First Person Point of View: Never Let Me Go

"That was when I first understood, really understood, just how lucky we'd been- Tommy, Ruth, me , all the rest of us" (6).

The story is told in the first person point of view by Kathy H., a former student at Hailsham and a carer. I think that the story could not have been told by any other character; Kathy's narration offers the best perspective of what happened at Hailsham. Although Kathy seems like a timid character, she is actually quite strong and has many provoking thoughts about her life that add to the story's overall effect. She carefully observed all that happened around her, taking special notice of her friends Tommy and Ruth. Tommy could not have told the story because he was too naive and innocent; he would not have noticed all that Kathy did nor been as perceptive as Kathy when she observed other people. Ruth is not the ideal narrator either since she often was a pretender, playing the part of the person she thought everyone would like. Kathy described her as being a fake sometimes, and so Ruth would not have been a reliable narrator. The purpose of the first person point of view is to let the reader into the world of Hailsham and the lives of the students as told by a fellow student. An impartial observer could not have made the same observations Kathy did about people's motivations, emotions, or actions. She told the story by sharing her memories, recalling events as she perceived them. Kathy's narration was effective, telling the story with the right balance of emotion, opinions, and unique observations.