Moment 9 - Kathy drives off into the Sunset Flashcards
“The fantasy never got beyond that—I didn’t let it
Kathy’s return to Norfolk expresses her impossible desire to recover everyone and everything that she has lost. “this is Norfolk after all” being swept away out of her reach. The total erasure of what she held dear to her expresses an enormous sadness on the part of Kathy, leaving her grief-stricken.
Kathy’s fantasy is as restrained as her narrative voice. Kathy’s muted description masks her deep grief and sorrow
“Tears rolled down my face, I wasn’t sobbing or out of control.”
Sobbing impulsive - reflects deeper internal grief as reveals internal welled suffering.
No sobbing as no-one to hear her pain - reflects isolation.
“drive off to wherever it was I was supposed to be.”
Purposelessness without Tommy. “wherever” - generic, uncertain adverb - No vested interest in life, no direction - relegated to authority of higher powers/fate
“imagined this was the spot where everything I’d ever lost since my childhood had washed up”
“washed up” - directionless, reflecting Clones’ lack of autonomy and control of forces beyond their control.
Irony in all that she finds is “rubbish” - everything she has treasured is valueless. Changing focus from the idealistic Norfolk Kathy wishes to remember, to the rubbish which forces Kathy to see the reality of her endeavors.
“I just felt like looking at all those flat fields of
nothing and the huge grey skies
Kathy so empty, bleak sights comfort her. Pathetic fallacy of Kathy’s lack of emotions now Tommy is dead. One active choice is to absorb herself in bleakness of surroundings and to accept nihilism - Ishiguro presents inaction and resignation to fate.
“fields of nothing” - all crop harvested already. Everything of value taken for unseen peoples’ benefit. Metaphor of clones’ life.
“At one stage I found myself on a road I’d never been on… I didn’t know where I was and didn’t care. “
“found” - despondent from reality and out of control
Surrendered to reality and predetermined fate.
Resigned to fate - detached tone from simplistic “I didn’t know…didn’t care”
“There was a fence keeping me from stepping
into the field”
Obstructed by the metal fence of wider society, being forbidden from going beyond this.
After having served their purpose, they are now discarded
“flapping about, torn plastic sheeting and bits of old carrier bags”
Figurative, action verb, “Flapping,” suggests their lack of purpose and identity, mirroring Kathy’s hopelessness and fears.
Clones are valueless - representative of rubbish - abandoned and discarded after use has expired.
