Never Let Me Go - Quotations

Question 1

What are the three classes of quotations?

Answer 1

Setting, Chapter and Character

Question 2

What are the key themes in the novel?

Answer 2

Humanity, Death, Fear, Secrecy, Education, Friendship, Love and Loss

Question 3

Give a quotation about Hailsham. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 3

‘“Quiet places were often the worst, because there was always likely to be someone passing within earshot’
Secrecy, Education

Question 4

Give a quotation about the woods. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 4

‘A dark frying of trees[…] it was like they cast a shadow over the whole of Hailsham’
Fear

Question 5

Give a quotation about the Cottages. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 5

They find themselves ‘awkwardly standing outside the farmhouse, not knowing what else to do’
Fear, Education

Question 6

Give a quotation about the Gallery. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 6

‘Everyone talked about it as though it existed, though in truth none of us really knew for sure that it did’
Secrecy, Education

Question 7

Give a quotation about Norfolk. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 7

1) ‘I just said to myself, one day I’ll go to Norfolk, and I’ll find [the cassette] there for her. The lost corner of England!’
2) ‘I half-closed my eyes and imaged this was the spot where everything I’d lost through my childhood had washed up’
1) Fear, Loss
2) Loss

Question 8

Give a quotation about the Stranded Boat. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 8

‘It’s just sitting there, stranded in the marshes’

Fear

Question 9

Give a quotation about the Recovery Centre. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 9

‘The Kingsfield, in other words, falls way short of a place like Ruth’s […] with its gleaming tiles and double-glazed windows.’
Humanity

Question 10

Give a quotation about Kathy’s dorm. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 10

‘A little, her eyes tightly closed, holding to her breast the old kind world, one she knew in her heart could not remain’
Humanity, Loss

Question 11

Give a quotation about chapter 4. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 11

‘I accepted the invisible rein she was holding out, and then we were off, riding up and down the fence’
Friendship

Question 12

Give a quotation about chapter 6. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 12

‘What you must understand is that for you […] it’s much, much worse to smoke than it ever was for me. […] You’re special.’
Death, Secrecy

Question 13

Give a quotation about chapter 7. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 13

‘The problem, as I see it, is that you’ve been told and not told. You’ve been told, but none of you really understand’
Humanity, secrecy

Question 14

Give a quotation about chapter 10. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 14

‘Ruth realised the way he way she’d been carrying on with Tommy was all wrong for the Cottages, and she set about changing’
Fear

Question 15

Give a quotation about chapter 14. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 15

‘We all know it. We’re modeled from trash. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps.’
Secrecy

Question 16

Give a quotation about chapter 17. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 16

‘Tommy doesn’t like girls who’ve been with… well, you know, with this person and that.’
Friendship, Love

Question 17

Give a quotation about chapter 18. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 17

‘We hugged […] as a way of affirming Hailsham, the fact that it was still there in both of out memories’
Friendship

Question 18

Give a quotation about chapter 21. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 18

‘Poor creatures. What did we do to you? With all our schemes and plans?’
Humanity, secrecy

Question 19

Give a quotation about chapter 23. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 19

‘If I waited long enough, a tiny figure would appear on the Horizon […], and gradually get larger until I’d see it was Tommy’
Love, Loss

Question 20

Give some quotations about Kathy. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 20

‘I don’t know how it was where you were, but at Hailsham we had to have some sort of medical almost every week.’ (2)
‘I lost Ruth, then I lost Tommy, but I won’t lose my memories of them. I suppose I lost Hailsham too.’
Education
Fear, Loss

Question 21

Give some quotations about Ruth. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 21

‘I’d like you to forgive me, but I don’t expect you to. […] The main thing is, I kept you and Tommy apart.’
‘So that’s it, that’s what’s upsetting poor little Kathy. Ruth isn’t paying enough attention to her. Ruth’s got big new friends…’ (19)
Friendship, Love
Fear, Loss

Question 22

Give some quotations about Tommy. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 22

‘Maybe I did know, somewhere deep down. Something the rest of you didn’t’ (22)
‘If you knew for sure you’d complete, it would be easier. But they never tell us for sure.’ (23)
Secrecy
Secrecy

Question 23

Give some quotations about Miss Emily. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 23

‘Fair’, they ‘respected her decisions’, but at times is seen ‘wandering around Hailsham in a dream’
Uses a skeleton to demonstrate ‘the nuts and bolts of how you did it’ but say. ‘Sex affects emotions in way you’d never expect.’
Education
Education, Love

Question 24

Give some quotations about Madame. Which theme(s) does it support?

Answer 24

‘She was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders.’
‘We took away your art because we thought it would reveal your souls. Or to put it more finely, we did it to prove you had souls at all.’
Humanity, Fear
Humanity, Secrecy