Hyperbole: Never Let Me Go

"Afterwards, when we discussed it, some of us were sure she was dying for someone to ask: 'Why?'..."(69).

This quote refers to the time when the children were listening to Miss Lucy speak about the dangers of smoking. She had told them that even though she had smoked before, they should never smoke because it was much worse for them. Kathy made the observation that Miss Lucy longed for them to ask "why," to question why smoking would be so much worse for them. Kathy exaggerated the situation by saying Miss Lucy "was dying for someone to ask," but the hyperbole has an important purpose. This situation ties into the other times Miss Lucy had spoken to either the children as a group or just Tommy. She always hinted that they were special, but they were not being told enough. Kathy and Tommy puzzled over the meaning of her words when she told him the students at Hailsham were not being told enough. Miss Lucy has yet to elaborate on what she means, but it is obvious that she really wants to tell the students more. Another thing that is clear to the reader is that Miss Lucy has a different way of thinking than the other guardians. All of the other guardians prefer to shy away from topics such as their own smoking, and they do not go into detail about how special the students are. With all of that in mind, Miss Lucy might clarify the meaning behind her vague words, and this will probably help explain the mystery surrounding the children at Hailsham.