Miss emily

Question 1

“We were able to give you something, something which even now no one will ever take from you… we gave you your childhoods.”

Chapter 22, around page 261-265

Answer 1

• Miss Emily justifies Hailsham’s purpose, arguing that they at least gave the clones a “normal” childhood before their inevitable fate.
• Shows her pragmatic yet cold approach—she believes she did the best she could, even though the clones were still doomed.
• Raises an important question: is a brief period of happiness worth it if suffering is inevitable?

Question 2

“Poor creatures. What did we do to you? With all our schemes and plans?”

Chapter 22, around page 270-273

Answer 2

• This is one of Miss Emily’s rare moments of self-reflection.
• The phrase “poor creatures” is patronizing—she pities them but still sees them as less than human.
• Highlights her moral dilemma: she recognizes their suffering but still justifies her role in the system.

Question 3

“We took away your art because we thought it would prove you had souls. Or at least, we did it to prove you had souls to those who mattered.”

Chapter 22, around page 266-269

Answer 3

• The gallery’s true purpose is revealed—it was meant to convince society that clones were human.
• The phrase “those who mattered” is chilling because it suggests that the clones’ humanity was only relevant if others believed in it.
• Dehumanization is a central theme, and this moment confirms that the clones were seen as experiments, not equals.

Question 4

“You have to accept that sometimes that’s how things happen in this world. People’s opinions, their feelings, they go one way, then the other.”

Chapter 22, around page 274-276

Answer 4

• Miss Emily explains how public opinion changed—society once cared about ethical treatment of clones, but eventually stopped caring.
• Highlights the fragility of moral progress—what is seen as “good” can be easily abandoned when inconvenient.
• Reflects a real-world truth: ethical concerns are often ignored when they don’t benefit those in power.

Question 5

“We were able to do that much for you at least. But this dream of yours, this dream of deferral, it’s a shame. But it’s not possible.”

Chapter 22, around page 271-274

Answer 5

• This shatters Tommy and Kathy’s last hope—the idea that love could save them was just an illusion.
• The phrase “this dream of yours” shows that Miss Emily never believed in deferrals, proving how little power the clones had over their own fate.
• Her tone is pragmatic, not cruel, but this moment reinforces the clones’ complete lack of agency.