The end (Never Let Me Go- 20)

"I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how I think it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever" (page 282)


Even though I was disappointed with everything that had happened in the last couple of chapters, overall I really did enjoy this book. It was very insightful and in the end it had a really good message about friendship and love. Kathy and Tommy really showed how innocent and good friendship can be and how good friends are there for each other. Throughout the entire book, Kathy and Tommy showed how important friendship was, and even though they didn't get their happy ending, they still had a really great friendship. I also really liked the first person point of view for the narrator. It was a lot different after reading Brave New World. I was able to connect to Kathy and really understand the type of person she was. I don't think I would have liked this book as much if it were told in a different perspective. Also, the concept of cloning and inhumane practices arose in this book as well and it has a lot to teach people who live in today's society. Life isn't something that we can just throw away and practice on. We can't clone people. We are all apart of God's creation and I think that people forget about how valuable life is sometimes.

Disappointing (Never Let Me Go- 19)

"'We took away your art because we thought it would reveal your souls.  Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all'" ( page 260).  

The whole climax of this book really confused me. I didn't think that Miss Emily would be helpful at all but I guess in a way she kind of was. I found it weird with this whole cloning concept. The author made it very apparent that it was an inhumane practice. I thought that Tommy and Kathy would be at least considered for a deferral, but that didn't happen either. I guess that it is a good thing though because I really don't see how three years would change anything. This book is realistic in the sense that endings aren't always "happily ever after." and I think that Ishiguro made this very apparent. However, in the end, I was surprised that Kathy was very nonchalant to everything that had happened. Seeing as she was a carer for so long, she was used to the practices and the concept of death. However, the type of character that she seemed to be throughout the novel was not one who stood by and watched as everything happened. Kathy was a really smart girl and she knew what was going on. But in the end, she just accepted everything that had happened to her. I guess there wasn't really anything she could do anyway. 

Well that was upsetting (Never Let Me Go- 18)

“So that feeling came again, even though I tried to keep it out: that we were doing all of this too late; that there'd once been a time for it, but we'd let it go by, and there was something ridiculous, reprehensible even, about the way we were now thinking and planning.” (page 241)

I am upset. So, I've been waiting for Tommy and Kathy to finally get together. But, it's too late now. Tommy has had his third donation now and he is about to give his fourth. I have a question too, how many donations to they give? And how are they not  dead after the third or fourth? I really am upset that it's too late for Kathy and Tommy. Even if Madame agrees to give Kathy and Tommy a deferral to be together longer, how is Tommy going to survive very long? Wouldn't normal people be basically lifeless at this stage? I just hope that there is a somewhat happy ending for this book. I can't take another depressing ending like Brave New World. As long as Kathy doesn't kill herself, I think I can manage. 

I'd like to say that I'm actually getting into this book, I didn't think I would. But the fact that I was upset when I found out about Kathy and Tommy, showed me that I like this book. Who knew.

Forgiveness (Never Let Me Go- 17)

"'Kathy, ' she said, 'I don't really expect you to forgive me ever. I can't even see why you should. But i'm going to ask you to all the same.'" (page 231)

When Ruth and Kathy are together and Ruth is dying, Ruth apologizes to Kathy and says "The main thing is, I kept you and Tommy apart, and that was the worst thing I did." (232)  I feel so bad for Kathy! I wanted Tommy and Kathy to be together this entire book and Ruth was always in the way. But now, Ruth is admitting that she was just with Tommy to keep Kathy away from him. Ruth's selfish character was very apparent throughout this entire book and this is why I am very surprised that she is actually apologizing for what she did. But, I guess death can make you think about things in a different perspective and I believe that this is what happened to Ruth. I applaud Ruth for what she did. I know that it probably took a lot of strength for her to tell Kathy she was wrong and that it was all her fault. Now, Ruth wants the best for her friends and she wants Kathy and Tommy to enjoy the time they have together. 

The Kathy and Ruth friendship roller coaster (Never Let Me Go- 16)

"Tommy's been telling me about his big theory. He says he's already told you. Ages ago. But now, very kindly, he's allowing me to share in it too." (page 193)

There is an external conflict between Ruth and Kathy in this chapter. As always, Ruth seems to be upset about something that Kathy has done. However, this time it is a little different because it is jealousy that is feeding the anger that Ruth has towards Kathy. Ruth is jealous that Tommy told Kathy about the idea he has about the artwork in the gallery. Out of anger and jealousy, Ruth tells Tommy about how Kathy laughed at Tommy's farm animals. Obviously, this hurts Tommy. Tommy has always been able to turn to Kathy with everything. Kathy was Tommy's go to girl and now he feels betrayed by her reaction to something he was proud of. Now, a conflict may occur between Kathy and Tommy. I'm actually upset about this. I wish that Kathy and Tommy would have gotten closer, especially because of the friendship and bond that became even more apparent when they went to Norfolk. However, I don't think that anything will get better from here because of the foreshadowing at the very beginning of the book. It was very apparent that the relationship between Tommy and Kathy and Kathy and Ruth wasn't the same as it used to be, and maybe this is the reason why.

Art reveals their souls (Never Let Me Go- 15)

"Suppose two people say they're truly in love, and they want extra time to be together. Then you see, Kath, there has to be a way to judge if they're really telling the truth. That they aren't just saying they're in love, just to defer their donations. You see how difficult it would be to decide?" (page 175)

Tommy and Kathy have come up with this idea that through the art work they created at Hailsham, their souls are able to be revealed and thus the true love between two people is also revealed. I don't necessarily think this is true. Personally, I know that if they were truly clones, they wouldn't have souls because the are cloned! But, that is beside the point. I think that maybe it is possible that someone from the art gallery is trying to prove that these clones have souls through their art work. I don't think that the true love would be able to be told throughout the art work as well though. I think that if people were trying to save these students from being donors and then dying they would do more to keep the two together. Especially because a deferral only keeps the couple together for 3 years. But, I think that maybe there are more people behind the art gallery, like Madame, that are working to find out how to save these people from the life they are destined to.

Who loves who?! (Never Let Me Go- 14)

"They'd heard of this Hailsham couple, the guy had only a few weeks left before he became a carer. And they went to see someone and got everything put back three years. They were allowed to go on living there together, up at the White Mansion, three years straight, didn't have to go on with their training or anything. Three years just to themselves, because they could prove they were properly in love." (page 153)

This idea of deferrals is kind of confusing to me at this point, but I have a feeling that it will be significant to the outcome of the story. Chrissie and Rodney tell Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy about the idea of deferrals and they question the three to see if they know anything about it. It really mad me mad how Ruth acted like she knew about this when she didn't at all. She is so rude to Kathy and Tommy sometimes just because she wants to fit in with the veterans. It really makes me not like Ruth's character at all. Throughout the past chapter when Tommy buys Kathy her lost record of the Judy Bridgewater song, I really have a feeling that Tommy and Kathy will somehow fall in love with each other. I predict that if anyone will get this "deferral" it will be Tommy and Kathy and not Tommy and Ruth. At least I hope it isn't Ruth because I do not like her right now.

Also, during the trip to Norfolk, the idea of everyone's clone being a nobody was very interesting to me. I am curious as to how these models become clones. It would make sense that the people in charge of cloning would pay these nobodies who need the money so that they would do this. If this is the case, then Ruth is right. Most of the "models" who the students are clones of would logically be "trash".

Aha!!! (Never Let Me Go-13)

"The basic idea behind the possibles theory was simple, and didn't provoke much dispute. It went something like this. Since each of us was copied at some point from a normal person, there must be, for each of us, somewhere out there, a model getting on with his or her life. (page 139)

I just had an "aha! moment" and I felt the need to blog about it. So, my last blog was about the porn magazines and I was really curious as to why Kathy was so curious about the faces of the individuals on the people in the magazines. Well, in this chapter we find out that they are clones from other people and they sometimes look for "possibles" that may be the person they were cloned from. So, I think that Kathy was searching for her possible clone in the magazines. Personally, I think the whole clone thing is really bizarre. If in fact they are clones, then this just proves that these people like Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy can't have souls. They are just beings with organs and maybe this is why they can't have children. I'm starting to get really curious as to what is going on and I really just want to be able to finish this book so everything will make sense for once!

Looking at faces (Never Let Me Go-12)

"In fact, I hardly saw the contorted bodies, because I was focusing on the faces. Even in the little adverts for videos or whatever tucked away to the side, I checked each model's face before moving on." ( page 135)


Okay, this chapter not only weirded me out, but it also made me think that there is a lot more to Kathy and Tommy than the reader has knowledge of. While going through porn magazines, Kathy mentions not noticing the naked, contorted bodies, but focusing on the faces. I'm no expert on porn magazines, but I know it's not typical to stare at the faces while there are other things to look at. I am really curious as to why Kathy is looking at the faces. Maybe she notices something different about normal people's faces compared to the faces of those who go to Hailsham and are donors and carers. Also, Tommy notices a lot about Kathy. I really don't like Ruth with Tommy at all. It seems as if Ruth doesn't really care about Tommy like I originally thought. It seems as if Ruth only wants to fit in with the other veteran students and she is using Tommy to do so. Tommy sees something in Kathy that he knows is different and he cares for Kathy. Kathy and Tommy's friendship is a special one and I'm curious to see if it will lead them to discover more about the outside world. Also, when chapter 11 ended, Kathy mentioned their trip to Norfolk. I predict that they will discover something that relates back to what Miss Lucy told Tommy. I'm sure flashbacks and foreshadowing will be
 present in the next chapters...

Also, I have noticed that the Cottages are a lot like college or high school. There are "veterans" who could represent the upper class-men in college or high school. Also, the desire to fit in and be like everyone else seems to be a common theme, especially with Ruth. I think more similarities will arise in the chapters to come.

Evidence, the Gallery, and more questions (Never Let Me Go-11)

"Then she said: 'Look, there are all kinds of things that you don't understand Tommy, and I can't tell you about them. Things about Hailsham, about your place in the wider world, all kinds of things. But perhaps one day, you'll try and find out. They wont make it easy for you, but if you want to, really want to, you might find out.'" (page 109)

I thought there weren't going to be any more mysteries!! Now, I'm confused again. So, at this point, the reader knows that there is more secrecy in Hailsham. Certain things, especially art, are important to the students lives beyond Hailsham. The art serves as a type of evidence and a lot can come from said artwork. I am so confused! I don't like how Ishiguro says all of these things and then it makes sense 10 chapters later! However, just as the reader is confused, so are Kathy and Tommy. The author puts you right into the story with Kathy and Tommy and makes you think with them as to what all of this information might mean. Just as I am frustrated with my lack of knowledge as to what the heck is going on with Hailsham, I am really mad at Ruth. Ruth is kind of self-centered and she uses Kathy to talk to Tommy for her own sake. She wants to get back together with Tommy but she makes Kathy actually convince Tommy to do so. Even though Kathy knows that figuring out all of this mystery surrounding Miss Lucy and Hailsham is more important that Ruth and Tommy's relationship, she acts as if she doesn't care about what Tommy has just revealed to her.Tommy and Kathy both know that there is something weird that is happening. I'm wondering if Miss Emily or one of the other teachers will be like Miss Lucy and tell the students about the truth. I'm hoping that this is the case or else I'm going to be confused for the next couple of chapters.

It's a love story...(Never Let Me Go- 10)

"But Ruth and Tommy never did anything gross in front of people, and if sometimes they cuddled or whatever, it felt like they were genuinely doing it for each other, not for an audience. (page 95)

So, in this chapter we find out that Tommy and Ruth are together. Also, we have discovered that sex is apart of this book too. Similar to Brave New World, sex isn't viewed as a way to create human life, seeing as they cannot have babies, but it is just another thing to be apart of (no big deal, I guess...). However, it seems as if Tommy and Ruth have something that all the other teenagers in this story do not have. The author makes a point to show that Tommy and Ruth seem to truly care for each other. Ishiguro also makes it appear that everyone else enjoys the public displays of affection just so that they can show off. Furthermore, the other kids seem to brag about who they have had sex with and it is almost as if having sex is what makes these teenagers feel accepted. I am guessing that the emotion and love that Tommy and Ruth have will progress in the chapters to come. I am curious to see what will happen later on when the kids are done at Hailsham. What comes next?

Finally, we get an answer!! (Never Let Me Go- 9)

"'Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adult, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do.'" (page 81)

I am so happy that every thing makes so much more sense now! It seems like all of the questions I have had since the beginning of the book have been answered. To be honest, I'm not really surprised about this revelation. I knew that there was something really strange about Hailsham and there was a big secret that the children did not know about. However, I was really surprised at the kids reaction to this news. I guess they didn't have much of a reaction to this because they don't know anything other than the life they live at Hailsham. They are unaware of the outside world and what they will miss out on. There is a extreme difference between the way Miss Lucy felt about this and the way the kids reacted to the news. Not only did this chapter answer many questions that I had from the beginning of the book, but it also explained the motivation of the teachers at Hailsham. This fact shows why Miss Lucy had always been so different and sad sometimes. This explains why Madame was crying when she saw Kathy hold the pillow as if it were her baby.  The motivation behind these characters behaving this way was all because of the fact that these children will not be able to have a normal life. There is still one thing that I am very curious about. How did these children get to Hailsham and why are they destined to live their lives this way. Who did this to these children?

There is a similarity between Never Let Me Go and Brave New World in this revelation. In Brave New World the characters didn't really have control over their lives. The people were raised in a society and forced to behave a certain way.They were no longer apart of their world. In this book, these children have no control over their lives. They have been told what their purpose is and there is no way that they can stop this. Just as I did when reading Brave New World,  I really do feel bad for these people. They cannot escape the life that they were created to fulfill.

Gone to Norfolk (Never Let Me Go- 8)

"'Yeah,' I said. 'Gone to Norfolk.'" (page 75)

Recently, the concept of "Norfolk" has been continually brought up among the children. However, it is a part of their vernacular. The kids joke about Norfolk and it being a place of mystery and intrigue solely because of the lack of knowledge about it. This sort of thing would only make sense to the kids at Hailsham. My own opinion on the use of vernacular is that it creates a "different world" atmosphere to the novel. The people at Hailsham are obviously different, but the fact that they have little phrases and ideas that are specific to Hailsham separate the place even more from other places in the world. I'm not exactly sure if Ishiguro meant to contrast the two worlds this way, but the differences became even more apparent to me through the use of the Norfolk phrase. Also, the way that Norfolk is referenced, it is also a symbol. Norfolk is so unknown and mysterious to the kids. It is almost as if every question and every doubt is found in Norfolk. I find it ironic that the kids know so little about Norfolk, but it would appear as if no one else would know about Hailsham. It's almost as if Hailsham and Norfolk are related because of the mystery looming from each place. I think that Norfolk is a place where the kids can go in their imaginations and know that it is new and different. It is a place of comfort in their minds because it makes them feel as if they are not alone and as if there is a reason for everything.

"Baby, baby, never let me go." (Never Let Me Go- 7)

"And what I imagine was a woman who'd been told she couldn't have babies, who'd really, really, wanted them all her life. Then there's a sort of miracle and she has a baby, and she holds this baby very close to her and walk around signing: 'Baby, never let me go...' partly because she's so happy but also because she's so afraid something will happen, that the baby will get ill or be taken away from her." (page 70)

I found this excerpt of the book to be extremely vivid and a great time to mention imagery. This entire book is full of imagery. Ishiguro does a really good job of making sure that there are enough details to paint a big picture of every little thing that has occurred. I can imagine what Hailsham is and what Kathy would look like when she was rocking her pillow and saying "baby, baby, never let me go." Imagery is an important part of this entire book. Without the imagery, it would be extremely hard to follow what Ishiguro is saying. Not only would it be hard to follow, but it would not make any sense. I noticed that throughout the first couple of chapters I was having a really hard time getting into the book. I couldn't imagine what kind of place that these children lived in and it just didn't make sense to me. I had more questions than anything. However, once I was able to imagine what Hailsham would be and what the character would be like, it was a lot easier to read the book. This is why imagery in a book is so important. Without imagery, the story is incomplete and boring. Imagery allows the reader to interpret and imagine, which is extremely important in a book like Never Let Me Go. 

Just say it already!! (Never Let Me Go- 6)

"As it was, an opportunity did come along for her, about a month after the Midge episode, the time I lost my favourite tape." (page 64)

I have noticed a common theme that the author has used when ending each chapter or section in the book. The style in which Ishiguro is using is very suspenseful. Ishiguro makes the reader want to continually read more. He ends one section by starting to tell the beginning of an important story which will be explained in the next section. By writing the book in this style, it is easy to see how every little detail and every anecdote that Kathy relays to the reader is connected in a way. Also, the style makes the relationship between the narrator, Kathy, and the reader a very personal one. It is almost as if Kathy is personally telling the story to the reader and keeping us informed as to why she says a certain story and how it connects to the bigger picture. I really enjoy this style that Ishiguro is using. Not only does it help the reader understand the story line better, but it also draws the reader in. It makes me not want to stop reading the book. Especially when Kathy ends a chapter in a suspenseful way that will be further explained in the preceding chapter.

Why so scared? (Never Let Me Go- 5)

"Ruth had been right: Madame was afraid of us. But she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders. We hadn't been ready for that. It had never occurred to us to wonder how we would feel, being seen like that, being the spiders." (page 35)

After finishing this chapter and being introduced to Madame, I've figured out that there is something different about these students at Hailsham. I still have no idea what exactly it is, but I do know that there is something different. Ishiguro uses a metaphor here to compare the students to spiders. He notes that just as people are afraid of spiders, Madame is afraid of the Hailsham kids in this same way. However, this metaphor is different because Kathy, the narrator, is expressing how she never thought that she would be in the situation where she was the spider and someone is afraid of her. I wonder if the students at Hailsham are just as oblivious to their differences. From all of the clues that the author has presented  to the reader thus far, I can assume that there are definitely some differences between people like Madame and people like Kathy. Effectively, Ishiguro uses this metaphor to show how Madame is reacting to these kids. By comparing hear reaction to that of seeing a spider, it creates a pretty vivid picture in ones mind. It also allows for the reader to start to speculate about the life at Hailsham and who these kids really are. I know that I'm starting to get really curious.

The nonexistent last names (Never Let Me Go- 4)

"Little things, like Alexander J. and Peter N. walking across the courtyard with him towards the fields, the three of them chatting quite naturally; a subtle but clear difference in people's  voices when his name got mentioned. " (page 21)

Why doesn't anyone have a last name? The book starts off with the introduction of Kathy as "Kathy H." Then, we move on to the introduction of the teachers like "Miss Emily" and "Miss Geraldine". The quote above shows the names Alexander J. and Peter N.. At first, I didn't think anything of the missing last names. However, now I am starting to get curious as to why people only have one letter that represents their last name. I  am guessing that there is more meaning behind the lack of full last names. I am interested to see what exactly this means because at this point in the book I honestly have no idea what this could mean. I am beginning to really question what Hailsham is and if it is a different place. Hailsham definitely seems mysterious at this point, and the missing last names just adds to the intrigue of this interesting place.

What is Hailsham?!? (Never Let Me Go- 3)

"Thinking back now, I can see we were just at that age when we knew a few thigns about ourselves--about who we were, how were were different from our guardians, from the people outside--but hadn't yet understood what any of it meant. I'm sure somewhere in your childhood, you too had an experience like ours that day; similar if not in the actual details, then insdie, in the feelings. Because it doesn't really matter how well your guardians try to prepare you: all the talks, videos, discussions, warnings, none of that can really bring it home. Not when you're eight years old, and you're all together in a place like Hailsham; when you've got guardians like the ones we had; when the garderners and the delivery men joke and laugh with you and call you 'sweetheart.'" (page 36)

Instinctively, I have a weird and almost creepy feeling about this Hailsham place. I feel like it relates to Brave New World in the sense that it seems like a completely separate place with different ideas and practices. However, I am still confused as to what exactly goes on at Hailsham. For example, the concept of "donors" and "carers" and "donations" are all euphemisms that Ishiguro has constantly used throughout the past three chapters. These words are obviously common words that the people who live in this society use. However, to the reader, these words are still unknown and a bit confusing. I think that Ishiguro is using these words and also continually using flashbacks to make the reader reflect and contemplate what is going on in the story. The author keeps leaving a lot of things unanswered. It is possible that the author is wanting the reader to form their own opinion on what may happen next and infer what exactly "donors" and "carers" may be. I am hoping that more of an explanation of these terms and Hailsham will unveil in the upcoming chapters.

Flashback (Never Let Me Go- 2)

"This was all a long time ago so I might have some of it wrong; but my memory of it is that my approaching Tommy that afternoon was part of a phase I was going through around that time-- something to do with compulsively setting myself challenges--and I'd more or less forgotten all about it when Tommy stopped me a few days later." (page 13)

In chapter 2, I found a literary device that was also used in chapter 1. The author uses a flashback continually throughout the chapter to retell a story that is somehow significant to the overall book. The flashbacks are sometimes short and sometimes really long. However, Kathy, the main character, always chimes in at some point and expresses how she felt at that time or what she was thinking. Also, it seems as if Kathy feels differently about a lot of things now than she did when she was younger and growing up at Hailsham. In Brave New World, Aldous Huxley used this literary device to introduce the character John and show how different his world was from everyone else. By using the flashback to John's early life, the reader was able to see the differences in John's society and see how it may have an impact on the rest of the book. This summer, I read  a book called Just Listen, by Sarah Dessen, and the book starts off with a crucial flashback that helps the reader to understand the entire plot of the book. I feel like this may be what Ishiguro is doing as well. Flashbacks help the reader to further understand something that would otherwise be completely unknown. Most often, it relates to the developmemt of the plot or to help explain important characters. The flashbacks that have occured in Never Let Me Go so far have been in effort to explain the life at Hailsham and other characters (mainly Tommy). However, there is also a secret of some sort that keeps having to be discussed in private areas. I'm hoping that this will make more sense in the chapters to come.

It's nice to meet you Kathy H. (Never Let Me Go-1)

"My name is Kathy H. I'm thirty-one years old, and I've been a carer now for over eleven years. That sounds long enough, I know, but actually they want me to go on for another eight months, until the end of this year. That will make is almost exactly twelve years." (pg. 3)

Well, I've started the second book, and I can say I'm just as confused as I was when I began Brave New World. Immediately, we are introduced to Kathy and shown that this book is going to take place in the first person point of view. I have always liked books that take place in the first person point of view because they make it easier to relate to and connect with the main character of the novel. I feel like this may have been the purpose of the author when writing this book in the first person. Kathy must have a big role in the book for the author to want the reader to connect to her in a different way than the other characters.  Also, right from the start we are introduced to Kathy's job as a carer. I'm still confused after finishing the first chapter as to what a carer is. Also the concept of a donor is brought up and it relates to the carers. I am interested to see what exactly this means and if it has a vital role in the story line of the novel. In addition to this, I am curious to see if the type of world they live in is different from the world we know. I wonder if their world in Never Let Me Go will be similar to the world in Brave New World. The place called Hailsham seems very different and almost mysterious at this point. I am guessing that this place is important to Kathy and the rest of the characters in the book.