he loves. Because of these qualities, internet users began to question if Greg was a sociopath. Jeff Kinney stated: Kinney, on separate occasions, has also clarified that Greg is supposed to represent an average and normal selfish middle schooler. Kinney never intended to write books for children, which is why Greg is a complicated and flawed character. Kinney has also denied the sociopath theories stating he always saw Greg as an "accurate kid" and people who give him that distinction are "missing the joke".

Film appearances

In the original trilogy of the film series adaptations, Greg was portrayed by actor Zachary Gordon. In the film adaptation of '' The Long Haul'' however, Greg was instead portrayed by Jason Drucker. After the film series was given a reboot during the acquisition of 21st Century Fox, Greg was voiced by Brady Noon in the animated adaptation of the first book and its

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. He was voiced by Wesley Kimmel in the third animated film.

Reception

Due to Greg's narcissistic and selfish traits, some parents began to question if Greg was a negative influence on kids. In 2008, Aish called the character "totally diabolical" and that parents should avoid the series at all costs. In Texas in October 2018, Greg's bad morals and pessimistic world view challenged the book to be banned. Tidy Books wrote that Greg never learned from his lessons and rarely gets punished or gives sincere apologies, and that the writing is too subtle for kids to realize that he is doing the wrong thing and is an unreliable narrator. Some, such as reviewer Declan Rowles, have criticized the disapproval against the character, stating that the series doesn't glorify Greg's behavior and the majority of children understand that. His film counterpart was given similar reception as

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has said that Greg is an "unlikable protagonist".

Margaret Pomeranz Margaret Pomeranz (born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen, 15 July 1944) is an Australian film critic, writer, producer, and television personality. Early life Pomeranz was born Margeret Anne Jones-Owen on 15 July 1944 in Waverley, a suburb of Sydney ...

disliked the character of Greg Heffley, saying "I really thought he was unpleasant. I did not want to spend time with him. I couldn't wait for the end of this film." However, reception to the character improved since the first film and in her review of the ''Dog Days'' film, Abby West of ''

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'' wrote that "though often self-centered and conniving, Greg remains a likeable kid". Greg's character has also garnered widespread acclaim for his relatability and

anti-hero An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero or two words anti hero) or anti-heroine is a character in a narrative (in literature, film, TV, etc.) who may lack some conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism and morality. Al ...

status. In a review, Sebastian Hall for '' Cherwell'' remarked that Greg embodied the disillusionment and irony characteristic of modern comic heroes. Hall argued that Greg's self-delusion and hubris, such as his attempts to belittle Rowley Jefferson or his misguided pursuit of popularity, is central to the series' humor. He compares Greg's struggles with contemporary issues, like technology clashes and commercialism, to literary figures like Adrian Mole and Gordon Comstock, portraying him as a voice of modern frustrations.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heffley, Greg Child characters in film Child characters in literature Diary of a Wimpy Kid Fictional diarists Fictional adolescents Fictional pranksters Literary characters introduced in 2004 Male characters in film Male characters in literature Fictional school bullies