Ruth's Recover Centre, Kingsfield and the Tape

Question 1

Where is Ruth’s recovery centre?

Answer 1

Dover

Question 2

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

Answer 2

satellite

Question 3

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

Answer 3

glistening

Question 4

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

Answer 4

hall of mirrors

Question 5

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

Answer 5

shadowy

Question 6

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

Answer 6

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

Question 7

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

Answer 7

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

Question 8

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

Answer 8

Judy Bridgewater

Question 9

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

Answer 9

impulse

Question 10

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

Answer 10

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

Question 11

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

Answer 11

all by myself

Question 12

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

Answer 12

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)

Question 13

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

Answer 13

sun

Question 14

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

Answer 14

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

Question 15

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

Answer 15

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

Question 16

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

Answer 16

Japan

Question 17

Ishiguro being born into Japan but moving to England links to the theme of d _____________

Answer 17

duality

Question 18

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

Answer 18

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

Question 19

‘the few bits behind the building look more like _____________’ (page 274)

Answer 19

wasteland

Question 20

The area around which setting is compared to ‘wasteland’ (page 274)

Answer 20

Kingsfield

Question 21

What quotations suggest that Kingsfield is a place of restriction and entrapment?

Answer 21

Ishiguro describes the ‘wire mesh fences’ (page 274) and the ‘big roads beyond the fencing’ (page 214)

Question 22

When describing Kingsfield, what is the significance of Kathy referring to the ‘big road nearby’ (page 274) and ‘traffic on the big roads’ (page 214)

Answer 22

It conveys that Kingsfield is a place that lacks a sense of peace or tranquility, implying it is somewhat unfit for the purpose of a hospital.

Question 23

When trying to locate Kingsfield, why does Ishiguro have Kathy say she had to ‘consult a map a number of times’ (page 214), as well her describing it as ‘out of the way and awkward to get to’ (page 214)

Answer 23

It is intended to convey how Kingsfield has been placed in a remote setting far outside of mainstream society so the human world doesn’t have to confront the immorality of the cloning programme.

Question 24

‘a lot of the rooms you can’t get to with a _________’ (page 214)

Answer 24

wheelchair

Question 25

What is the significance of Kathy saying that at Kingsfield, ‘a lot of the rooms you can’t get to with a wheelchair’ (page 214)

Answer 25

It conveys how Kingsfield is not fit for purpose, portraying the little care the human world has for the clones.

Question 26

What is the significance of Ishiguro calling Tommy’s recovery centre Kingsfield?

Answer 26

As it is neither royal or prestigious (king) nor rural and picturesque (field), it shows how language in the novel is used to mask the truth.