Essay Questions

David Lodge highlights the theme of unreciprocated love in Nice Work. Illustrate how this theme is brought out in the novel, using illustrations.

Vic Wilcox is a man who is brought out in the novel as being dissatisfied with most things in his life, including his wife. Vic neither enjoys having conversations with his wife nor looking at her. As such, he does not seem to appreciate the fact that he is relatively successful. When a meeting is organized to bridge industry and academia, Vic meets a woman named Robyn Penrose. As Robyn accompanies Vic almost everywhere and, on every trip, the two characters develop a friendship. Soon, Vic realizes that he is in love with her and even entertains the possibility of a relationship between himself and Robyn—a gateway from his not so successful and passion-free marriage. However, Vic is highly mistaken as Robyn is clearly not interested in getting married to him, having not even considered the idea. His love remains unanswered and unreciprocated until later he revives the passion he once had for his wife. This is an ideal example of how Lodge explores unreciprocated love in Nice Work.

Vic Wilcox and Robyn Penrose are both lucky and unlucky. Using illustrations from David Lodge’s Nice Work support this statement.

Vic and Robyn are both presented as being lucky and unlucky in Nice Work. After it becomes clear that Thatcher Economics is at the centre of a financial crisis within the university in which Robyn is employed, her chances of securing a full-time position with the same institution become increasingly minimal before her very own eyes. On the other hand, Vic’s world also comes crumbling down as a result of the effects of British economics. As the company undergoes a merger, Vic loses his position as an employer in the company. However, luck somehow favors these characters as Robyn receives the news of an Uncle who had passed, leaving him an estate worth $300,000. She thus decides to support Vic in coming up with a start-up company saving him in the process.