Never Let Me Go Quotes Flashcards
My name is Kathy H
Lack of identity
‘Career’ ‘ donor’. ‘
They’ve been pleased with my work so far
Kathy
‘Foggy morning’ Hailsham memories
Nostalgia
Is her memory reliable
Corner of a Misty field : p6
This is actually hailsham p7
Dystopian conventions
Setting- mundane familiar
Control
Aftermath of change
Wider comment to societal issues
Relatable protagonist
Facts
Kathy’s Non linear narration
Ao3 cloning :
dolly the sheep
Ambitious individuals
1997 cloning dolly the sheep by the roslin institute in Scotland
First cloning of a Mammel in history
Raised concerns- extent to which
1998 Richard seed, American Physicist,
Intention to clone a human before any law can be passed
Early 21st century
Shortage of organ donors
Never let me go published in 2005
2005 UN called for a ban on human cloning-
‘Contrary to human dignity’
Kathy’s opening narration
Kathy referred to simply as Kathy H
Lack of individuality, no family, agency, surname.
Euphemisms- carer and donor donation
Reality seems less brutal
Society doesn’t want to face the blunt truth
Cloning less horrific
Ishiguro Stated in a BBC radio 4 interview in 2021- Kathy is narrating to another clone.
Evidenced by the informal speech, colloquial, conversational
Verisimilitude
Dorset real life places more realistic
Norfolk
Daniel deronda
Page 5
His face beneath the blotches went into a completely new kind of grimace
Foreshadows the treatment of the clones
‘Blotches’ physical reaction to donating
‘Grimace’ envious, disgust, foreshadows other clones didn’t have pleasant childhoods. No ideal like hailsham
Kathy’s opening narration: verisimilitude and dystopia
Dystopian conventions shown-
Setting real life
Career centre
Emphasises Ishiguro concern
Warn society
Events seem plausible
Creates a sense of underlying unease
Familiarity mundane everyday things
Control Kathy H- lack of identity
They- mysterious authority presence
Ishiguro minimalist presentation of Hailsham
Contrasts- Shelley’s
Ishiguro- language is simple
A place Desirable
‘Misty field’ - pathetic fallacy- reflecting memories- unclear- retelling- unreliable narrator.
Unable to find AO3- could be anywhere. Plausible link to verisimilitude- 2005 UN BAN FOR CLONING
Mist coupled with the later statement ‘impossible’ presents as mysterious and dreamlike.
A place longed for like a childhood friend
Implies it was a place of humane treatment and belonging.
Perhaps suggesting it was unreal something temporary which couldn’t last.
Unable to find it- hidden away from society as a whole.
‘One day I’ll crash the car like that’
Like as Shelley uses the liminal setting of victors workshop to hide the transgression
Ishiguro uses the setting or Hailsham in chapter 1 to highlight how society has similarly attempted to hide their moral transgression as a result of scientific pursuit
Ishiguro use of place describing Hailsham as in
‘The corner of a misty field’
Highlights the marginalised nature of the clones existence.
Society attempts to hide the clones & the transgressive behaviour that has created them.
Mainstream society shielded
Like victors attempt to conceal his immoral scientific creation
It is clear that the society depicted by Ishiguro does the same by having Hailsham situated through an empty stretch of Worcestershire
The lack of specificity- through this description- emphasises the idea of secrecy
Kathy H, an experienced carer, career involves driving frequently- inability to complete the ‘impossible’ task of finding Hailsham further adds to this theme of concealment and shame
Both texts use place and setting to create a sense of belonging for othered characters
Frankinstein-
Agreeable asylum
Take refuge
Lovely creatures
Hovel
Dehumanises himself
Delacey family
Hope to join society
Luxury to him
Cottage
Hailsham gives the clones a sense of belonging unity guardian protection
Othered by society
‘This is actually Hailsham’
Excitement via exclamativas
Hailsham as an idyllic place of safety and comfort for the clones.
Despite their othered status in society, Hailsham is a place of safety and comfort. They are united together and protected by the guardians- sole purpose is to keep them alive.
Misty field
Tommy tantrums
‘Like a dog doing a pre’
Like he was rehearsing his Shakespeare
‘Like a Performance’
‘Never tried to be creative’
Clones- entertainment theatrical dramatic behaviour
WHY-
Highlights Tommy’s otherness
Unwilling to conform and unable to
Creativity valued
Easily irritated
TOMMY AND THE MONSTER
Both othered
Aggressive behaviour violence
Both angry
Product of their environment
Tommy- lack of creativity
‘Good runner easily opened up 10, 15 yards’
Not celebrated at Hailsham
Monster- how he was created
Chapter 2 summary
Kathy’s retrospective narration
ISHIGURO Ao3
Moved to England age 5
Only non white in class
Isolated childhood
Ruth recovery centre
‘Fine summer evening, little balcony’
presented like a holiday, positive, romantic,
Watching the sun go down over the rooftops
peace in nature
Limited exposure to the outside world
Observe unable to be a part of
Distracted from the reality of cloning
Glistening line of the sea
Sea view
Kathy end
Beauty of nature
I wouldn’t mind if it’s where I end up
Low standards
Reader Question the condition of others
Gleaming white tiles
Like walking through a Hall of mirror
Similie distorted view of the world
All the fresh air she wanted by stepping into the balcony
Paradise
Facade romanticised view
Ruth sick
Ruth recovery centre and graveyards and charnel bodies
Frankinstein
Inglostad
Workshop of filthy creation
Graveyards and charnel houses
Hide transgressive immoral actions
Zealously
Deviated to his studies
Aldini- electric current through dead animals
Inhumane
Vaults and charnel houses
Liminal setting
Limbo
Symbolic of victors choice
In creating the monster he creates his own death
Transgressive actions
Ruth recovery centre
Romanticised facade
Simple minimalistic
Limited exposure to the outside world
Relaxing pleasant place
Low standards
Tommys recovery centre
Consult a map a couple of times
Hidden even Kathy can’t find it
Remote isolated
Insignificant
Even a donor relies on directions
Awkward to get to
Mainstream society hidden away
Invisible suffering
You can’t get to with a wheelchair
Not fit for purpose
Inaccessible
No care by creators
Marginalised
Few bits behind the building looked more like a waste land
Neglected clones abandoned
Wire mesh fences
False appearance of reality
Outside captivity like cattle
Farmed for organs
Donors enclosed
Shadowy figures 215
Lack of life
Distorted past memories
When referring to kings field later in the novel
Wire mesh fence repetition
Nothing improved
Animalistic imagery
False appearance of reality
Swimmer crashing into cement
Swimmer crashing into cement
Killed by environment
Metaphor destroyed hope
Futility of clones
Dreams of youth and pain of reality
Swimmer trained experienced
Lead to death
Kings field and the artic
Walton trapped
Unable to leave environment
Isolated secluded away from society
Chapter 3-6
Lost corner
Naive
Flippant comment
Lack of life experience
Reliance on guardians for info
Lost- clones don’t belong to anyone lack meaning purpose forgotten
End of novel-
Ruth possible in Norfolk
Find NLMG cassette
After tommys death- looking out for him
Never let go of the belief
Norfolk/ Comfort for the clones
Kathy never let me go tape
‘Imagine a woman who was told she can’t have babies but really wanted them Dramatic irony
Audience aware she is a clone and infertile
Sympathy created at the injustice
Unable to have normal life experiences
Limited
Passive actions I hadn’t meant to play the tape
Impulse significance to her acts on feelings
Lack of control
AO3- music- before became a writer- toyed with the idea of becoming a musician frequently writes songs
Turning point of novel
Miss Lucy leaves
She looked like w crouching animal waiting to pounce (78)
Told them the truth
Powerful authority
None of you will go to America film stars supermarket
Repetition of negator
Stereotypical cliches
Your lives are set out for you
Monosyllabic blunt reality for the clones
No euphemisms
You’re not even like me
Your futures all of them have been decided
Pronouns separating
Pent up anger shown
Structurally ends part 1
Miss Lucy had left Hailsham and won’t be returning
Readers suspense and revelation
Seen as a hope comfort truth virtuous
Miss Lucy as a character link to Shelly
Advocated for truth silencer
Fired
Justine
Unable to speak
Injustice
Delacey represented good in society
Clone passive acceptance of their fate to Frankinstein
Cottages, structurally after arriving at the cottages.
Setting immediately after Hailsham
Juxtaposition care of Hailsham
Natural progression
Rigid life structure
All planned out for them
Cottages Quotes
Ao3/ before becoming a writer Ishiguro worked for a homeless charity as well as being a social worker
Remains of a farm gone out of business
Virtually falling down
None of us minded the discomforts one bit it was all part of the excitement
Abandoned neglected scraps not fit for purpose livestock farmed for organs
The outlying ones that were virtually falling down
Kathy cottages
Isolated clones
Scraps from society
Gradually worse since Hailsham
Outside world perception
Similar to kings field not fit for purpose
Not safe or suitable for humans to live in
Lack of respect
Not a safe environment
116 We could see hills in the distance which reminded us of the ones at Hailsham but they seemed oddly crooked
Distorted view of the world
Nostalgic
Fading memories
Disillusioned by anything which isn’t Hailsham
Only comparison
Lack of world knowledge
Keffers, minor character, represents wider ‘human’ world.
Largely absent from the novel
Presented as emotionally distant
‘Grumpy old man, turned up 2 or 3 times in a week’
‘You went up to greet him and he would stare at you like you’re mad’
Not a cruel person
Job to check they’re alive
Views the clones as different
Cottages & Frankenstein
Remote isolated
Settings to hide the immoral actions inside
Society’s isolation of others
Distance their characters from society
Clones lack of control
Lack knowledge of their new surroundings
Nativity- monster fire
Clones- no parent/ guardians
Both their first experience with the outside world
Remote and rural
Workshop of filthy creation
Monster hovel
Ruth possible 156
‘Big glass front at street level’
Clones cannot enter society
Barrier
They’re outsiders
False appearance
Similar to how they can hear the busy road at Kings field
People inside don’t need to be hidden
Low standards easily impressed
‘Smart cozy self contained world’
Valued by society
Protected
Ideal
Romanticising mundane
Comfort
The idea of Ruth’s possible is presented as a source of hope for the clones
136
The idea of possibles intrigued, disturbed us.. it wasn’t a topic you could bring up casually.
Hailsham sheltered them from their reality
Taboo
Not taught at Hailsham don’t know how to address it
Euphemisms
??Ironic ‘possibles’ how life is brought into world sex and natural creation
‘You’d glimpse your future’
Short hope
Unfair reality
Already decided
Dramatic irony
‘Your’
‘Insight to who you are deep down’
Alliteration
Relying on other people to define their identity
Not in control of
Shown through their names ‘Kathy H’
Sense of belonging
Soul euphemism
Clones naive in their belief they have a soul
‘Shiny machines’ ‘swooping desk lamps’ ‘potted plants’
mundane
Overwhelmed
Listing
Excited
Impressed
Attractive
Contrasts where they live
People inside valued
Cottages outdated
Modern setting
Well maintained
PAGE 28 In your booklet IDK
Ruth’s outburst
Realisation. Ruth knows their place. Lost hope. Blunt. Separate inferior. Discards from society
We all know it we are modelled from trash
Let’s have a bit of fun pretending
Do you think that woman would have spoke to us if she knew What we really were ?
Look in the gutter look rubbish bins
Repetition of look
Trying to make them realise their efforts are pointless
Will find nothing
Realism
Longing for identity
Constant questioning throughout extract
Upset all confused naive as eachother
Context Social Bonding Theory page 29
The boat PAGE 30
Pale sky
Ghostly dead trunks
Weak sun
Sinking
More Ema costed
Once painted blue sky now looked almost white
AO3 Ishiguro
Stated in an interview unlike many other dystopian texts he’s not interested in the plight of the brave slave
But rather now easily people accepted their fate and did not try to revel
After visiting the boat
Ruth to Kathy
You’ve at least got to try
Immediately after boat becsuee
It is too late for Ruth to change her own fate
She finds hope and comfort in the resolution by encouraging Tommy and Kathy to find a way out
Not end up with the same misery and lack and power
PAGE 32 booklet good analysis
Boat compared to Frankenstein
Madames house
It was only a polite hello but she Spun round like I’d thrown something at her
You could see her stiffen like a pair of Spiders and was set to crawl towards her
Studied us carefully, squinting in the setting sun.
Light imagery:
Entrance : everything got dark
Hallways so narrow leading deeper into the house.
Once outside madames house Kathy says
She was surprised to see there was any daylight left- contests the inside of the house
Madame and miss Emily
To what extent are they selfish or superior
PAGE 36
Miss Emily
In a wheelchair ‘hopes it isn’t a permanent contraption’
She doesn’t want to be othered
Cruel irony waiting for a donation
Quite wonderful bedside cabinet miss Emily puts protective padding around and will accompany herself
Deferrals
Rumour gets created over and over from scratch
After the war there wasn’t time to ask sensible questions
People preferred to believe these organs appeared from nowhere
You were less than human so it did not matter
Then came the morningdale scandal
We were all of us swept away
Repeats they wanted you in the shadows
Return of light imagery
As T&K leave madames house
‘Noticed the lamps had come on all the way down the long street’
Ishiguro parents AO3
Grew up in WW2 Japan
Society went along with Fascist Views
Country Allied itself with nazis
Tommy scream
Similar incident as his tantrums
He kicked out he slipped fell out of view into blackness
Restriction
Listing- tommys figure was raging shouting flinging his fists and kicking out
Pathetic fallacy darkness
Moon wasn’t quite full
Wind here was really powerful
HOW CAN WE CONNECT THIS TO FRANKINSTEIN
sublime power of nature
Man conquers
Victors transgressive acts happen at night
End
Relationship changes
Tommy doesn’t want Kathy as a carer now
‘Ruth would have understood she was a donor’
Sun was already setting behind the buildings
Few shadowy figures
When playing football id splash splash splash never old a single soul
‘Just a small kiss then I got into the car and drive to wherever I was supposed to be’
Kathy end
Retrorespectibe novel
‘I’ve never tried to find it in nor really interested in seeing it’
Fence keeping Kathy from stepping into the field of the ploughed earth
All along the fence all sorts of rubbish had been caught and tangled
I just waited a bit then turned back to the car to drive off to wherever it was I was supposed to be
