Never Let Me Go 6

"We'd been 'told and not told,' as she put it." pg. 82

I think that the reasoning behind the paradox, "told and not told," was to make the students believe that organ donation was not a big deal. The way the guardians nonchalantly work the students' futures in organ donation into the lessons gives the impression that it is not a worrisome matter. Maybe the guardians neglect to go into full detail about organ donation to protect the children. To me, the donation process seems to be very frightening. I think the guardians sympathize with the students and want them to live a full but short worry free life. If I knew that I was destined to die at a young age I would be constantly worried that it would happen at any time, and that is no way to live your life. On the other hand, the guardians could be withholding this information for safety reasons. If people knew their purpose in life was to die early, many of these people would probably go crazy. They would blow off school, get into trouble, and neglect responsibilities because they know it won't affect them in the future since they won't be there. I understand why the guardians would tell and not tell the students their destinies, however I also believe they deserve to know what's in store for them in their later life. I think being a guardian would be an extremely difficult job. That is probably why Miss Lucy reacts so strongly sometimes and why Madame cried watching Kathy. I feel like these two in particular really sympathize with the students and maybe don't agree with what happens to them. Could these feelings present conflict later in the book?

Never Let Me Go 5

"You're. . . special. So keeping yourselves well, keeping yourselves very healthy inside, that's much more important for each of you than it is for me." pg. 69

Chapter six is still part of the exposition. Kathy is still reflecting on events that happened in the past and there has yet to be any major conflict. However, her memories continue to allude to some mystery. I know that these Hailsham students different, but I still am not sure why. I'm beginning to think that the donors referred to in the first chapter are organ donors, and that the students are being bread to donate their organs. That would explain why it is much more important for them to remain healthy. But, who on earth would volunteer their child for this type of sacrifice? Maybe they are orphans, or perhaps they were scientifically created like in Brave New World. If they are in fact created scientifically, that could be why they are unable to have kids. But, if Kathy and the rest of the Hailsham students are destined to give up their organs,  why is the exposition so long? Why do we need to get to know the characters if they are going to die young? Could the long, detailed exposition be to present the conflict? Maybe, if the students are scientifically created, some people don't see them as real humans, but from the descriptive exposition, the readers see that they are indeed real people, which presents an ethical conflict. Should these people have to give up their lives just because they were created differently? I am really curious to find out if my line of thinking is right or if I'm way off base. Either way I am anxious to see what happens next!

Never Let Me Go 4

"There were between six and ten of us, the figure changing whenever Ruth allowed in a new member or expelled someone." pg. 49

Through Kathy's personal anecdotes, we see that Ruth is a very bossy and controlling person. She is the center of attention and likes everything to be her way. Ruth's dynamics with the other girls reminds me of the television show Pretty Little Liars. I feel like Ruth is Ally. She decides who can and cannot be in the group of friends, and despite how brutally mean or annoyingly conceited she is, everyone wants to be her friend. Ruth has the same sort of power over people as Ally does. She will do things to make you angry but when you finally build up enough courage to confront her, she makes you feel bad for accusing her. Personally, I don't understand why someone would want to be friends with a person like that. It seems like that friendship is not worth the work it involves. I would just be too frustrated to even deal with everything she does. Also, I don't really see where the book is going. Earlier on, I thought the chapters were alluding to many suspenseful events, but nothing has happened. It's simply Kathy rehashing her relationship with Ruth. I'm ready for some action to start.

 

Never Let Me Go 3

"Madame was afraid of us. But she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders." pg. 35

Ishiguro's use of this analogy made me understand how Madame reacted to the children. But i don't understand why she would be afraid of them. Throughout this chapter I picked up some inklings that these Hailsham students are different from ordinary people, but I'm not sure how. I feel like the students at Hailsham are being sheltered from some aspect of life. There is something that they are not being told or exposed to. That is what I think the Gallery is for. Maybe the art work that Madame selects isn't necessarily the best, but perhaps it reflects whatever is being hidden from the students. I feel like if Madame took the best art work, it would be put on display, not taken to some secret gallery that may or may not exist. To me, Hailsham seems to be a very mysterious place with many secrets that will soon unfold. I can't wait to discover what happens in the rest of the novel.

Never Let Me Go 2

"Or maybe she could sense where my talk was leading, and didn't want to go that way." pg. 18

To me, this quote above foreshadows a bad memory or experience from Hailsham. Ruth, in her recovery, seemed to only want to reminisce about the good aspects of her time at Hailsham.   I think that the neglect to address whatever way Kathy is discussing will be a major conflict in the story. I just think that Hailsham can't be this perfect boarding school. It has to have its' secrets, and its these secrets that I think will provide conflict. Also, I am astonished that people tease and make fun of Tommy. With his physical appearance, I would think everyone would be too intimidated to even dare to bully him. But, maybe the dynamics at Hailsham are different than in today's society. Maybe there, athletics aren't a source of popularity and intimidation. However, I'm glad that people finally quit bullying Tommy.  I'm curious to find out what he tells Kathy when they meet. I'm also curious why Kathy is so interested in Tommy and wants to know all of his business. Could it be that she is a genuinely caring person or could it be that she simply has a crush on Tommy and is too afraid to admit it?

Never Let Me Go 1

"And anyway, if I'd never started choosing, how would I ever have got close to Ruth and Tommy after all those years." pg. 4

Well, I'm on to book number two. The first major difference I noticed in the book was the point of view. It's first person as compared to third in Brave New World. I think this will provide the readers with more insight to the main character, Kathy H. Ishiguro implements rhetorical questions that lead to the use of flashbacks.  The flashbacks seem to have a nostalgic feel to them; however, I think that certain aspects of them may contain a dark mystery. I don't know why, but I feel like there is something that is being purposely omitted from Kathy's memory of Hailsham. I don't think Hailsham is as perfect as she claims to remember. I was also a little confused by the terminology of "carers" and "donors." Hopefully this will be explained soon. I just hope that this novel isn't as out there as Brave New World was.

Brave New World 20

"And then the solitude! Whole days passed during which he never saw a human being" pg. 245

While I was reading this last chapter (and most of the rest of the book), I was confused. But now, stepping back and looking at it as a whole, it sort of makes sense to me. Overall, I really pity John. He has had a rough life and it never got any easier for him. He was always different from others. Even though John claimed he wanted to be alone, I think that it was his solitude that drove him to lash out against Lenina and ultimately take his own life. I think its ironic how Huxley describes John as an ape and savage, but then the "civilized" people join in the same ape-like, uncivilized behavior. I think that this, and the entire purpose of the novel, was to warn us of the dangers of technology. Huxley creates a seemingly "perfect" society driven by technological advances, but in the end, the citizens resort to savage, uncivilized behavior. I think Huxley's message is to not let technology take over our society. In today's world new inventions are created everyday, but it is our job to remember what is important in life and what truly produces happiness.