Me Before You (2016) Plot Summary Explained

Will wants to end his life because he cannot accept living as a tetraplegic. As a former adventurer who lived an active, vibrant life, he finds his current condition unbearable and has lost the will to continue. He sees his quality of life as permanently destroyed and has made a legal arrangement to go to Dignitas in Switzerland for assisted suicide.

Foreshadowing: Will's initial standoffishness and deep depression hint at his resignation to his situation from the very beginning.

• will traynor
• quadriplegia
• assisted suicide
• dignity
• depression

Lou cannot change Will's mind because his decision is rooted in his own sense of self and independence, not in a lack of love or hope. Despite their growing connection, Will believes his life as a tetraplegic has lost the meaning and freedom that defined him. He sees his condition as permanent and irredeemable, and no amount of joy or companionship can convince him otherwise.

Foreshadowing: Will's nostalgia for Alicia and his former life shows his attachment to who he used to be, not who he has become.

• will traynor
• motivation
• quality of life
• independence

Will invites Lou to Alicia's wedding because he wants to experience one last significant moment from his past while also confronting his unresolved feelings for Alicia. The wedding serves as a bridge between his former life and his present reality, and having Lou there reflects the growing emotional bond between them while also allowing him to see what he has lost.

Foreshadowing: Will's earlier expressions of nostalgia for Alicia foreshadow this pivotal moment.

• alicia wedding
• will traynor
• past love
• emotional closure

In Mauritius, Will takes Lou on a luxurious trip where they share a profound conversation. During this intimate setting, Will explicitly tells Lou that he intends to go through with his plan to end his life. He expresses his love for her but insists that she deserves to live fully without being tied to his struggles, making his final wishes clear.

Foreshadowing: The trip represents the peak of their relationship and serves as Will's way of saying goodbye.

• mauritius vacation
• will lou relationship
• final conversation
• goodbye

Lou leaves Will's care because she is devastated and heartbroken by his unwavering decision to end his life. After pouring her energy into trying to show him joy and hope, she cannot bear to watch him follow through with his plan. The emotional weight of loving someone who has chosen to die becomes too much for her to continue in her role.

Foreshadowing: Lou's increasing desperation throughout the film builds to this emotional breaking point.

• lou clark
• emotional breakdown
• leaving care
• heartbreak

In his letter, Will encourages Lou to pursue every opportunity and live life to the fullest. He wants her to embrace adventures, try new things, and not hold back because of him. The letter serves as his final gift to her, a message of hope and affirmation that she should live fully, embodying the joy he could no longer feel himself.

Foreshadowing: The Parisian café where they once sat together becomes the setting for this emotional closure.

• will letter
• life advice
• hope
• living fully
• legacy

Will doesn't choose to live for Lou because his decision is fundamentally about his own quality of life, not about love for others. He believes his condition strips him of autonomy and the life he wants to lead. Loving Lou deeply actually makes his decision harder, but he cannot reconcile his desire for a full life with the limitations of his paralysis. He wants her freedom, not his captivity.

Foreshadowing: Will's insistence that Lou deserves to 'live fully' reflects his belief that he cannot offer her the life she deserves.

• will love
• sacrifice
• quality of life
• autonomy

The ending is bittersweet: Will dies as he planned, but his letter becomes a source of life and hope for Lou. Rather than being destroyed by his death, Lou is inspired to pursue her own happiness and adventures. The ending affirms that love can coexist with loss, and that someone can leave a lasting positive impact even through their absence.

Foreshadowing: Lou's return to the café, motivated by her father's encouragement, sets the stage for this transformation.

• ending
• bittersweet
• hope
• letter
• transformation
• moving on

Lou begins as a cheerful but sheltered young woman content with her simple life and boyfriend Patrick. Through her relationship with Will, she gains confidence, discovers her own desires and ambitions, and learns to think beyond her limited worldview. Her journey represents breaking free from her comfort zone and embracing life's possibilities.

Foreshadowing: Lou's initial simplicity contrasts sharply with the depth and complexity she develops by the end.

• character growth
• lou transformation
• self discovery
• confidence

The Paris café matters because it is a place Will cherished and shared with Lou during their trip. When Lou returns there after his death, she is following both his memory and her father's advice to find comfort. The café represents their connection and becomes the physical location where she receives his final message of encouragement.

Foreshadowing: Their discussions about travel and Paris earlier in the film establish its significance.

• paris café
• memory
• closure
• will's legacy
• emotional resolution