What do the cottages represent in Never Let Me Go?
Analysis. While Hailsham is associated with childhood, the Cottages represent a transitional phase between childhood and adulthood. Accordingly, life at the Cottages is less supervised than life at Hailsham.
What does Hailsham symbolize?
Hailsham. Hailsham symbolizes the idea that clones are human beings, not just medical procedures. The guardians at Hailsham treat the children well and teach them to take care of each other. For the clones who did not go there, Hailsham represents the idea that some clones have more privileges than others.
Why does Kathy leave the cottages?
Kathy makes a reference to Hailsham, and Ruth claims not to know what she is talking about. Kathy thinks Ruth is feigning ignorance and calls her on it. However, Ruth continues to pretend, and so they continue their conversation. Soon afterward, Kathy makes her decision to leave the Cottages to become a carer.
What does Kathy and Tommy’s experience in Norfolk suggest about the symbolic meaning of both the Judy Bridgewater tape and Norfolk?
For Kathy, the Bridgewater tape embodies her innocence at Hailsham, and her desire for physical and emotional connection with other people—with lovers, with children. For Tommy, the tape also embodies this long lost emotional connection—Tommy wants desperately for Kathy to find the tape again in Norfolk.
What do the woods symbolize in Never Let Me Go?
The woods behind Hailsham symbolise realities of which the donor children only have a vague awareness.
What are the themes in Never Let Me Go?
Themes
- The Relentless Passage of Time and the Inevitability of Loss. Although she is only thirty-one at the start of the novel, Kathy has almost reached the end of her life.
- The Power of Memory. Kathy copes with the losses in her life by turning to memories of the past.
- The Dignity of Human Life.
Why is the novel called Never Let Me Go?
As a child at Hailsham, Kathy acquires a cassette tape of the Judy Bridgewater album Songs after Dark at one of the Sales. Her favorite track on the album, “Never Let Me Go,” gives the novel its title. The song symbolizes both the depths of human love and the fear of losing those whom one loves.
What happens to Kathy in Never Let Me Go?
Kathy spends over eleven years as a carer, traveling between donor centers. She really likes her job. After learning that Hailsham has closed down, Kathy decides to become Ruth’s carer. After learning that deferrals don’t exist and that Tommy will soon give his fourth donation, Kathy finds Tommy a new carer.
What happens to Ruth in Never Let Me Go?
After serving as a carer, Ruth becomes a donor. She has a rough first donation, but pulls through. Ruth gets a new carer in her old friend Kathy. During a road trip to see a stranded boat, Ruth tells Tommy and Kathy that she wants them to find Madame and apply for a deferral.
What is the secret guard in Never Let Me Go?
As its name suggests, the guard lets the students imagine themselves as “guardians” who protect Miss Geraldine and hold secret information. The secret guard also gives the students a privileged, if make-believe, connection to Miss Geraldine, a guardian beloved for her kindness.
Where do Ruth Kathy and Tommy go with the veterans on a trip?
The idea that the trip might get cancelled has Ruth really upset. But, happily, things get sorted out, and Chrissie, Rodney, Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy are on their way to the seaside town along the coast of Norfolk. With any longish car ride, there’s always a little bit of bickering.
What was the Morningdale scandal?
Miss Emily also mentions the Morningdale scandal, which involved a scientist called James Morningdale creating a superior species of being. He was forced to finish his work as people did not want children who were superior to everyone else.
What does Tommy accidentally do when Kathy touches his arm?
She walks over to Tommy and tries to calm him down, but he continues to flail his arms and accidentally hits her in the face. Kathy points out that his shirt is covered in mud. Tommy brushes off her concern, but then seems to regret it.
Why was Hailsham closed down?
Miss Emily and Madame showed the students’ artwork at special exhibitions to prove to the public that clones had souls. Hailsham closed after losing all its sponsors, and large government “homes” became the only option for raising students.
Why was Hailsham created?
Hailsham, and a small number of other institutions like it, were started in the 1960s as a reform movement designed to show that clones could be raised in humane conditions and accorded human dignity, even if clone and organ programs continued operating.
What is Hailsham and why was it built?
1540 to 1640: Hailsham was one of the chief centres of leatherwork and tanning (using local oak bark) due to being a thriving cattle market town. 1542: Fleur-de-Lys Inn built in Market Street (later to be the Parish Workhouse, and now Town Council Offices).
Did Kathy love Tommy?
The triangle is a standard one: Kathy is attracted to Tommy; Tommy gets involved with Ruth, who is also Kathy’s best friend; Ruth knows that Tommy is really in love with Kathy; Kathy gets Tommy in the end, although they both realize that it is too late, and that they have missed their best years.
How does Kathy feel about Tommy?
Kathy is shown to have sympathetic feelings towards Tommy, when she goes over to comfort him and tell him about his beloved polo shirt becoming dirty. Ruth also appears in this section, though not as much as Kathy or Tommy. In this section she is shown to be sympathetic towards Tommy, but not as much as Kathy is.