Nick Slocombe

Nick has isolated himself in lonely grief

Nick Slocombe is one of the main characters in Fiona Maazel’s short story “Let’s Go to the Videotape”. He lost his wife and the mother of his son in a tragic car accident three years before, and he obviously has not recovered yet. This may have to do with the fact that he is struggling to cope with grief. 

The text describes how Nick has isolated himself in his grief: “After she was gone, he found himself unwilling to entrust his hurt to anyone but her.” (ll. 66-67). He appears to have loved his wife deeply and does not want to replace her by confiding in someone else about his despair. 

Nick’s reluctance to share his feelings with anyone is probably also the reason why he has refused to participate in professional support networks: “After she died, Nick had shied away from joining any support groups because they contri...