Critical Essay

Question 1

How do you write an introduction?

Answer 1

1. State the title of the novel and the author.
2. Summarise the plot of the novel.
3. Refer to the question.
4. Reference appropriate techniques and themes you will speak about.

Question 2

How do you write a main body paragraph?

Answer 2

1. Introduce your idea for the paragraph.
2. Expand on your idea, how does it link to the question?
3. Provide textual evidence (a quote).
4. Explain why the quote is effective evidence, analyse and evaluate its effective use in the novel and its impact.
5. Provide a second piece of textual evidence (another quote).
6. Again, explain why the quote if effective evidence, analyse and evaluate its effective use in the novel and its impact.

Question 2

How do you write a conclusion?

Answer 2

1. Make a judgement on the question and refer to mentioned techniques and themes.
2. Summarise the main points you made.
3. Give your final response, evaluate the authors work and link to the question.

Question 3

Summarise Never Let Me Go.

Answer 3

It is a dystopian novel set in 90’s Britain which follows the life of clones through the recollection of memories by the narrator Kathy H. She speaks to us about her memories from her time at Hailsham when she was growing up, and then walks us through life at the Cottages with her friends where they develop independence before finishing up with her experience as a carer, travelling all over Britain, before she finally becomes an organ donor.

Question 4

What techniques could be used in this novel?

Answer 4

1. Characterisation
2. Symbolism
3. Setting
4. Theme
5. Language

Question 5

What themes were explored in this novel?

Answer 5

1. Growing Up/Childhood
2. Communication
3. Death/Mortality
4. Humanity
5. Love
6. Identity
7. Wilful Ignorance
8. Memories
9. Hope
10. Fitting in
11. Loss
12. Dishonesty
13. Avoidance
14. Cruelty

Question 6

Choose a novel or short story in which a specific location or setting is crucial to the plot.

Answer 6

1. Hailsham because it is a home to the clones and provided them with identity and a sense of belonging. It built the foundations to all their relationships and protected them from the harsh reality of their situations about didn’t keep them from it once they left. Positive effect but only lasted whilst they were there. Many clones look back on it positively as it is their home and created many of their crucial memories.
2. The Cottages because it gave the clones their first taste of independence and allowed them to fully grow as individuals. Allowed them to explore their sexuality and allowed them to research their purpose and search the country before being tied down to being a carer.

Question 7

Choose a novel or short story in which the opening or the ending has particular significance.

Answer 7

1. The ending has particular significance because of the way Kathy chooses to grieve and how she cuts it short. She relies on her memories of the people she loved that has died and the comfort of the memory of her home, Hailsham, which has now shut down. She turns away from grieving and returns to her job as a carer on autopilot as she gets into her car, shutting off her grieving and ignoring her feelings which is unsettling how easy it is done.

Question 8

Choose a novel or short story in which a central relationship is important to your understanding of the text.

Answer 8

1. Kathy and Tommy’s relationship is crucial to your understanding of the plot as they theorise about their situation on multiple occasions. They help us to wonder about the truth of the organ harvesting programme and allow us to come up with our own theories. Later they then go to Madame’s House and uncover the real truth and which we full understand what is happening with clones although many of their theories had been accurate.

Question 9

Choose a novel or short story in which a theme is highlighted through the experiences of a central character.

Answer 9

1. Kathy highlights the themes of avoidance and humanity as she is very avoidant of confrontation and her emotions and runs away from any problems she has. She is also very human with the way she acts and reacts. She also shows us the theme of memories as this novel is quite literally a recollection of all her memories from growing up and she relies on her memories indefinitely for comfort. Kathy also shows us the theme of loss because she losses so much in all parts of the novel, Tommy and Ruth when they die but also Tommy when Ruth starts to date him and Ruth when she changes at the Cottages.
2. Ruth highlights the themes of dishonesty, manipulation and humanity. We see her as a very cruel character in the first parts of the novel as she lies and manipulates those around her so that she stays in control and doesn’t feel backed into a corner. She did this to Kathy on multiple occasions and purposely kept her and the boy she loved apart. We see her doing these cruel things but in the third part of the novel she comes to realise this and admits her wrong doing and tries to make to make it right. Many of Ruth’s aspects are human and though not all are agreeable they are human things to do.

Question 10

Choose a novel or short story in which there is a character who could be considered responsible for their own suffering and/or fate.

Answer 10

1. Kathy can be considered responsible for her own suffering because she is very avoidant of all her problems and hates confrontation so instead of facing it she runs away. She is also manipulative at times and so can be said due to this causes her own suffering because she won’t do anything about it and at times fully brings it upon herself.

Question 11

Choose a novel or short story which conveys a particularly pessimistic or inspiring message.

Answer 11

1. During the novel Ishiguro creates multiple opportunities for hope for the reader and the characters but each time that is torn away from us. He creates a pessimistic message because he shows us time and time again that nothing good ever lasts and that hope is just that; hope. Our character hope for a better life away from organ harvesting where they get to have families and freedom and be in love but every time something looks up for them it is taken away.

Question 12

Choose a novel or short story in which an incident is significant in relation to the central concerns of the text.

Answer 12

1. Kathy becoming a carer relates to the central concerns of the novel because becoming a carer is the final stage before becoming a donor and most clones want to delay the process as long as possible but Kathy is avoidant of her problems and ended up in a difficult situation between Tommy and Kathy and so left. Shows us central concerns of avoidance, humanity and mortality.
2. The full truth being revealed at Madame’s House relates to the central concerns of the novel because everything is revealed to both the reader and Kathy and Tommy. We see central concerns such as mortality, humanity, hope, loss and cruelty being displayed during this incident because all hope clones had is being torn away now they know the harsh truth which is nothing like they hoped. They realise they only have limited time left and there is nothing to do. Clones had already lost so much but this cruel world continues to take form them and ruin their humanity because they don’t believe in it due to their ignorance.

Question 13

Choose a novel or short story which deals with the theme of betrayal or sacrifice or loss.

Answer 13

1. Loss is shown through how Kathy looses everything slowly through the novel. It starts off with losing Tommy thanks to Ruth (Part one), and then Ruth due to her selfishness (Part two). Later she then loses Ruth after a donation and then Tommy after his fourth (Part three). She never looses her memories though and that is her only comfort in her grief.
2. Betrayal is shown through ruth being a disloyal and dishonest friend to Kathy and also to Tommy. She always acts for herself and has lied to Kathy on far too many occasions (about her urges, about how Tommy feels about her…) and has manipulated her so that she stays in control. Ruth also cheated on Tommy during their relationship multiple times.

Question 14

Choose a novel or short story in which one of the main characters does not always fit in with their society and/or surroundings.

Answer 14

1. Kathy doesn’t fit into her society because she prefers to be alone. She is envy observant and avoidant; she watches others and analyse them but then when facing her own problems runs away from them because she hates confrontation. She forces herself to stay out of social settings and therefore does not fit into her society because she does not try.
2. Tommy doesn’t fit into his society because in the first part he was bullied for being uncreative and picked on so that people could get a reaction out of him. In the second part he is left out because Ruth doesn’t try to help him feel included and ridicules him in front of veterans when he doesn’t understand or remember things when most of the time Ruth had made it up anyways. in the third setting Tommy was never a good carer so was happy when he was told to become a donor and fit in with the people a lot better and was seen to be socialising with other donors and fitting in with them on some parts better than with Kathy because she doesn’t understand the reality of being a donor just yet.

Question 15

Choose a novel or short story in which there is a powerful ending.

Answer 15

1. The ending is powerful because of the way Kathy chooses to grieve and how she cuts it short. She relies on her memories of the people she loved that has died and the comfort of the memory of her home, Hailsham, which has now shut down. She turns away from grieving and returns to her job as a carer on autopilot as she gets into her car, shutting off her grieving and ignoring her feelings which is unsettling how easy it is done.

Question 16

Choose a novel or short story in which a character has to make an important decision or deal with a difficult situation.

Answer 16

1. Kathy makes the difficult decision of becoming a carer. She does this so that she can avoid the problem that has occurred between herself, Ruth and Tommy.
2. Kathy has to deal with the loss of the people she loved most and accept that she is going to need to become a donor soon.

Question 17

Choose a novel or short story which explores love or isolation or conflict.

Answer 17

1. Love is shown through Kathy’s relationships with both Ruth and Tommy. Ruth and Kathy have a sisterly bond and even after all the cruel things she has done to her Kathy still finds it in her to not be angry with her and forgive her, showing their love. Tommy and Kathy have loved one another since they were young and that is shown through the tape and their hope for a deferral when they finally get to be together. Kathy’s love is also shown through how precious her memories are of these people.
2. Isolation is shown through how clones are isolated from the outside world and have no real understanding of it due to their lack of interaction with it. They are isolated from it because ‘real’ humans are disgusted by them and want to keep them as far away as possible so they can ignore their existence. Kathy also isolates herself from the other clones and prefers to spend her time in her own company. She is very observant and at times judgemental and keeps herself to herself, enjoying being a carer because of how much time you are forced to spend on your own.

Question 18

Choose a novel or short story in which the setting in time and/or place is important to your understanding of the text.

Answer 18

1. Hailsham created a home for the clones as it did a family and their personal identities and so it plays importance in the text. Even though it created security for them it also kept them in the dark of the reality of their situation so even though they felt safe they left Hailsham completely unprepared.
2. The Cottages allowed the clones independence and let them develop as individuals. Kathy doesn’t adapt like the others and doesn’t force herself to fit in though. Norfolk is another setting explored in the second part and represents Tommy and Kathy’s lost love. Second part is all about the freedom of clones and how they adapt to the outside world.
3. The recovery centres represent mainly negative themes but also hold the love of Tommy and Kathy as they finally got to be together. At the recovery centres the mortality of clones starts to feel real as they a treating people just like them, patients they will one day going through the same terrible processes as. Madame’s House is where all truth is revealed and we now fully understand the standing of clones and all hope the reader and the characters ever had is lost.

Question 19

Choose a novel or short story in which there is a complex character for whom the reader has sympathy for.

Answer 19

1. We feel sympathy for Kathy because of how horribly she was treated by her best friend and how much she had to lose throughout the novel. in the first part the boy she loved was taken away from her by her best friend and she had to pretend to be happy. In the second part she is forced into even worse circumstances as Ruth turns against her to fit in with the veterans and is very cruel and judgemental of her, trying to keep her and Tommy even further apart when she finds out about the tape, which leads to Kathy leaving to be a carer. Then we feel sympathy because her friends complete and she is left with only the memory of them, having been both of their carers.
2. We feel sympathy for Tommy because of how he was bullied and picked on in the beginning of the first part of the novel. How in the second part of the novel, Ruth uses his confusion to get a laugh out of the veterans and purposely leaves him out to spend time with the veteran,s completely ignoring her boyfriend and using him to keep him and Kathy apart. And then in the final part we feel sympathy because he doesn’t have enough time left to be properly in love with Kathy, finding out about deferrals being a rumour and then dying after his fourth donation.