Expectation versus Reality

The central theme of the novel is expectation versus reality and it is used in opposing senses for different characters in order to heighten the comic effect of the novel. One the one hand are Greg’s parents and his two brothers, Rodrick and Manny, who are all looking forward to the vacation and expect to have a great time and on the other side is Greg, who expects the vacation to be terrible but ends up unexpectedly enjoying himself on several occasions during his time at the resort of Isla de Corales.

Each family member has different expectations that fail to live up to reality during the course of the story, which the author uses to heighten tensions amongst the characters as well as to keep the twists of the story funny and unexpected. The failure of the family’s expectations to live...