Heroes

by

Robert Cormier

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Heroes makes teaching easy.

Nicole Renard Character Analysis

Nicole moves to Frenchtown in the seventh grade and eventually becomes Francis’ childhood sweetheart and Larry LaSalle’s star dance pupil. When she and Francis first meet, she teases him and he cannot summon the courage to respond, but eventually the two begin an innocent relationship based around weekly dates at the local theater. After Larry rapes her, however, Nicole blames Francis and finds respite from her suffering in the local convent. She hides among the nuns—without ever intending to take vows—until she ultimately leaves Frenchtown to escape her past, moving back to Albany with her parents. At the end of the novel, Francis finds her poised to graduate from parochial school and pursue a career as a teacher. In the conversation that follows, she forgives Francis, but she does not entertain the idea of them becoming a couple again or even remaining in each other’s lives. Instead, she wants to leave her shattered childhood firmly in the past. Of all the characters in the novel, she is the one who seems to best cope with the traumas of her past in her attempt to move forward with her life.

Nicole Renard Quotes in Heroes

The Heroes quotes below are all either spoken by Nicole Renard or refer to Nicole Renard. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

I knelt there like a knight at her feet, her sword having touched my shoulder. I silently pledged her my love and loyalty forever.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard
Page Number: 13
Explanation and Analysis:

Why hadn't I answered her? Did she now think I was stupid, unable to start a conversation? Had she merely been teasing me? Or had she been really afraid that I might fall off the banister? The questions left me dazed with wonder. I never knew that love could be so agonizing. Finally, the big question: Had Marie told Nicole that I liked her?

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard, Marie LaCroix
Page Number: 18
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

I have places to visit now that I have returned and one of them is Sixth Street and the gray three-decker where Nicole Renard lived with her mother and father on the second floor at number 212. I know she doesn't live there anymore and I have nothing to gain by going there but it's inevitable that I look at her house again.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

Like a dream coming true, Nicole took the trophy from Larry LaSalle and handed it to me, the radiance of her face mirroring my own. The crowd grew silent as I pressed the trophy to my chest, my eyes becoming moist

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Larry LaSalle, Nicole Renard
Page Number: 64-65
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

Larry LaSalle stood before us that afternoon at the Wreck Center, the movie star smile gone, replaced by grim-faced determination. "We can't let the Japs get away with this," he said, anger that we had never seen before flashing in his eyes. As we were about to cheer his announcement, he held up his hand. "None of that, kids, I'm just doing what millions of others are doing."

Related Characters: Larry LaSalle (speaker), Francis Cassavant, Nicole Renard, Joey LeBlanc
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:

Taking a deep breath, I said: "Would you like to go to the movies sometime?" The earth paused in its orbit.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard
Page Number: 76
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

We always did what Larry LaSalle told us to do. Always carried out his slightest wish…I saw Larry raising his eyebrows at me, the way he looked at me when I made a stupid move at table tennis.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Larry LaSalle, Nicole Renard
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

"Are you all right?" I asked. “No, I'm not all right" she answered anger flashing in her eyes. "I hurt. I hurt all over." I could only stand there mute, as if all my sins had been revealed and there was no forgiveness for them.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard (speaker)
Page Number: 101-102
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

Everybody sins, Francis. The terrible thing is that we love our sins. We love the thing that makes us evil

Related Characters: Larry LaSalle (speaker), Francis Cassavant, Nicole Renard
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

"Okay," she says. "If I’m not exactly all right, then I'm…" She screws up her face, searching for the right word. "I'm adjusting. Getting better at it all the time.

Related Characters: Nicole Renard (speaker)
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis:

My good Francis. My table tennis champion. My Silver Star hero." Hero. The word hangs in the air. "I don't know what a hero is anymore, Nicole." I think of Larry LaSalle and his Silver Star. And my own Silver Star, for an act of cowardice. "Write about it, Francis. Maybe you can find the answer that way."

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard (speaker)
Page Number: 131
Explanation and Analysis:
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Nicole Renard Quotes in Heroes

The Heroes quotes below are all either spoken by Nicole Renard or refer to Nicole Renard. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Simplicity of Childhood Theme Icon
).
Chapter 2 Quotes

I knelt there like a knight at her feet, her sword having touched my shoulder. I silently pledged her my love and loyalty forever.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard
Page Number: 13
Explanation and Analysis:

Why hadn't I answered her? Did she now think I was stupid, unable to start a conversation? Had she merely been teasing me? Or had she been really afraid that I might fall off the banister? The questions left me dazed with wonder. I never knew that love could be so agonizing. Finally, the big question: Had Marie told Nicole that I liked her?

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard, Marie LaCroix
Page Number: 18
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

I have places to visit now that I have returned and one of them is Sixth Street and the gray three-decker where Nicole Renard lived with her mother and father on the second floor at number 212. I know she doesn't live there anymore and I have nothing to gain by going there but it's inevitable that I look at her house again.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

Like a dream coming true, Nicole took the trophy from Larry LaSalle and handed it to me, the radiance of her face mirroring my own. The crowd grew silent as I pressed the trophy to my chest, my eyes becoming moist

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Larry LaSalle, Nicole Renard
Page Number: 64-65
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

Larry LaSalle stood before us that afternoon at the Wreck Center, the movie star smile gone, replaced by grim-faced determination. "We can't let the Japs get away with this," he said, anger that we had never seen before flashing in his eyes. As we were about to cheer his announcement, he held up his hand. "None of that, kids, I'm just doing what millions of others are doing."

Related Characters: Larry LaSalle (speaker), Francis Cassavant, Nicole Renard, Joey LeBlanc
Page Number: 74
Explanation and Analysis:

Taking a deep breath, I said: "Would you like to go to the movies sometime?" The earth paused in its orbit.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard
Page Number: 76
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 11 Quotes

We always did what Larry LaSalle told us to do. Always carried out his slightest wish…I saw Larry raising his eyebrows at me, the way he looked at me when I made a stupid move at table tennis.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Larry LaSalle, Nicole Renard
Page Number: 94
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

"Are you all right?" I asked. “No, I'm not all right" she answered anger flashing in her eyes. "I hurt. I hurt all over." I could only stand there mute, as if all my sins had been revealed and there was no forgiveness for them.

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard (speaker)
Page Number: 101-102
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 14 Quotes

Everybody sins, Francis. The terrible thing is that we love our sins. We love the thing that makes us evil

Related Characters: Larry LaSalle (speaker), Francis Cassavant, Nicole Renard
Page Number: 115
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 16 Quotes

"Okay," she says. "If I’m not exactly all right, then I'm…" She screws up her face, searching for the right word. "I'm adjusting. Getting better at it all the time.

Related Characters: Nicole Renard (speaker)
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis:

My good Francis. My table tennis champion. My Silver Star hero." Hero. The word hangs in the air. "I don't know what a hero is anymore, Nicole." I think of Larry LaSalle and his Silver Star. And my own Silver Star, for an act of cowardice. "Write about it, Francis. Maybe you can find the answer that way."

Related Characters: Francis Cassavant (speaker), Nicole Renard (speaker)
Page Number: 131
Explanation and Analysis: