Never Let Me Go Full Deck Flashcards
Prose Revision
In what year was the novel published?
2005
In what time and place is the novel set?
‘England, late 1990s’
The novel is most obviously influenced by the conventions of which genre?
Dystopia
Which word (beginning with o) means all-powerful and could be used to describe the anonymous ‘they’ of the novel?
omnipotent
What does ‘omnipotent’ mean and who/what could be described like this?
omnipotent = all-powerful. This could be used to describe the anonymous ‘they’ authority figure of the novel.
In the opening chapters, how does Kathy refer to the faceless authority that she works for?
‘they’
Which word (beginning with e) means a mild or indirect word used instead of one that might be deemed too harsh?
euphemism
What is a euphemism?
A mild or indirect word that is used instead of one that might be deemed too harsh.
What are some examples of euphemisms used in the novel?
‘carer’, ‘donor’, ‘recover centres’, ‘completing’
Why does Ishiguro present a society full of euphemisms - e.g. ‘complete’ is used instead of die.
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.
Which word (beginning with v) means creating the appearance of reality?
verisimilitude
What does ‘verisimilitude’ mean?
The appearance of reality
What are some of the ways that Ishiguro creates verisimilitude?
Through referring to real places (e.g. Dover, Norfolk etc.) and real things (e.g. Walkmans, the novel Daniel Deronda etc.)
Why is the novel set in ‘England, late 1990s’ and not some futuristic alternate reality (as might be expected of a dystopian text)
Ishiguro wants to make the horrific events of the novel seem plausible.
How many parts are there in the novel?
3
Why is the main focus of each of the three parts in the novel?
Part 1 = Hailsham Part 2 = The Cottages Part 3 = Kathy as a carer/Ruth and Tommy as donors
What is the name for a narrative, like that used by Ishiguro, which isn’t chronological?
non-linear
Which word (beginning with n) means a longing for the past?
nostalgia
Which does nostalgic mean?
A longing for the past
Which word (beginning with n) might we use to describe Kathy’s narrative voice, and particularly her view of Hailsham?
nostalgic
‘there are times over the years when I’ve tried to leave _______ behind’ (page 4)
Hailsham
‘the view from the Art room over the fields on a ________ morning’ (page 5)
foggy
‘I might pass the corner of a ______ field’ (page 5)
misty
‘Maybe that’s it! I’ve found it! This actually is __________’ (page 6)
Hailsham
‘it reminded me of those _________ little cottages people always had in picture books’ (page 6)
sweet
‘row of windows _________ high up’ (page 6)
unnaturally
‘down the side of a _______ even a particular arrangement of poplar trees up on a hillside’ (page 6)
valley
‘One day I’ll __________/__________/__________ like that’ (page 6)
crash the car
Which phrase is repeated throughout the novel to make Kathy’s story seem directly relevant to the reader?
‘I don’t know what it was like where you were…’ (page 13, (page 67, page 94 etc.)
Where is Ruth’s recovery centre?
Dover
‘You could see lots of aerials and ________ dishes’ (page 17)
satellite
‘right over in the distance, a ___________ line that was the sea’ (page 17)
glistening
‘it’s almost like entering a ___________/____________/___________’ (page 17)
hall of mirrors
‘you can feel this pale _________________ movement’ (page 17)
shadowy
‘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)
dark
‘It’s just as well the fences at Hailsham aren’t ______________’ (page 77)
electrified
What is the significance of Miss Lucy describing that ‘It’s just as well the fences at Hailsham aren’t electrified’ (page 77)
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.
What is the significance of the ‘dark fringe of trees’ around Halsham?
It presents this setting as somewhat sinister and foreboding, contrasting Kathy’s idyllic depiction.
Why does Ishiguro describe Ruth’s recovery centre as ‘like entering a hall of mirrors’ (page 17)
The simile is used to present this as an uneasy environment where the clones’ identity becomes distorted.
When at Ruth’s recovery centre, why is the sea described as being ‘right over in the distance’ (page 17)
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.
What is the significance of Hailsham being described as being like ‘those sweet little cottages people always had in picture books’
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.
When first describing Hailsham, Kathy describes a ‘foggy morning’ (page 5) and a ‘misty field’ (page 5) - why?
This presents Hailsham as slightly mysterious and romantic, but also suggests that Kathy’s memories of it are hazy and somewhat unreliable.
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!’?
It conveys her excitement about Hailsham and her desire to recapture her past there.
Which character is described as having a ‘brisk style’ (page 26)
Miss Lucy
‘She said we weren’t being __________ enough’ (page 29)
taught
Which character believes that the clones ‘aren’t being taught enough’ (page 29)
Miss Lucy
‘the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real ________’ (page 35)
dread
Which character is described here: ‘the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real dread’ (35)?
Madame
‘she [Madame] was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of _________________’ 35)
spiders
Why does Ishiguro describe Madame as being ‘afraid of us [the clones] in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders’ (page 35)
It conveys how she has an irrational fear of the clones and sees them as other and inhuman.
‘like she was seeing something that gave her the _________’ (page 71)
creeps
Who is being described here: ‘like she was seeing something that gave her the creeps’ (page 71)?
Madame
What is the name of the artist that sings Kathy’s favourite song, Never Let Me Go?
Judy Bridgewater
‘since I was there all by myself, an _________ made me get the cassette out’ (page 70)
impulse
What is the significance of Kathy saying an ‘impulse’ (page 70) made her listen to the song?
It shows that it is something she does without thinking, or fully understanding, why she has done it.
‘since I was there _________/ ___________/ ___________an impulse made me get the cassette out’ (page 70)
all by myself
Why does Ishiguro describe how Kathy listens to the song Never Let Me Go when she was ‘all by myself’? (page 70)
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)
‘I could see the __________ coming in in big shafts’ (page 70)
sun
As Kathy listens to the song, why does Ishiguro describe ‘the sun coming in in big shafts’? (page 70)
The pathetic fallacy perhaps represents a moment of hope, as Kathy unconsciously considers the idea of being a mother herself one day.
Why does Ishiguro describe how Kathy listens to the song ‘again and again’/’over and over’?
It shows how it is a form of compulsion - something she doesn’t necessarily understand but also cannot ignore.
she looked like a crouching ___________ waiting to pounce’ (page 78)
animal
Who is described as ‘like a crouching ___________ waiting to pounce’ (page 78)
Miss Lucy - just before she speaks to the clones about how they have been ‘told and not told’ (page 79)
‘The problem, as I see it, is that you’ve been ________ and not ___________’ (page 78)
told
How does Ishiguro use pathetic fallacy during the part where Miss Lucy speaks to the clones?
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.
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)
anaphoric repetition
‘None of you will go to America, none of you will be film stars,. And none of you will be working in __________’ (page 80)
supermarkets
What event concludes part one of the novel?
Miss Lucy leaving Hailsham
Why does Ishiguro conclude part one of the novel with Miss Lucy leaving Hailsham?
It represents the literal and metaphorical end of a chapter.
‘Tommy’s eyes looked _________’ (page 109)
empty
At what point does Ishiguro describe that ‘Tommy’s eyes looked empty’?
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)
When Ishiguro was 5 he moved to England from which country?
Japan
What did Ishiguro work as before becoming a writer?
A social worker
How could Ishiguro’s dual identity (being born in Japan but being raised in England) have influenced the novel?
Ishiguro’s two-parted identity could have shaped the dual identity of the clones in that they are both human and not human.
What is the caretaker at the cottages called?
Keffers
‘the cottages were the remains of a __________ that had gone out of business’ (page 114)
farm
What is the significance of the cottages being described as ‘the remains of a farm’ (page 114)
It conveys how the clones are seen as other and inhuman. It also links to how the clones are ‘farmed’ for their organs.
‘the outlying ones, that were virtually _________ / ___________’ (page 114)
falling down
Which setting is being described here? ‘the outlying ones, that were virtually falling down ‘ (page 114)
The cottages
Why does Ishiguro describe that the cottages were ‘virtually falling down’ (page 114)
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.
‘He didn’t like to ________ to us much’ (page 114)
talk
Who is being described here? ‘He didn’t like to talk to us much’ (page 114)
Keffers
What is the significance of Keffers’ dismissive attitude towards the clones?
We might suggest that Keffers is an embodiment of the way that wider society sees the clones.
Why does Ishiguro describe the cottages as being ‘chilly’ (page 115), ‘really cold’ (page 115) and ‘the rough ground frozen bone hard’? (page 116)
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.
‘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)
crooked
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)
It conveys how the cottages are similar to Hailsham, albeit a distorted and much less welcoming version.
'’There was a great big ___________ front at street level…a large open-plan office’ (page 156)
glass
What is the significance of the open-plan office being glass?
It represents a life of freedom and humanity that the clones can see, but never truly achieve.
‘the potted palms, the __________ machines and the swooping desk lamps’ (page 156)
shiny
Why does Ishiguro describe the open-plan office like this: ‘the potted palms, the shiny machines and the swooping desk lamps’ (page 156)?
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.
‘smart, cosy __________ - ____________ world’ (page 156)
self-contained
Which setting is described as a ‘smart, cosy self-contained world’ (page 156)
the glass open-plan office
What is the significance of the glass office, where the clones see Kathy’s possible, being ‘open plan’?
It represents a sense of freedom, and juxtaposes the restrictions that the clones face.
‘We’re modelled from __________. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps.’ (page 164).
trash
What technique is used here: ‘We’re modelled from trash. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps.’ (page 164).?
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.
But now, in that gallery, the woman was too ____________, much _____________than we’d ever really wanted’ (page 161)
close/closer
‘This broke the __________ and we took to our heels’ (page 157)
spell
Why does Ishiguro metaphorically describe the clones watching Ruth’s ‘possible’ and the other office workers as being like a ‘spell’?
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
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)
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’
‘then we came to a _______ wire fence’ (page 218)
barbed
‘the boat sitting _______ under the marches under the weak sun’ (page 220)
beached
‘the boat sitting beached under the marches under the _________ sun’ (page 220)
weak
How is it symbolic that the boat is ‘beached under the marches’ (page 220)
The boat is symbolic of the clones’ fate - they too are ‘beached’ or stranded as they have no freedom or hope.
What technique is used here - ‘the boat…under the weak sun’ (page 220)
pathetic fallacy
What is the significance of the pathetic fallacy - ‘the boat…under the weak sun’ (page 220)
This symbolises the impending fate of the clones; their lives, which were once seemingly full of possibility, are now without hope.
What is the semantic field used here: ‘ghostly dead trunks’/’the weak sun’/’the tree trunk hollow and more emaciated’ (page 220)?
Semantic field of death and decay - symbolic of the clones’ impending fate.
‘it had once been painted a sky blue but now looked almost _________’ (page 220)
white
What technique is used here: ‘it had once been painted a sky blue but now looked almost white’ (page 220)?
colour imagery
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)?
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’)
What is the symbolic importance of the boat being stranded in ‘marshland’?
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.
What is being described here: ‘it had once been painted a sky blue but now looked almost white’ (page 220)?
The boat
What was there a shortage of at the beginning of the 21st century that may have influenced the novel?
organ donors
What event in 1996 may have influenced the novel?
The cloning of Dolly the sheep, the first mammal to be cloned.
How did the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996 lead to more widespread fears about biotechnology?
Some people became concerned about the prospect of ‘designer babies’ and human genetic modification.
How might Dolly the sheep have influenced the novel?
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.
‘she spun round like I’d _________ something at her’ (page 243)
thrown
Who is being described here? ‘she spun round like I’d thrown something at her’ (page 243)
Madame - when she is reunited with Tommy and Kathy.
‘you could see her stiffen - as if a pair of large _________ was set to crawl towards her’ (page 243)
spiders
Which metaphor is repeated that shows how Madame sees the clones as inhuman and frightening?
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)
‘she saw and decided in a second _________ / _________ / __________’ (page 243)
what we were
[she] tucked her _______ in tightly as she passed between us’ (page 246)
shoulders
Who is described here? [she] tucked her shoulders in tightly as she passed between us’ (page 246)
Madame - Ishiguro suggests she doesn’t want to touch the clones as she sees them as inhuman and ‘other’
‘Poor __________. What did we do to you?’ (page 249)
creatures
What is the name of the transgressive scientist who wanted to ‘offer people the possibility of having children with enhanced characteristics’ (page 258)
James Morningdale
