Nathan Character Analysis in Me Before You

Will’s primary physical caregiver, Nathan cares for all of the health issues that Will’s paralysis has caused. Nathan is from New Zealand and has a no-nonsense demeanor and a sarcastic sense of humor that matches up with Will’s own personality. Nathan helps Lou with all of her plans to show Will the best that life still has to offer.

Nathan Character Timeline in Me Before You

The timeline below shows where the character Nathan appears in Me Before You. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Camilla takes Lou in to meet Will and Will’s personal nurse, Nathan. Will is a solidly built man with shaggy unkempt hair. Will starts to groan as... (full context)

Nathan turns the radio on for Will and takes Lou back to the kitchen to the... (full context)

...all morning with any task she can find and hurries out of the house when Nathan appears to take care of Will’s after-lunch medical needs. Lou sits at the castle bus... (full context)

...him his lunch, and rushes out of the house for her break as soon as Nathan arrives each day. Will’s mother, Camilla, and father, Steven, don’t seem to know how to... (full context)

...can’t get a read on how the Traynors think of her. Will, Mr. Traynor and Nathan are polite but distant, while Camilla is now convinced that Lou is worse than useless... (full context)

...to sneak vegetables into his meal, but he jokes about it instead of getting mad. Nathan tells Lou that he has never seen Will in a better mood. Lou realizes that... (full context)

...and Lou gets them all to the hospital despite all her fears about the car. Nathan gets Will out of the car and into the hospital as Lou marvels about the... (full context)

While Will meets with the doctors, Lou and Nathan wait outside. Lou asks if the doctors are checking whether Will is getting better, but... (full context)

A huge snowstorm hits and Lou arrives at Will’s house only to find that Nathan has been unable to get there. Steven asks Lou to check in on Will, who... (full context)

The snow continues and Lou continues to worry about Will’s labored sleep until Nathan appears at the door. Nathan is aghast at Will’s state, admonishing Lou for not reading... (full context)

Nathan leaves and Lou grabs a book from Will’s bookshelf so she can read at Will’s... (full context)

...to find out that Will was sick and no one informed her. Lou stammers that Nathan told her not to bother Mrs. Traynor at court, but is saved by Steven’s appearance.... (full context)

When Lou returns from lunch, Nathan is in the kitchen. Lou explains about the uproar with Will’s sister, but Nathan seems... (full context)

...foot down and says that Will should be allowed to go independently with Lou and Nathan, able to make his own choices again. Reluctantly, Camilla agrees. (full context)

...greets Will, excited for their outing to the horse race at a close by arena. Nathan is pretending that he’s never been, trying to give Will a reason why they have... (full context)

...lot of the racing grounds. The wet grass is too soft for Will’s wheelchair and Nathan has to essentially carry Will and his chair to the entrance, only to find that... (full context)

...hostess snottily tells Lou that tickets like that are only sold across the racing grounds. Nathan breaks in to tell Lou that Will really just wants to go home. They leave... (full context)

As Lou and Nathan try to wheel Will across the parking lot, his chair gets stuck in the mud.... (full context)

...checks the accommodations for Will’s chair and agrees to take over Will’s bedtime care, as Nathan will be busy by the time they get home from the concert. Lou also worries... (full context)

...that Will is coming to dinner. Lou assures Josie that everything will be fine, and Nathan drops Will off promptly at 7:30 that night. Will looks wonderful and affably smoothes over... (full context)

...an adventure, then admits that she will probably just finish her book. Will then asks Nathan for a ten-pound note, as he had bet Nathan earlier that Lou would be reading... (full context)

...running out of feasible ideas and is starting to feel as boring as Will and Nathan seem to think she is. After Nathan leaves, Lou tells Will how much the bet... (full context)

...to go, Will and Lou’s relationship has disintegrated into a polite friendship, such that even Nathan notices the difference. Lou finally decides to tell Camilla about Will’s meeting with the lawyer... (full context)

Nathan, now narrating, recounts the day after the wedding. When Louisa and Will arrive home, Camilla... (full context)

Nathan shakes off thoughts of Will and Louisa’s relationship to care for Will’s physical needs. Will’s... (full context)

Louisa returns at lunchtime and Nathan mischievously refuses to let Will and Lou watch a Miyasaki film alone. After the movie... (full context)

...athletic adventures – even skydiving. Lou is hopeful that this might finally change Will’s mind. Nathan and Camilla are skeptical, but ultimately approve. (full context)

Lou (narrating again) runs into the emergency ward and finds Nathan. Nathan tells her that this isn’t the first time that Will has had pneumonia, and... (full context)

Nathan leaves the hospital ward and Lou waits for another hour outside Will’s room. Camilla finally... (full context)

...imagining the emptiness if Will were dead. She dreads cancelling all of their travel arrangements. Nathan comes in to drop off some extra medicine for Will when he gets home. (full context)

Nathan notices how upset Lou is, and Lou admits that she knows that the Traynors hired... (full context)

Ten days after Will is released from the hospital, Steven drops Will, Lou, and Nathan off at Gatwick airport. Lou nervously goes over all the special travel arrangements she has... (full context)

...resort in Mauritius is very wheelchair friendly and the hotel staff are unfailingly kind to Nathan and Lou, but especially attentive to Will. One young man, Nadil, makes it his personal... (full context)

Lou, Will and Nathan’s days at the resort take on a pattern of good food, sunbathing, watching Nathan take... (full context)

On the last night of the trip, Lou offers to let Nathan bring Karen to their hotel overnight. This means that Will and Lou have to share... (full context)

...Will on the flight back to England, much to the shock of the other passengers. Nathan tries to keep the peace but soon just takes care of Will’s needs and lets... (full context)

Camilla and Steven are waiting at the arrivals gate for Will, Nathan, and Lou, ready to take them to a fancy dinner and hear all about the... (full context)