"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.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Hubris: Never Let Me Go
"...They tried to convince themselves you weren't really like us. That you were less than human...Here was the world, requiring students to donate" (263).
Although the characters' tragic flaw was not revealed until later in the novel, the reader easily sees that the flaw that will lead to their downfall is the fact that all of the students at Hailsham are clones. The hubris is very effective in establishing the mood of the novel. Even though the clones are restricted to a single life path in which they donate their vital organs, Tommy still struggles to escape the fate set for him. The reader follows the lives of Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy as they either accept their fate or try to change the life chosen for them. This is an emotional journey, and the reader senses the desperation the characters feel. All of their frustration, anguish, and eventual resignation stems from their lives as clones and how that world, the "normal" people, prefer to cast them into the shadows. The students could not escape their downfall as they were required to donate and then complete. They struggled to understand their fate and their place in the world, and this was because of their fatal flaw. The purpose of the hubris is that the novel revolves around the characters coming to terms with their lives as clones and their struggles in life before their inescapable donations.
Although the characters' tragic flaw was not revealed until later in the novel, the reader easily sees that the flaw that will lead to their downfall is the fact that all of the students at Hailsham are clones. The hubris is very effective in establishing the mood of the novel. Even though the clones are restricted to a single life path in which they donate their vital organs, Tommy still struggles to escape the fate set for him. The reader follows the lives of Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy as they either accept their fate or try to change the life chosen for them. This is an emotional journey, and the reader senses the desperation the characters feel. All of their frustration, anguish, and eventual resignation stems from their lives as clones and how that world, the "normal" people, prefer to cast them into the shadows. The students could not escape their downfall as they were required to donate and then complete. They struggled to understand their fate and their place in the world, and this was because of their fatal flaw. The purpose of the hubris is that the novel revolves around the characters coming to terms with their lives as clones and their struggles in life before their inescapable donations.
Parallelism: Never Let Me Go
"But Ruth didn't get my point- or maybe she was deliberately avoiding it. Maybe she was determined to remember us all as more sophisticated than we were. Or maybe she could sense where my talk was leading, and didn't want us to go that way" (18).
This parallelism not only shows Ruth's reluctance to discuss something as innocent as the student's appreciation for poetry, but it also reveals a part of Ruth's character. When Kathy questions the students' understanding of poetry, Ruth changes the subject. Perhaps this subject was not innocent; this could relate to how the students really did not understand much at Hailsham. Somehow they came to believe that poetry was important, so they respected it without understanding or even caring much about it. This blind following could apply to many aspects of their life at Hailsham; they pretended to understand life, but it was an illusion. Ruth may have understood the implications of that conversation which is why she changed the subject. Kathy gives various explanations for Ruth's reluctance, and it shows that Ruth puts on an act. She pretends not to see Kathy's point, and throughout the novel, Ruth plays the part of the pretender. While Kathy and Tommy struggle to understand their situations, Ruth avoids analyzing their life at Hailsham. The parallelism is effective because the reader sees how Ruth's reasons for changing the subject all relate to her personality and shows the larger implications of the conversation.
This parallelism not only shows Ruth's reluctance to discuss something as innocent as the student's appreciation for poetry, but it also reveals a part of Ruth's character. When Kathy questions the students' understanding of poetry, Ruth changes the subject. Perhaps this subject was not innocent; this could relate to how the students really did not understand much at Hailsham. Somehow they came to believe that poetry was important, so they respected it without understanding or even caring much about it. This blind following could apply to many aspects of their life at Hailsham; they pretended to understand life, but it was an illusion. Ruth may have understood the implications of that conversation which is why she changed the subject. Kathy gives various explanations for Ruth's reluctance, and it shows that Ruth puts on an act. She pretends not to see Kathy's point, and throughout the novel, Ruth plays the part of the pretender. While Kathy and Tommy struggle to understand their situations, Ruth avoids analyzing their life at Hailsham. The parallelism is effective because the reader sees how Ruth's reasons for changing the subject all relate to her personality and shows the larger implications of the conversation.
Suspense: Never Let Me Go
"I was still looking into the darkness when I heard Madame let out a kind of snort, and she came striding past us into the dark... Madame emerged pushing a figure in a wheelchair...It was the voice more than anything that helped me recognize her. 'Miss Emily,' Tommy said, quite softly" (255).
This scene creates much suspense right until the point where Tommy speaks Miss Emily's name. The reader waits for the arrival of this person in the wheelchair, anticipating the moment when the person's identity is revealed. From the time that Madame goes into the darkness until Tommy says Miss Emily's name, the reader wonders who could possibly be living in Madame's house. The suspense is all part of the emotions that the reader shares with the characters. The author chose not to immediately reveal who was in the wheelchair; instead, he allows time for the suspense to build and for the reader to question the person's identity. The characters were feeling the same anticipation, waiting for Madame to emerge from the darkness. The suspense is effective, creating more curiosity about the situation. The reader wonders why Miss Emily would be in the house, and why Madame brought her out while Tommy and Kathy asked about the deferrals. With the arrival of Miss Emily, the characters and the reader feel even more uncertain about the upcoming events. This suspense is the perfect precursor to Miss Emily's explanation of Kathy and Tommy's life at Hailsham since the suspense about their lives has been building throughout the novel.
This scene creates much suspense right until the point where Tommy speaks Miss Emily's name. The reader waits for the arrival of this person in the wheelchair, anticipating the moment when the person's identity is revealed. From the time that Madame goes into the darkness until Tommy says Miss Emily's name, the reader wonders who could possibly be living in Madame's house. The suspense is all part of the emotions that the reader shares with the characters. The author chose not to immediately reveal who was in the wheelchair; instead, he allows time for the suspense to build and for the reader to question the person's identity. The characters were feeling the same anticipation, waiting for Madame to emerge from the darkness. The suspense is effective, creating more curiosity about the situation. The reader wonders why Miss Emily would be in the house, and why Madame brought her out while Tommy and Kathy asked about the deferrals. With the arrival of Miss Emily, the characters and the reader feel even more uncertain about the upcoming events. This suspense is the perfect precursor to Miss Emily's explanation of Kathy and Tommy's life at Hailsham since the suspense about their lives has been building throughout the novel.
Imagery: Never Let Me Go
"She just froze... She didn't shriek, or even let out a gasp... I can still see it now, the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real dread that one of us would accidentally brush against her... She was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders" (35).
This scene led to many more questions for me, and I thought that it be very important to the rest of the novel. The author used imagery so that the reader would be able to properly visualize Madame's reaction. Since the author did not want Madame's actions to be misinterpreted, he went into great detail to help the reader visualize the situation. I had no trouble seeing Madame struggle to hide her disgust, just as someone who feared spiders would react at the sight of the eight-legged creature. Even though the imagery helped me visualize what was happening, I did not fully understand the situation. I think the purpose of this imagery is to make the reader question the passage. Through imagery, the reader can visualize Madame's aversion to the students but then questions why she has reason to fear them. By seeing the situation as the author intends, the reader questions Madame's reaction. Does she hate children, and if so, why would she react so dramatically during the encounter with the students? The imagery helps tie the event into the rest of the mystery surrounding the students and probably relates to how "special" they are.
This scene led to many more questions for me, and I thought that it be very important to the rest of the novel. The author used imagery so that the reader would be able to properly visualize Madame's reaction. Since the author did not want Madame's actions to be misinterpreted, he went into great detail to help the reader visualize the situation. I had no trouble seeing Madame struggle to hide her disgust, just as someone who feared spiders would react at the sight of the eight-legged creature. Even though the imagery helped me visualize what was happening, I did not fully understand the situation. I think the purpose of this imagery is to make the reader question the passage. Through imagery, the reader can visualize Madame's aversion to the students but then questions why she has reason to fear them. By seeing the situation as the author intends, the reader questions Madame's reaction. Does she hate children, and if so, why would she react so dramatically during the encounter with the students? The imagery helps tie the event into the rest of the mystery surrounding the students and probably relates to how "special" they are.
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.
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.
Foreshadowing: Never Let Me Go
"Take all this curiosity about Madame for instance. At one level, it was just us kids larking about. But at another, as you'll see, it was the start of a process that kept growing and growing over the years until it came to dominate our lives" (37).
I have been very engaged in this novel from the beginning, trying to understand the mystery that Kathy is slowly revealing. Kathy hints at pieces- events, people, things- that maybe related to this puzzle, but she has yet to connect them. To the reader, all of these memories are somewhat of a jumbled mess. As confusing as these pieces may be, Kathy guides the reader throughout the novel by highlighting people or events that could be important later. This foreshadowing about Madame is effective more many reasons. The reader knows that Madame is not just a passing figure; she will become an integral part of the solution. Also, the reader learns that this time of Kathy and Tommy observing their environment with curiosity and questions is not just a phase. In fact, the process of them gathering clues only grows, eventually consuming their lives. This is probably how they come to solve the mystery surrounding their lives; they will not stop investigating until they know the truth. Although the reader has not seen the evolution of this process, it will become evident later in the novel. The reader is able to realize that through the foreshadowing.
I have been very engaged in this novel from the beginning, trying to understand the mystery that Kathy is slowly revealing. Kathy hints at pieces- events, people, things- that maybe related to this puzzle, but she has yet to connect them. To the reader, all of these memories are somewhat of a jumbled mess. As confusing as these pieces may be, Kathy guides the reader throughout the novel by highlighting people or events that could be important later. This foreshadowing about Madame is effective more many reasons. The reader knows that Madame is not just a passing figure; she will become an integral part of the solution. Also, the reader learns that this time of Kathy and Tommy observing their environment with curiosity and questions is not just a phase. In fact, the process of them gathering clues only grows, eventually consuming their lives. This is probably how they come to solve the mystery surrounding their lives; they will not stop investigating until they know the truth. Although the reader has not seen the evolution of this process, it will become evident later in the novel. The reader is able to realize that through the foreshadowing.
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