The Ritual

Content Warning: This section includes discussion of death, graphic violence, physical abuse, and imprisonment.

Luke is the protagonist of The Ritual. His friends call him Chief or Chieftain, he is 34, and “he’d take cigarettes over food every time” (124). One way he bonds with Hutch is by sharing his cigarettes with him frequently in the first two sections of the novel. Luke lives in London, where he works at a CD shop. He is casually dating a woman named Charlotte. He has frequently changed jobs and girlfriends; he has a cheap bachelor pad and a low income. This socioeconomic status is what forces the group to go camping rather than go to a more expensive motel, hotel, or resort on their vacation. Dom and Phil resent Luke for this.

Luke’s primary personality trait is his excessive and unhealthy anger. Hutch criticizes Luke for his anger early in the novel, saying, “Hey, anger management” (8) when Luke begins to get angry at Dom and Phil for being injured, out of shape, and thus slowing down the group. Before coming on the trip, Luke punches someone who pushes past him on a train. In the forest, when Dom starts insulting Luke, Luke repeatedly punches his friend.