Cabin Fever

Greg’s parents are almost as eccentric as their children but in their own ways. Both are static characters who act as a collective source of authority and reason amidst an otherwise chaotic home. Greg’s mother always has perfect hair and big glasses that cover her face, while Greg’s father looks like a much taller version of Greg and Rodrick. Greg’s dad often takes a more indirect approach to parenting, while Greg’s mother is very hands-on. She is always lecturing Greg about his behavior and reminding him that Santa (and the elf) are always watching him. Greg’s mom also pushes him to mature and start learning the value of responsibility by earning his own money and supporting his hobbies, as well as buying his own Christmas presents. She is the one who suggests that Greg shovel snow to earn money. Greg’s mom is not a perfect person, and her biggest flaw is her occasional lack of honesty. For example, Greg figures out that his mom faked the autograph on his graphic novel, and this discovery becomes embarrassing for them both. The incident also hints that Greg learned his more dishonest and manipulative behaviors from his mother. Now, in her own way, his mother tries to make up for her poor decision by getting Greg a real signed copy of his graphic novel, but the author writes the wrong name inside.

In sharp contrast to Greg’s mother, Greg’s father is quiet and stays in the background for the most part, but he does voice his opinions whenever Greg makes a particularly damaging mistake, such as scratching the new sports car or coating the neighbor’s driveway with a dangerous layer of ice. Greg’s father is often disappointed in his son and wants him to make better choices, but Greg tends to get himself into trouble even when he doesn’t intend to do so. The general detachment of Greg’s father is reflected in his physical absence when he skips out on the family's awful experience of the blizzard, the flood, and the freezing house, staying at a hotel that is close to his workplace. Even in earlier chapters, Greg knows that his father isn’t happy with him, and he has genuine concerns about damaging that relationship.

Rowley is Greg’s best friend. He is a static character whose main role is to act as a source of humor and a foil to Greg, even though they are so close to one another. Greg and Rowley have been friends for years, but Greg now sees their friendship as more of a habit than anything else, and he reflects that he and Rowley have little in common and often argue. Greg always tries to reason with Rowley, but he soon finds that Getting Along With Family and Friends is more complicated than it first appears to be. The two boys do not see the world the same way, and many of Rowley’s mannerisms and habits irritate Greg. For example, because Greg has never learned how to skip, he hates it when Rowley does so. He also can’t stand some of Rowley’s other quirks as when Rowley says “LOL” instead of laughing. Greg believes that Rowley isn’t the brightest kid in the neighborhood, and he has no qualms about pointing out just how much Rowley tends to miss. While playing hide-and-seek, for example, Rowley hides in obvious places, and as Greg cynically states, Rowley “thinks that when he can’t see YOU, you can’t see HIM” (53).

According to Greg’s narrative, Rowley is also gullible and naïve, and he argues in favor of plain errors, such as calling volleyball “bolleyball.” He also embarrasses Greg when he doesn’t know how to act in church. Despite his flaws, Rowley is a deeply loyal friend and a highly creative person. He and Greg manage to create a manual version of Pacman together, which would have been a great success if it had not broken. Rowley is illustrated with a wide face, short hair, and big teeth that are designed to imply that he is a bit slower on the uptake than Greg generally is. However, given Greg’s unreliability as a first-person narrator, it is also implied that his depiction of Rowley may be just as exaggerated as the details of his various anecdotes.