"'Most importantly, we demonstrated to the world that if students were reared in humane, cultivated environments, it was possible for them to grow to be as sensitive and intelligent as any ordinary human being'" (261).
When I read about Kathy's life at Hailsham, I thought the school was like a regular boarding school. The students certainly thought so, or at least they did not give any indication that they thought otherwise. To them, this school was a "privileged estate" whose purpose was to give the students a well-rounded education and to prepare them for their futures. They came to know what a privilege it was to be a Hailsham student, and they held the school in high regards. I also thought that their time at Hailsham had been an ideal experience, and the school had been somewhat of a utopia, keeping them safe and happy. Miss Emily shattered my illusion of the school when she told Tommy and Kathy of Hailsham's real purpose. The school and the students were an experiment designed to show the world that clones were just as intelligent and astute as regular people, given the proper education. The students led these perfect lives at Hailsham, but they were just to prove a point. The students were kept in the dark about the whole purpose, believing that they lived in a perfect school. Kathy mentioned the profound effect the school had on her and probably on the other students, saying she could not stop thinking about it and that she felt lost when it closed. I think the students cannot escape the thought that Hailsham was a perfect place, and that was where they spent the better part of their lives. Unfortunately, Hailsham was not what it appeared to be, and it certainly was not a utopia.
No comments:
Post a Comment