The Last Straw

Spag Union Military School serves as a symbol of idealized masculinity and discipline, contrasting with Greg’s laidback and often lazy approach to life. For Greg’s father, Spag Union represents a solution to Greg’s perceived shortcomings. He views the school as a place that will toughen Greg up, instill a sense of responsibility, promote physical strength and toughness, and shape him into a more traditionally masculine figure—an image that Greg repeatedly fails to embody. Because Frank is often embarrassed by Greg, he sees Spag Union as an exciting possibility: a chance to shape his sons to be a little more like his boss’s enviable, athletic sons.

For Greg, the threat of being sent to Spag Union becomes a major motivating force throughout the novel. Faced with the possibility of military school, Greg takes proactive steps for the first time, attempting to impress his father by joining the Boy Scouts and taking part in various activities that he would typically avoid. The idea of Spag Union looms large in Greg’s mind as an environment full of tough, former troublemaker kids where Greg would likely be bullied. This fear speaks to a deeper insecurity that Greg holds about his “wimpy” physique and demeanor and vulnerability to being bullied.