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Chapter 18
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Me Before You, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Ambition and Achievement
Love and Sacrifice
Quality of Life
Fitness
Summary
Analysis
Nathan, now narrating, recounts the day after the wedding. When Louisa and Will arrive home, Camilla is furious that they didn’t inform her that they would be staying in a hotel. Will simply brushes off her concerns, saying that he is more than old enough not to tell his mother of his whereabouts – wheelchair or not. Louisa goes home to get some sleep and Nathan can tell that the dynamic between Will and Louisa has changed again.
Nathan may be Will’s physical caretaker, but he is also an astute observer of Will’s mental and emotional state. Camilla’s hovering is another blow against Will’s agency in his own life. As long as Camilla treats Will like a child because of his physical state, Will cannot consider a new kind of independence within the limitations of his health.
Themes
Nathan shakes off thoughts of Will and Louisa’s relationship to care for Will’s physical needs. Will’s catheter desperately needs to be emptied and the night of drinking was hard on his already compromised body. Will laughs at his and Lou’s drunken adventures the night before, but Nathan is annoyed that Louisa was not responsible enough to pay more attention to Will’s health. Still, Nathan can’t deny that Will finally looks like he has something to think about other than ending his life.
Nathan may be aware of Will’s emotional progress, but he also makes a clear division between the emotional and physical aspects of Will’s health. While Nathan appreciates the good that Lou has done for Will’s mental health, he recognizes that Will cannot forget his physical health because of this newfound happiness.
Themes
Louisa returns at lunchtime and Nathan mischievously refuses to let Will and Lou watch a Miyasaki film alone. After the movie is over, Louisa asks Nathan if he would consider helping her and Will go on a ten-day trip. Nathan immediately agrees. Nathan is pleased at this apparent change in Will’s mindset, but his enthusiasm is slightly dampened when he overhears a tense conversation between Camilla and Louisa. Camilla warns Louisa that she better know what she is dragging them all into.
The Miyasaki film is Spirited Away, a film about a young girl who must go to incredible lengths to save her family. This journey echoes the efforts that Lou has been making for Will and her own family. Nathan shares Lou’s hope for Will, but he has a more realistic view of the true challenges that Will and Lou are facing.
Themes
