Never Let Me Go Full Deck Flashcards

Prose Revision

1
Q

In what year was the novel published?

A

2005

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

In what time and place is the novel set?

A

‘England, late 1990s’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

The novel is most obviously influenced by the conventions of which genre?

A

Dystopia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Which word (beginning with o) means all-powerful and could be used to describe the anonymous ‘they’ of the novel?

A

omnipotent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does ‘omnipotent’ mean and who/what could be described like this?

A

omnipotent = all-powerful. This could be used to describe the anonymous ‘they’ authority figure of the novel.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

In the opening chapters, how does Kathy refer to the faceless authority that she works for?

A

‘they’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Which word (beginning with e) means a mild or indirect word used instead of one that might be deemed too harsh?

A

euphemism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is a euphemism?

A

A mild or indirect word that is used instead of one that might be deemed too harsh.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are some examples of euphemisms used in the novel?

A

‘carer’, ‘donor’, ‘recover centres’, ‘completing’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Why does Ishiguro present a society full of euphemisms - e.g. ‘complete’ is used instead of die.

A

To show how society does not want to face the blunt truth of what is taking place; language has been adapted to make the cloning programme seem less horrific.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Which word (beginning with v) means creating the appearance of reality?

A

verisimilitude

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What does ‘verisimilitude’ mean?

A

The appearance of reality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are some of the ways that Ishiguro creates verisimilitude?

A

Through referring to real places (e.g. Dover, Norfolk etc.) and real things (e.g. Walkmans, the novel Daniel Deronda etc.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Why is the novel set in ‘England, late 1990s’ and not some futuristic alternate reality (as might be expected of a dystopian text)

A

Ishiguro wants to make the horrific events of the novel seem plausible.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How many parts are there in the novel?

A

3

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Why is the main focus of each of the three parts in the novel?

A

Part 1 = Hailsham Part 2 = The Cottages Part 3 = Kathy as a carer/Ruth and Tommy as donors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the name for a narrative, like that used by Ishiguro, which isn’t chronological?

A

non-linear

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Which word (beginning with n) means a longing for the past?

A

nostalgia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Which does nostalgic mean?

A

A longing for the past

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Which word (beginning with n) might we use to describe Kathy’s narrative voice, and particularly her view of Hailsham?

A

nostalgic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

‘there are times over the years when I’ve tried to leave _______ behind’ (page 4)

A

Hailsham

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

‘the view from the Art room over the fields on a ________ morning’ (page 5)

A

foggy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

‘I might pass the corner of a ______ field’ (page 5)

A

misty

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

‘Maybe that’s it! I’ve found it! This actually is __________’ (page 6)

A

Hailsham

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

‘it reminded me of those _________ little cottages people always had in picture books’ (page 6)

A

sweet

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

‘row of windows _________ high up’ (page 6)

A

unnaturally

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

‘down the side of a _______ even a particular arrangement of poplar trees up on a hillside’ (page 6)

A

valley

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

‘One day I’ll __________/__________/__________ like that’ (page 6)

A

crash the car

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Which phrase is repeated throughout the novel to make Kathy’s story seem directly relevant to the reader?

A

‘I don’t know what it was like where you were…’ (page 13, (page 67, page 94 etc.)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Where is Ruth’s recovery centre?

A

Dover

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

‘You could see lots of aerials and ________ dishes’ (page 17)

A

satellite

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

‘right over in the distance, a ___________ line that was the sea’ (page 17)

A

glistening

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

‘it’s almost like entering a ___________/____________/___________’ (page 17)

A

hall of mirrors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

‘you can feel this pale _________________ movement’ (page 17)

A

shadowy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

‘all we could see was a __________ fringe of trees, but I wasn’t the only one to feel their presence night and day’ (page 49)

A

dark

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

‘It’s just as well the fences at Hailsham aren’t ______________’ (page 77)

A

electrified

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What is the significance of Miss Lucy describing that ‘It’s just as well the fences at Hailsham aren’t electrified’ (page 77)

A

This slightly unnerving observation by Miss Lucy shows how Hailsham is perhaps not as idyllic as Kathy suggests, but rather is a place of boundaries and hidden restrictions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What is the significance of the ‘dark fringe of trees’ around Halsham?

A

It presents this setting as somewhat sinister and foreboding, contrasting Kathy’s idyllic depiction.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Why does Ishiguro describe Ruth’s recovery centre as ‘like entering a hall of mirrors’ (page 17)

A

The simile is used to present this as an uneasy environment where the clones’ identity becomes distorted.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

When at Ruth’s recovery centre, why is the sea described as being ‘right over in the distance’ (page 17)

A

It shows how Ruth, and the other clones, are cut off from the beauty of the natural world, as they are viewed as unnatural and other.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What is the significance of Hailsham being described as being like ‘those sweet little cottages people always had in picture books’

A

It presents how Kathy sees it as idyllic and a place of innocence; however, it also suggests that there is something slightly unreal and fictional about this perspective.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

When first describing Hailsham, Kathy describes a ‘foggy morning’ (page 5) and a ‘misty field’ (page 5) - why?

A

This presents Hailsham as slightly mysterious and romantic, but also suggests that Kathy’s memories of it are hazy and somewhat unreliable.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What is the significance of the repeated exclamations used by Ishiguro when Kathy talks about Hailsham, e.g: ‘Maybe that’s it! I’ve found it! This actually is Hailsham!’?

A

It conveys her excitement about Hailsham and her desire to recapture her past there.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Which character is described as having a ‘brisk style’ (page 26)

A

Miss Lucy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

‘She said we weren’t being __________ enough’ (page 29)

A

taught

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Which character believes that the clones ‘aren’t being taught enough’ (page 29)

A

Miss Lucy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

‘the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real ________’ (page 35)

A

dread

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Which character is described here: ‘the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real dread’ (35)?

A

Madame

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

‘she [Madame] was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of _________________’ 35)

A

spiders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

Why does Ishiguro describe Madame as being ‘afraid of us [the clones] in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders’ (page 35)

A

It conveys how she has an irrational fear of the clones and sees them as other and inhuman.

51
Q

‘like she was seeing something that gave her the _________’ (page 71)

A

creeps

52
Q

Who is being described here: ‘like she was seeing something that gave her the creeps’ (page 71)?

A

Madame

53
Q

What is the name of the artist that sings Kathy’s favourite song, Never Let Me Go?

A

Judy Bridgewater

54
Q

‘since I was there all by myself, an _________ made me get the cassette out’ (page 70)

A

impulse

55
Q

What is the significance of Kathy saying an ‘impulse’ (page 70) made her listen to the song?

A

It shows that it is something she does without thinking, or fully understanding, why she has done it.

56
Q

‘since I was there _________/ ___________/ ___________an impulse made me get the cassette out’ (page 70)

A

all by myself

57
Q

Why does Ishiguro describe how Kathy listens to the song Never Let Me Go when she was ‘all by myself’? (page 70)

A

It shows how listening to the song is personal and individual - she has a unique connection to it. Also note how Ishiguro says she listens to it ‘on her own’ (page 70) and ‘when nobody else was likely to be around’ (page 70)

58
Q

‘I could see the __________ coming in in big shafts’ (page 70)

A

sun

59
Q

As Kathy listens to the song, why does Ishiguro describe ‘the sun coming in in big shafts’? (page 70)

A

The pathetic fallacy perhaps represents a moment of hope, as Kathy unconsciously considers the idea of being a mother herself one day.

60
Q

Why does Ishiguro describe how Kathy listens to the song ‘again and again’/’over and over’?

A

It shows how it is a form of compulsion - something she doesn’t necessarily understand but also cannot ignore.

61
Q

she looked like a crouching ___________ waiting to pounce’ (page 78)

A

animal

62
Q

Who is described as ‘like a crouching ___________ waiting to pounce’ (page 78)

A

Miss Lucy - just before she speaks to the clones about how they have been ‘told and not told’ (page 79)

63
Q

‘The problem, as I see it, is that you’ve been ________ and not ___________’ (page 78)

A

told

64
Q

How does Ishiguro use pathetic fallacy during the part where Miss Lucy speaks to the clones?

A

He repeatedly refers to the ‘downpour’, as well as the ‘rainy sky’ and how ‘the rain kept going’ (page 78). This heavy rain perhaps symbolises the clones being suddenly exposed to a harsh and unignorable truth.

65
Q

What technique is used here? ‘None of you will go to America, none of you will be film stars,. And none of you will be working in supermarkets’ (page 80)

A

anaphoric repetition

66
Q

‘None of you will go to America, none of you will be film stars,. And none of you will be working in __________’ (page 80)

A

supermarkets

67
Q

What event concludes part one of the novel?

A

Miss Lucy leaving Hailsham

68
Q

Why does Ishiguro conclude part one of the novel with Miss Lucy leaving Hailsham?

A

It represents the literal and metaphorical end of a chapter.

69
Q

‘Tommy’s eyes looked _________’ (page 109)

A

empty

70
Q

At what point does Ishiguro describe that ‘Tommy’s eyes looked empty’?

A

When Miss Lucy leaves Hailsham at the end of part one. Miss Lucy is shown to have a close relationship with Tommy, as she reassures him, ‘if I didn’t want to be creative…that was perfectly alright’ (page 23)

71
Q

When Ishiguro was 5 he moved to England from which country?

A

Japan

72
Q

What did Ishiguro work as before becoming a writer?

A

A social worker

73
Q

How could Ishiguro’s dual identity (being born in Japan but being raised in England) have influenced the novel?

A

Ishiguro’s two-parted identity could have shaped the dual identity of the clones in that they are both human and not human.

74
Q

What is the caretaker at the cottages called?

A

Keffers

75
Q

‘the cottages were the remains of a __________ that had gone out of business’ (page 114)

A

farm

76
Q

What is the significance of the cottages being described as ‘the remains of a farm’ (page 114)

A

It conveys how the clones are seen as other and inhuman. It also links to how the clones are ‘farmed’ for their organs.

77
Q

‘the outlying ones, that were virtually _________ / ___________’ (page 114)

A

falling down

78
Q

Which setting is being described here? ‘the outlying ones, that were virtually falling down ‘ (page 114)

A

The cottages

79
Q

Why does Ishiguro describe that the cottages were ‘virtually falling down’ (page 114)

A

It conveys the lack of care given to the clones. The cottages, like Kingsfield, present that the cloning programme has been rushed without proper thought given to suitable facilities.

80
Q

‘He didn’t like to ________ to us much’ (page 114)

A

talk

81
Q

Who is being described here? ‘He didn’t like to talk to us much’ (page 114)

A

Keffers

82
Q

What is the significance of Keffers’ dismissive attitude towards the clones?

A

We might suggest that Keffers is an embodiment of the way that wider society sees the clones.

83
Q

Why does Ishiguro describe the cottages as being ‘chilly’ (page 115), ‘really cold’ (page 115) and ‘the rough ground frozen bone hard’? (page 116)

A

The repeated links to the cold convey how, at the cottages, the clones become exposed to the harshness of the real world for the first time, which juxtaposes Hailsham and part one.

84
Q

‘We could see hills in the distance that reminded us of the ones in the distance at Hailsham, but they seemed to us oddly _________’ (page 116)

A

crooked

85
Q

Why does Kathy describe how the ‘hills in the distance’ at the cottages ‘reminded us of the ones in the distance at Hailsham, but…oddly crooked’ (page 116)

A

It conveys how the cottages are similar to Hailsham, albeit a distorted and much less welcoming version.

86
Q

'’There was a great big ___________ front at street level…a large open-plan office’ (page 156)

A

glass

87
Q

What is the significance of the open-plan office being glass?

A

It represents a life of freedom and humanity that the clones can see, but never truly achieve.

88
Q

‘the potted palms, the __________ machines and the swooping desk lamps’ (page 156)

A

shiny

89
Q

Why does Ishiguro describe the open-plan office like this: ‘the potted palms, the shiny machines and the swooping desk lamps’ (page 156)?

A

The listing represents the modern and comfortable setting of the open-plan office, which contrasts the old and out of date environment of the cottages.

90
Q

‘smart, cosy __________ - ____________ world’ (page 156)

A

self-contained

91
Q

Which setting is described as a ‘smart, cosy self-contained world’ (page 156)

A

the glass open-plan office

92
Q

What is the significance of the glass office, where the clones see Kathy’s possible, being ‘open plan’?

A

It represents a sense of freedom, and juxtaposes the restrictions that the clones face.

93
Q

‘We’re modelled from __________. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps.’ (page 164).

A

trash

94
Q

What technique is used here: ‘We’re modelled from trash. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps.’ (page 164).?

A

The listing conveys Kathy’s anger and pain, as she realises that she will never find her ‘possible’, and therefore never claim a human identity.

95
Q

But now, in that gallery, the woman was too ____________, much _____________than we’d ever really wanted’ (page 161)

A

close/closer

96
Q

‘This broke the __________ and we took to our heels’ (page 157)

A

spell

97
Q

Why does Ishiguro metaphorically describe the clones watching Ruth’s ‘possible’ and the other office workers as being like a ‘spell’?

A

It conveys how they see Ruth’s ‘possible’, and the lives of the office workers, as being magical and mesmerising, as it is so different to their own limited existence

98
Q

Why does Ishiguro repeatedly refer to a cliff during the sequence when they search for Ruth’s ‘possible’? ‘road carved onto a cliff edge’ (page 146), ‘it felt like we were virtually suspended over the sea’ (page 146), ‘we were once again near a cliff edge’ (page 162)

A

We might suggest that the cliff represents a sudden and dramatic change, as the clones face up to their true identity and the impossibility of finding their ‘possible’

99
Q

‘then we came to a _______ wire fence’ (page 218)

A

barbed

100
Q

‘the boat sitting _______ under the marches under the weak sun’ (page 220)

A

beached

101
Q

‘the boat sitting beached under the marches under the _________ sun’ (page 220)

A

weak

102
Q

How is it symbolic that the boat is ‘beached under the marches’ (page 220)

A

The boat is symbolic of the clones’ fate - they too are ‘beached’ or stranded as they have no freedom or hope.

103
Q

What technique is used here - ‘the boat…under the weak sun’ (page 220)

A

pathetic fallacy

104
Q

What is the significance of the pathetic fallacy - ‘the boat…under the weak sun’ (page 220)

A

This symbolises the impending fate of the clones; their lives, which were once seemingly full of possibility, are now without hope.

105
Q

What is the semantic field used here: ‘ghostly dead trunks’/’the weak sun’/’the tree trunk hollow and more emaciated’ (page 220)?

A

Semantic field of death and decay - symbolic of the clones’ impending fate.

106
Q

‘it had once been painted a sky blue but now looked almost _________’ (page 220)

A

white

107
Q

What technique is used here: ‘it had once been painted a sky blue but now looked almost white’ (page 220)?

A

colour imagery

108
Q

What is the significance of the colour imagery used here: ‘it had once been painted a sky blue but now looked almost white’ (page 220)?

A

This description of the boat shows how the clones’ lives, which were once full of hope (‘sky blue’), are now defined by a sense of emptiness (‘white’)

109
Q

What is the symbolic importance of the boat being stranded in ‘marshland’?

A

Marshland is neither land, not the sea. This represents the limbo of the clones - they desire human lives but are not truly seen by society as human.

110
Q

What is being described here: ‘it had once been painted a sky blue but now looked almost white’ (page 220)?

A

The boat

111
Q

What was there a shortage of at the beginning of the 21st century that may have influenced the novel?

A

organ donors

112
Q

What event in 1996 may have influenced the novel?

A

The cloning of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned.

113
Q

How did the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996 lead to more widespread fears about biotechnology?

A

Some people became concerned about the prospect of ‘designer babies’ and human genetic modification.

114
Q

How might Dolly the sheep have influenced the novel?

A

Dolly the sheep was the first mammal to be cloned (in 1996). This led to more widespread societal fears about the possibilities of human cloning and genetic modification.

115
Q

‘she spun round like I’d _________ something at her’ (page 243)

A

thrown

116
Q

Who is being described here? ‘she spun round like I’d thrown something at her’ (page 243)

A

Madame - when she is reunited with Tommy and Kathy.

117
Q

‘you could see her stiffen - as if a pair of large _________ was set to crawl towards her’ (page 243)

A

spiders

118
Q

Which metaphor is repeated that shows how Madame sees the clones as inhuman and frightening?

A

Spiders. ‘she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders’ (page 35) ‘you could see her stiffen - as if a pair of large spiders was set to crawl towards her’ (page 243)

119
Q

‘she saw and decided in a second _________ / _________ / __________’ (page 243)

A

what we were

120
Q

[she] tucked her _______ in tightly as she passed between us’ (page 246)

A

shoulders

121
Q

Who is described here? [she] tucked her shoulders in tightly as she passed between us’ (page 246)

A

Madame - Ishiguro suggests she doesn’t want to touch the clones as she sees them as inhuman and ‘other’

122
Q

‘Poor __________. What did we do to you?’ (page 249)

A

creatures

123
Q

What is the name of the transgressive scientist who wanted to ‘offer people the possibility of having children with enhanced characteristics’ (page 258)

A

James Morningdale