If I could say anything to Eric..........

I would tell him he's a wimp! I'd say, "Eric, man, you need to toughen up!" I understand that throughout the course of the story he grows but that isn't by much of a change. Honestly I will always see him as the scared little fat boy in a cardboard box. "In the end Eric, you're a good person. Don't let anyone change that."

I would tell him this because he is a good person. Though he is a wimp he has a genuinely good soul. He would probably benefit from  more self esteem but no one has the right to tell him who to be.

I know this is formatted like a letter but here goes.

Sincerely,
Naomi