Diary of a Wimpy Kid - The Last Straw — Chapter 3

About This Passage

This passage delivers the book's resolution in three carefully constructed sentences. The first sentence states the change ('Dad gave up'). The second sentence supplies the specific cause ('the last straw'), which gives the title its meaning. The third sentence delivers the deeper insight Greg has reached: that what he wanted all along was to be left alone to be himself. The phrase 'even though it took a whole book for him to get there' is a quietly remarkable closing — it acknowledges that the journey was longer than it needed to be, and that the destination was visible from the start. Students learn how a writer can use a closing sentence to retroactively explain the meaning of everything that came before. The phrase 'just sort of let me be me' is also worth noticing — its casualness disguises how significant the shift actually is.

Narration Prompt

In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?

Discussion Questions

1. Greg ends the book by saying 'Dad just sort of let me be me, which I figured out was what I had wanted all along.' This is the closest thing to growth Greg shows in the entire book. Is this real growth (Greg has come to know himself better), or is it just relief (Greg got what he wanted, with no actual growth involved)?
2. The book's title turns out to mean: 'the last small thing that finally makes a person stop trying.' This is a sad title for what is supposed to be a comic book. Why might Kinney have chosen a sad-sounding title for a funny book? What does the title tell us about what Kinney thinks the book is REALLY about?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide