"I was talking to one of my donors a few days ago who was complaining about how memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly. But I don't go along with that. The memories I value most, I don't see them ever fading. I lost Ruth, then I lost Tommy, but I won't lose my memories of them." pg.286
It is sad to think that most donors don't remember their most precious memories. I think the loss of memory probably had to do with donations. As the donors' bodies grew weaker after each donation, I imagine their memories grew weaker as well. Kathy does not think her memories will ever fade. But I think they will when she starts donating. She seems to have a great memory, but she has not had any donations yet. I hope none of her memories fade but I think they will because even Tommy and Ruth forgot things about their pasts. Kathy seems to have a very strong memory so maybe she will retain everything until the very end. I, however, will not retain everything; I already forgot what the other book I read was about.
Friday, August 12, 2011
NLMG: the truth is revealed
"You see, we were able to give you something, something which even now no one will ever take from you, and we were able to do that principally by shetering you....sometimes that meant we kept things from you, lied to you....But...we gave you your childhoods."
In some ways, I think Miss Lucy was right. The guardians should not have kept so many secrets from the students and they should have explained things better while the children were still at Hailsham. However, I also think there is some truth to the statement above. In the context of the whole story it is a pretty valid arguement. Although I think the guardians should have been more open with the students, I also believe they did the students a favor by keeping some secrets. As Miss Emily said to Kathy and Tommy, the guardians gave the students their childhoods. By not knowing what lay ahead in their futures, the students were able to live carefree and fun lives as children.
In some ways, I think Miss Lucy was right. The guardians should not have kept so many secrets from the students and they should have explained things better while the children were still at Hailsham. However, I also think there is some truth to the statement above. In the context of the whole story it is a pretty valid arguement. Although I think the guardians should have been more open with the students, I also believe they did the students a favor by keeping some secrets. As Miss Emily said to Kathy and Tommy, the guardians gave the students their childhoods. By not knowing what lay ahead in their futures, the students were able to live carefree and fun lives as children.
NLMG: Litotes
"I wasn't not wanting to go..." pg. 221
The quote above (spoken by Tommy) is a litote. It is an understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through the negation of a negative form. Tommy is telling Kathy and Ruth that he wanted to go see the ship but he was unable. He is saying that he hasn't gone yet because he didn't want to but because he couldn't. What he is talking about going to see is a beached ship. Kathy came to his center and pocked him up and took him, along with Ruth, to see the ship that everyone was talking about. As they were driving, Tommy was asked if he had already seen it and his response was no because he was unable.
The quote above (spoken by Tommy) is a litote. It is an understatement in which the positive form is emphasized through the negation of a negative form. Tommy is telling Kathy and Ruth that he wanted to go see the ship but he was unable. He is saying that he hasn't gone yet because he didn't want to but because he couldn't. What he is talking about going to see is a beached ship. Kathy came to his center and pocked him up and took him, along with Ruth, to see the ship that everyone was talking about. As they were driving, Tommy was asked if he had already seen it and his response was no because he was unable.
NLMG: Metonymy
"They don't know what to say to the whitecoats, they can't make themselves speak up on behalf of their donor." pg. 208
This quote shows how out of place the students are. It shows they don't fit into the outside world. The carers do not even know how the interact with normal humans. They don't know how to address the doctors so they call them whitecoats because that is what doctors wear. Identifying the doctors by something associated with them is called metonymy. This use of metonymy shows the students lack of interaction with the world outside their schools. I feel like the guardians did not prepare the students well enough for the outside world because they do not feel comfortable around doctors. The carers should be able to speak up on behalf of their donors, but they can't because they were not taught how to interact with normal people.
This quote shows how out of place the students are. It shows they don't fit into the outside world. The carers do not even know how the interact with normal humans. They don't know how to address the doctors so they call them whitecoats because that is what doctors wear. Identifying the doctors by something associated with them is called metonymy. This use of metonymy shows the students lack of interaction with the world outside their schools. I feel like the guardians did not prepare the students well enough for the outside world because they do not feel comfortable around doctors. The carers should be able to speak up on behalf of their donors, but they can't because they were not taught how to interact with normal people.
NLMG: Foreshadowing
"After that I think we went back to talking in a more or less friendly way...But the atmosphere never quite righted itself, and when we said our goodnights...we parted without our usual little touches on the arms and shoulders." pg. 202
Ishiguro uses foreshadowing a few times in the novel. One example in particular is the quote above. Kathy and Ruth got into another arguement and it did not end well. Usually at the end of the day they will make up and forget about their arguments. However, this time was different and it foreshadows more tension in their friendship. This event made me feel like something bad was about to happen in their friendship. Then, sure enough something happened. Later in the chapter, Kathy applied to start training as a carer and they never really made up. Soon Kathy was gone and things didn't really end well forthe two friends.
Ishiguro uses foreshadowing a few times in the novel. One example in particular is the quote above. Kathy and Ruth got into another arguement and it did not end well. Usually at the end of the day they will make up and forget about their arguments. However, this time was different and it foreshadows more tension in their friendship. This event made me feel like something bad was about to happen in their friendship. Then, sure enough something happened. Later in the chapter, Kathy applied to start training as a carer and they never really made up. Soon Kathy was gone and things didn't really end well forthe two friends.
NLMG: Turning Point
"But I didn't say or do anything. It was partly, I suppose, that I was so floored by the fact that Ruth would come out with such a trick....I decided just to turn and go." pg. 195
This scene in the book is the turning point. The point where Ruth has pushed things too far. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were having a conversation when Ruth went too far and things couldn't be fixed. Ruth just doesn't know when to stop. She doesn't really care how other people feel and she just speaks her mind as she pleases. She made Tommy feel bad about himself and made Kathy sound like a bad friend. That's what pushed Kathy over the edge, and swayed her decision to apply she applied to be a carer and set out on her own.
This scene in the book is the turning point. The point where Ruth has pushed things too far. Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were having a conversation when Ruth went too far and things couldn't be fixed. Ruth just doesn't know when to stop. She doesn't really care how other people feel and she just speaks her mind as she pleases. She made Tommy feel bad about himself and made Kathy sound like a bad friend. That's what pushed Kathy over the edge, and swayed her decision to apply she applied to be a carer and set out on her own.
NLMG: Imagery
"...a lovely old church about half a mile from the Cottages, which had behind it rambling grounds with very old gravestones leaning in the grass. Everything was overgrown, but it was really peaceful and Ruth had taken to doing a lot of her reading there, near the back railings, on a bench under a big willow." pg. 192
Imagery is a great literary device to help the reader develop a mental picture of the scene taking place in a story. Ishiguro uses imagery to describe Ruth's favorite reading spot. I can picture Ruth sitting on a bench under the willow tree reading one of her books for her essay. The imagery created a great mental pictue of a quite little churchyard that would be greatfor reading. I am not much of a reader, but when I do read I like to be by myself so I can concentrate. So the bench in churchyard seems like the perfect place for me to read. I could almost see myself reading in the churchyard becasue the imagery is so effective.
Imagery is a great literary device to help the reader develop a mental picture of the scene taking place in a story. Ishiguro uses imagery to describe Ruth's favorite reading spot. I can picture Ruth sitting on a bench under the willow tree reading one of her books for her essay. The imagery created a great mental pictue of a quite little churchyard that would be greatfor reading. I am not much of a reader, but when I do read I like to be by myself so I can concentrate. So the bench in churchyard seems like the perfect place for me to read. I could almost see myself reading in the churchyard becasue the imagery is so effective.
NLMG: Art reveals the soul
"she told Roy that things like pictures, poetry, all that kind of stuff, she said they revealed what you were like inside. She said they revealed your soul." pg. 175
I was right; the art is a symbol. It is symbol of one's inner self. Art reveals the soul. That is why art was so important at Hailsham. The guardians believed that art revealed the soul, so each students' work was a reflection of their inner self. Once Tommy realized that art reveals the soul, he began to try harder to be creative. He also came up with a theory about Madame's Gallery. I think Tommy's theory is pretty good, but I do not think there is any substance to the rumored deferrals.
I was right; the art is a symbol. It is symbol of one's inner self. Art reveals the soul. That is why art was so important at Hailsham. The guardians believed that art revealed the soul, so each students' work was a reflection of their inner self. Once Tommy realized that art reveals the soul, he began to try harder to be creative. He also came up with a theory about Madame's Gallery. I think Tommy's theory is pretty good, but I do not think there is any substance to the rumored deferrals.
NLMG: Tone
"When I got outside, it was obvious the excitement from when we'd first arrived had evaporated completely. We walked in silence...through little backstreets...It was a relief to come out onto the High street where the noise made our rotten mood less obvious." pg. 156
The tone shifts a lot in this novel, particularly in this scene that the above quote was taken from. To start out, the tone is lighthearted as the group takes a trip to Norfolk. However, the tone becomes tense as the characters' moods sour. In this section, there is a lot of tension between Kathy and Ruth. The tone directs the story towards the tension and frustration growing between the two friends. It even foreshadows future tension between the friends and in their relationship.
The tone shifts a lot in this novel, particularly in this scene that the above quote was taken from. To start out, the tone is lighthearted as the group takes a trip to Norfolk. However, the tone becomes tense as the characters' moods sour. In this section, there is a lot of tension between Kathy and Ruth. The tone directs the story towards the tension and frustration growing between the two friends. It even foreshadows future tension between the friends and in their relationship.
NLMG: Anecdote
"She'd been talking about offices right from the start of the winter, but when it really took on life, when it became her "dream future," was after that morning she and I walked into the village." pg. 143
This story is full of anecdotes. Kathy is constantly telling the reader little stories about her past. The anecdotes do a great job of helping the reader get to know Kathy and her friends. It also makes it intimate between Kathy and the reader. Kathy shares her thoughts and feelings in her anecdotes. Kathy also comments on how she acted in some of her stories and how she realizes different things now that she is looking back. The quote above is part of an anecdote about Ruth. Kathy is describing a time when Ruth talked a lot about her "dream future." Not only do Kathy's anecdotes reveal things about herself, but they also reveal things about her friends.
This story is full of anecdotes. Kathy is constantly telling the reader little stories about her past. The anecdotes do a great job of helping the reader get to know Kathy and her friends. It also makes it intimate between Kathy and the reader. Kathy shares her thoughts and feelings in her anecdotes. Kathy also comments on how she acted in some of her stories and how she realizes different things now that she is looking back. The quote above is part of an anecdote about Ruth. Kathy is describing a time when Ruth talked a lot about her "dream future." Not only do Kathy's anecdotes reveal things about herself, but they also reveal things about her friends.
NLMG: Clones and Possibles
"Since each of us was copied at some point from a normal person, there must be, for each of us, somewhere out there, a model getting on with his or her life." pg. 139
Copied from normal people...what? Wow,I didn't expect the students to be clones. However, it explains a lot of my unanswered questions. Now I understand why no one objected to the donations. The students do not have parents to object for them. This also might explain why Madame was afraid of the students. The students being clones also explains what Miss Lucy meant when she it's what they were "created" for. She meant that they were literally created by man for the sole purpose of donations. Well, I'm glad that some of my questions have been answered and I look forward to reading more.
Copied from normal people...what? Wow,I didn't expect the students to be clones. However, it explains a lot of my unanswered questions. Now I understand why no one objected to the donations. The students do not have parents to object for them. This also might explain why Madame was afraid of the students. The students being clones also explains what Miss Lucy meant when she it's what they were "created" for. She meant that they were literally created by man for the sole purpose of donations. Well, I'm glad that some of my questions have been answered and I look forward to reading more.
NLMG: A love-hate relationship
"Those early months at the Cottages had been a strange time in our friendship. We were quarrelling over all kinds if little things, but at the same time we were confiding in each other more than ever." pg. 126
Kathy and Ruth have been best friends since they were little. However, I don't really understand how they are such great friends. Ruth is not always the nicest peson to be around, while Kathy almost always seems to be a great friend. Ruth is definately two-faced and Kathy began to notice it when they moved to the Cottages. Ruth seeks attention and popularity and she doesn't seem to care who she hurts along the way. So far, Kathy has stood by her and even defended her, but during their time at the Cottages they seem to be growing apart more and more. I think Kathy and Ruth will reach a breaking point where they will become quite distant.
Kathy and Ruth have been best friends since they were little. However, I don't really understand how they are such great friends. Ruth is not always the nicest peson to be around, while Kathy almost always seems to be a great friend. Ruth is definately two-faced and Kathy began to notice it when they moved to the Cottages. Ruth seeks attention and popularity and she doesn't seem to care who she hurts along the way. So far, Kathy has stood by her and even defended her, but during their time at the Cottages they seem to be growing apart more and more. I think Kathy and Ruth will reach a breaking point where they will become quite distant.
NLMG: Predestined
"Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adults, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do." pg. 81
What kind of place is Hailsham? How are the students lives already set for them? I know the guardians keep saying that the students are special, but I don't understand why. I also don't understand donations. Why do the students have to donate their vital organs? And why do their parents allow this to take place? What does Miss Lucy mean when she said that's what the students were created to do? I do not like that the students cannot choose to do what they will with their lives. If someone told me my life was already set for me, I would do everything I could to live the life I want. I don't care if I was told I was special and I have a purpose to fulfill; I would live my life as I pleased. People are born with free will and I don't think that should be taken away by choosng someone's life for them.
What kind of place is Hailsham? How are the students lives already set for them? I know the guardians keep saying that the students are special, but I don't understand why. I also don't understand donations. Why do the students have to donate their vital organs? And why do their parents allow this to take place? What does Miss Lucy mean when she said that's what the students were created to do? I do not like that the students cannot choose to do what they will with their lives. If someone told me my life was already set for me, I would do everything I could to live the life I want. I don't care if I was told I was special and I have a purpose to fulfill; I would live my life as I pleased. People are born with free will and I don't think that should be taken away by choosng someone's life for them.
NLMG: Norfolk-something to believe in
"...That day Tommy and I found another copy of that lost tape of mine in a town on the Norfolk coast, we didn't just think it pretty funny; we both felt deep down some tug, some old wish to believe again in something that was once close to our hearts." pg. 67
Every child finds something to believe in as they grow up. It's natural. I believed in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny when I was younger. It was all part of the fun of being a little kid. I think believing in Santa is kind of like the concept of Norfolk. As students at Hailsham, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy learned about Norfolk in geography class. Norfolk was described as the "lost cornor of Europe." Hailsham also had a "lost cornor" for lost and found items, so the students liked to think all the things they ever lost went to Norfolk. It's not unusal for kids to believe in irrational things such as this. Sometimes I wish I still believed in Santa and the Easter Bunny because it made the holidays more fun and exciting. That's why when Kathy and Tommy found the lost tape in Norfolk it gave them something to hold onto and believe in from their past.
Every child finds something to believe in as they grow up. It's natural. I believed in Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny when I was younger. It was all part of the fun of being a little kid. I think believing in Santa is kind of like the concept of Norfolk. As students at Hailsham, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy learned about Norfolk in geography class. Norfolk was described as the "lost cornor of Europe." Hailsham also had a "lost cornor" for lost and found items, so the students liked to think all the things they ever lost went to Norfolk. It's not unusal for kids to believe in irrational things such as this. Sometimes I wish I still believed in Santa and the Easter Bunny because it made the holidays more fun and exciting. That's why when Kathy and Tommy found the lost tape in Norfolk it gave them something to hold onto and believe in from their past.
NLMG: Why so many secrets?
"All I can tell you today is that it's for a good reason. A very important reason. But if I tried to explain it to you now, I don't think you'd understand. One day, it'll be explained to you." pg. 40
Secrets! They seem to be a big part of Kathy's life. And not just Kathy, but all the students at Hailsham are surround by secrets. Everything about Hailsham seems to be one big secret. So far I haven't really learned the purpose of the school or why the students are there. What can't Miss Lucy tell the students? Miss Lucy appears to care for the students a lot but something is holding her back from telling them the truth. Miss Lucy is different from the oulther gaurdians; she wants to tell the students the truth, but she is not allowed. Hopefully the truth will come out soon enough because I don't really understand everything that is happening and the secrets don't make it any easier to understand.
Secrets! They seem to be a big part of Kathy's life. And not just Kathy, but all the students at Hailsham are surround by secrets. Everything about Hailsham seems to be one big secret. So far I haven't really learned the purpose of the school or why the students are there. What can't Miss Lucy tell the students? Miss Lucy appears to care for the students a lot but something is holding her back from telling them the truth. Miss Lucy is different from the oulther gaurdians; she wants to tell the students the truth, but she is not allowed. Hopefully the truth will come out soon enough because I don't really understand everything that is happening and the secrets don't make it any easier to understand.
NLMG: Why is Madame afraid of the students?
"And I can still see it now, the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real dread that one of us would accidentally brush against her....Ruth had been right: Madame was afraid of us. But she was afraid of us in the same way someone might be afraid of spiders." pg. 35
Thus far, I have found this book to be quite interesting. It is very different from what I usually read. It is rather strange, but it is also interesting enought to hold my attention. I feel like everytime I read part of the book something weird happens. For example, when the children surprise Madame as she leaves the school, the children can tell she is genuinely scared of them. But why is she afraid of the students? Does Madame have a good reason for being afaid of the students? I want to know why she is afaid of them. After all they are just children, what's there to be scared of? I think it has something to do with what "they were created for" that was mentioned earlier in the story and the fact that they are "special." As I continue reading I will be looking for a reason to explain why Madame was afaid of the students because this particular incident really caught my attention.
Thus far, I have found this book to be quite interesting. It is very different from what I usually read. It is rather strange, but it is also interesting enought to hold my attention. I feel like everytime I read part of the book something weird happens. For example, when the children surprise Madame as she leaves the school, the children can tell she is genuinely scared of them. But why is she afraid of the students? Does Madame have a good reason for being afaid of the students? I want to know why she is afaid of them. After all they are just children, what's there to be scared of? I think it has something to do with what "they were created for" that was mentioned earlier in the story and the fact that they are "special." As I continue reading I will be looking for a reason to explain why Madame was afaid of the students because this particular incident really caught my attention.
NLMG: Flashbacks
"It must have been a Friday or a weekend, because I remember we had on our own clothes. I don't remember exactly what Tommy was wearing-probably one of the raggy football shirts he wore even when the weather was chilly-but I definitely had on the maroon track suit top that zipped up the front, which I'd got at a Sale in Senior 1." pg.25-26
So far, this novel has been full of flashbacks. The story is told by a young woman remembering her life growing up. Most of the novel consists of Kathy talking about her past through a series of flashbacks. The way this novel is written kind of reminds me of a novel we had to read last summer for AP Lang. The novel was called A Separate Peice. It was written in the same format as Never Let Me Go, where an adult tells the story of his or her childhood through a series of flashbacks. I think it is a very effective style if writing and that is why authors use it.
So far, this novel has been full of flashbacks. The story is told by a young woman remembering her life growing up. Most of the novel consists of Kathy talking about her past through a series of flashbacks. The way this novel is written kind of reminds me of a novel we had to read last summer for AP Lang. The novel was called A Separate Peice. It was written in the same format as Never Let Me Go, where an adult tells the story of his or her childhood through a series of flashbacks. I think it is a very effective style if writing and that is why authors use it.
NLMG: Creating
"A lot of the time, how you were regarded at Hailsham, how much you were liked and respected, had to do with how good you were at 'creating.'" pg. 16
Why is art so important at Hailsham? I don't understand why everyone makes such a fuss over Tommy not being creative. Why does it matter that he is not very good at drawing and painting?Is there some deeper meaning to the students' art? The only reason I can think of for art being so important is that it is a symbol. The students' arts tands for something else. I am not sure what it is a symbol for, but I hope to find out. There must be a deeper meaning to being creative, otherwise it would not hold such high importance at Hailsham.
Why is art so important at Hailsham? I don't understand why everyone makes such a fuss over Tommy not being creative. Why does it matter that he is not very good at drawing and painting?Is there some deeper meaning to the students' art? The only reason I can think of for art being so important is that it is a symbol. The students' arts tands for something else. I am not sure what it is a symbol for, but I hope to find out. There must be a deeper meaning to being creative, otherwise it would not hold such high importance at Hailsham.
NLMG: First Person Point of View
"This was all a long time ago so I might have some of it wrong; but my memory of it is that my approaching Tommy that afternoon was part of a phase I was going through around that time-something to do with compulsively setting myself challenges-and I'd more or less forgotten about it when Tommy stopped me a few days later." pg. 13
First person narration gives the reader insight into the narrators mind and feelings. Kathy's first person narration of the novel establishes a kind of intimacy between the narrator and the reader. As the reader, I have direct access to Kathy's thoughts and emotions. This is effective because the reader gets to know the narrator throughout the story. However, there is a downside to first person narration. Some of the details that another charater noticed may be left out because the character telling the story did not notice the details. I wonder how the story would have turned out if Ruth or Tommy had been the narrator. I think it would almost seem like an completely different story if told from another perspective because the characters are so different.
First person narration gives the reader insight into the narrators mind and feelings. Kathy's first person narration of the novel establishes a kind of intimacy between the narrator and the reader. As the reader, I have direct access to Kathy's thoughts and emotions. This is effective because the reader gets to know the narrator throughout the story. However, there is a downside to first person narration. Some of the details that another charater noticed may be left out because the character telling the story did not notice the details. I wonder how the story would have turned out if Ruth or Tommy had been the narrator. I think it would almost seem like an completely different story if told from another perspective because the characters are so different.
NLMG: already confused
"My name is Kathy H. I'm thirty-one years old, and I've been a cared now for over eleven years." pg. 3
In the beginning of the novel, there is a feeling that the reader is not being told everything. There were certain things that led me to the conclusion that some information was withheld. For example, the narrator Kathy talks about being a carer and donations. What is a carer? What are donations? From what I understand, a carer is sort of like a doctor or a nurse and donations have to do with humans donating organs. However, I am not sure because Kathy does not explain what these things are. Kathy also mentions Hailsham, the school she grew up at and how Hailsham students are special. I want to know more about Hailsham and donations. I did not understand the first chapter right away because somethings were left unsaid, but I am curious to find out more as I read.
In the beginning of the novel, there is a feeling that the reader is not being told everything. There were certain things that led me to the conclusion that some information was withheld. For example, the narrator Kathy talks about being a carer and donations. What is a carer? What are donations? From what I understand, a carer is sort of like a doctor or a nurse and donations have to do with humans donating organs. However, I am not sure because Kathy does not explain what these things are. Kathy also mentions Hailsham, the school she grew up at and how Hailsham students are special. I want to know more about Hailsham and donations. I did not understand the first chapter right away because somethings were left unsaid, but I am curious to find out more as I read.
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