[spoilers] Lucas and his tattoos

[allanah]

(05-01-2011 10:29 PM)binkie Wrote:  If we compare his experience to that of Jo's, it's actually quite interesting to see how differently they handle themselves. Jo resorts to frantic running; Lucas resorts to masquerading as a double-agent. They both eventually turn to their jobs as an escape from their own minds. Jo sees the man who raped her (his name escapes me) in random faces in the street; Lucas is literally plagued by the bad memory embodied in Dasharvin. Jo completely breaks down, often in public. Lucas has lapses in control. He refuses to break down.
Perhaps the tattoos are a form of resistance. They act as a barrier whilst telling the story he wants people to know. Whilst they are present, he doesn't need to explain himself. Whilst they are present, he is still worth something. The tattoos themselves contain information - his very skin is engraved with pieces of code. If he can successfully keep his secrets, get back to his 'old life', and be 'normal' again, he feels worthwhile. It's all about control, and the tattoos seem to be an integral part of that.

I seem to have rambled completely off-topic in places there, but I hope it still (somewhat?!) makes sense!

I was always interested in the Lucas/ Jo dynamic and treatment in Series 7, because of the way they showed them reponding differently to their trauma.

I always thought that Jo stirred up in Lucas some emotions that made him uncomfortable when he interacted with her because in some ways her trauma and emotional problems were too close to home for him to be comfortable with. Why in series 7 in 7.5 when she drops the tray of drinks does he speak so harshly to her? My view is that her breakdown is very uncomfortable for him because he recognises that with his history he could go the same way. Again when he speaks to Harry afterwards about Jo being in trouble there is a lot of emotion there and I think it comes from the recognition that he and Jo have a lot in commmon and so in some ways there is an identification with her, even though its not an association he is comfortable with.