Overview
Wally is the "all-American" boy. He is an intelligent, polite teenager, who is trusted by his parents, popular with his peers, and liked by his teachers. He is an athlete with track, basketball and baseball being his three favorite sports; and, he excels at all. His friends, Clarence "Lumpy" Rutherford and Eddie Haskell, have a knack for getting into trouble and taking Wally along for the ride. Unlike his brother Beaver (who thinks girls are "creepy"), Wally is popular with the girls and has many girlfriends during the course of the series' run. In the later seasons, Wally has a few after school jobs and buys a used car.
The humor of the character rests in Wally's teenage perspective. He occasionally makes blunt or inappropriate comments that are bewildering or embarrassing to adults. He slips into slang occasionally, which upsets his mother. He sometimes humorously regards his parents as clueless squares. His dating life is sometimes frustrating as he tries to deal with the thoughts and emotions of teenaged girls. Wally also acts as a foil to the shenanigans of Eddie and Lumpy; but, sometimes reluctantly goes along with them.
Wally serves as a bridge between Ward, June and Beaver. He is more astute and experienced than his brother and often puts into kidspeak parental communications for Beaver's comprehension. At other times, he clues the parents in on Beaver's activities, plans and feelings. Wally was a five year old when he gave his newborn brother the nickname, "Beaver," as he was attempting to say "Theodore."
Even though he had a background as a nice character, he would sometimes pick on Beaver.
Read more about this topic: Wally Cleaver