Nude Photos Symbol Analysis

Several times throughout Normal People, Connell and Marianne talk about nude photos, which come to symbolize the fraught power dynamics that can sometimes crop up in romantic relationships. When Connell and Marianne are unofficially dating during their first year of college, Connell asks if Marianne would ever consider sending him naked pictures of herself. Before she can answer, he adds that he would delete them, which confuses her: why would he want to delete them? He explains that there’s a certain etiquette surrounding the use of nude photos, saying that it’s a common courtesy for the recipient to delete them to protect the other person’s privacy. He’s referring to the unfortunate fact that some people use nude photos in ways that violate the subject’s privacy, like when Rob showed Connell and Eric naked pictures of his date at the Debs dance. Similarly, in the aftermath of Marianne and Jamie’s breakup, a rumor goes around that there are naked pictures of Marianne on the internet. It’s unclear if Jamie circulated these pictures or if he just spread the rumor to humiliate Marianne. Either way, though, he uses the general idea to exact revenge on Marianne for breaking up with him. In this way, nude photos take on extra significance in the novel, representing how difficult and even frightening it can be to trust and make oneself vulnerable to a romantic partner. And by that same token, Connell’s promise to delete Marianne’s naked pictures symbolizes his discomfort with the idea of having any kind of power over her in their relationship.