Key Quotations Flashcards
“Carers aren’t machines” (Page 4)
Ironic because they are machines in the sense that they are clones and created to serve a particular purpose. Also shows how little Kathy really knows about her situation and how ignorant she can be.
“As my friends set off along the edge of the field, i started to drift over towards him. I knew this would puzzle the others but I kept going - even when I heard Ruth’s urgent whisper to me to come back.” (Page 10)
Shows how breaking convention isn’t the ‘done thing’ at Hailsham and that doing so will confuse others. Also highlights Kathy being different from the others because she separates herself from the others and from normal behaviour.
This quote also shows Ruth’s manipulative nature and her attempts at controlling Kathy. However, in this example, Kathy ignores Ruth which again symbolises going against convention and shows Kathy’s desire to not be susceptible to Ruth’s manipulation.
“Being dependant on each other to produce the stuff” (Page 16) - Exchanges
This shows how much the clones depend on one another as if Hailsham is a family or community (natural human behaviour). It is also ironic of the people in the outside world being dependant on the clones to produce their organs.
“I’d no idea if anyone was actually watching” (Page 25)
Lack of privacy at Hailsham - the clones are always being watched.
“Madame’s scared of us” (Page 33)
“She was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders.” (Page 35)
Emphasises how people view the clones differently from people in the outside world and how people aren’t sure how to react or behave towards them. Fear of the unknown (theme).
Also shows us how little people actually know about the details of the whole scheme and how the outside world doesn’t view the clones as human.
“It’s like walking past a mirror you’ve walked past everyday of your life.” (Page 42)
Mirrors reflect an image in the same way that clones are a reflection (copy) of another human. Mirrors are also symbolic of the separation between the clones and the outside world.
“But I will not be coerced! Oh no! And neither will Hailsham!” (Page 43)
Coerced means being forced to do something. This shows a desire/longing to be an individual and to be free and also is ironic because the clones and hailsham are a place full of forceful rules and never anything different - lack of power and control highlighted here.
“Our main reason for existing, of course, was to protect her.” (Page 49)
Ironic because the reason the clones do exist is as organ donors to protect and help other people in need in the outside world.
“I was counting on Ruth’s help.” (Page 52)
Shows how Ruth’s manipulation of Kathy has worked as now Kathy feels like she is incapable without Ruth. Ruth has control and authority in their friendship.
“It was like she was too ashamed of the matter - too crushed by it - even to be angry…” (Page 61)
Too crushed by the reality of their inevitable fate that they cannot even feel emotions or be upset. Explains why they do not try and rebel and why their emotions are so blunt. (the reality is just too much to comprehend)
“How strange it must have been, living in a place like that, where you could commit suicide any time you liked by touching the fence.” (Page 77)
Ironically similar to their situation - no one goes beyond the fence and the stories about what might happen to you if you did all ensure certain death. To go beyond the gate and break convention would be to metaphorically (or even literally according to stories) kill yourself. Fences are symbolic of entrapment and segregation from society.
“…the guardians had… timed very carefully and deliberately everything they told us, so that we were always just too young to understand properly the latest piece of information.” (Page 81)
Explains their understanding of the situation/lack of it. At the times when they were told vital information about their fate it was all just too much to process as they were too young to understand. This explains why they don’t rebel or even feel much emotion.
“The guardians managed to smuggle into our heads a lot of the basic facts about our futures” (Page 81)
The word ‘smuggle’ makes it seem like unwanted information that the clones just don’t want to come to terms with. Shows also the amount of control the guardians have over the clones.
“I became convinced something else - perhaps something awful - lay around the corner” (Page 90)
Realisation that there were awful things to come in the near future. ‘Around the corner’ shows how secretive all these things are and how, even though Kathy may be so close to them, she can never properly see them clearly or understand them fully. (Can’t see around corners)
“Guardians were themselves confused” (Page 93)
The whole cloning scheme is a uncertain procedure. Comes to light at end of book, when Miss Emily and Madame express that they were never sure they were doing the right thing.
“The moment the American jumps over the barbed wire on his bike in The Great Escape. There’d be a chant of: Rewind! Rewind!” (Page 97)
The clones feel a longing to be involved in the outside world from an early age. This quote shows the clones long to escape and are fascinated by the thought of jumping over the fence and being free.
“We could see the hills in the distance that reminded us of the ones in the distance at Hailsham” (Page 116)
Always isolated from outside world and trapped inside this whole cloning scheme. They can see freedom around them but never rebel and aim to obtain it.
“A part of us stayed like that: fearful of the world around us” (Page 118)
Don’t try to escape because they have been brought up to be scared of the consequences and the outside world.
“You never talk to anyone unless they’re Hailsham” (Page 122)
Isolating themselves.
