Never Let Me Go (PDF)

1. Kathy's secret game of looking for empty views reveals several aspects of her personality and life at Hailsham. Firstly, the game shows Kathy's introspective and imaginative nature. It shows that she is capable of creating moments of solitude even in a place where individual freedoms are limited...

1. Kathy's secret game of looking for empty views reveals several aspects of her personality and life at Hailsham. Firstly, the game shows Kathy's introspective and imaginative nature. It shows that she is capable of creating moments of solitude even in a place where individual freedoms are limited. This habit shows her need for personal space and peace, her desire for a quieter, more intimate experience life compared to the crowded and overwhelming environment. This part also paints the atmosphere at Hailsham. The fact that Kathy seeks these solitary moments suggests that the school can feel stifling and bustling with students so she deeply cherishes even the small bits of privacy she can get. 2. Kathy's accidental observation of Miss Lucy furiously scribbling over neatly written pages creates a moment of intense emotion and shows an internal conflict of the teacher. Miss Lucy\'s actions, destroying her own work with such aggressive determination, shows her deep frustration or distress. This scene hints that Miss Lucy might be grappling with a problem or dilemma, that Kathy is not yet able to pinpoint. Teachers actions leave Kathy unsettled. Her inability to determine why she feels shame, confusion, and upset at the sight of this reflects, her limited understanding of the complex realities hidden at Hailsham. The sense of fury she feels, although not directed at Miss Lucy, could be tied to the recognition, however subconscious, about the untold truths that adults at Hailsham hold that are hinted trough the story so far. 3. Around this time, Kathy notices that Tommy is becoming more unsettled and emotionally disorientated, reminding her of his younger self, when he was often the target of teasing and prone to sudden outbursts. The change in his behaviour signals that something significant has occurred to disrupt the more composed version of Tommy that he has developed in recent years. We can see that Kathy is observant and empathetic, picking up on these subtle shifts, indicating her deep connection to and concern for Tommy. This growing tension fits into the larger narrative of Hailsham, where the students live in a delicate balance between innocence and the unspoken truths that define their lives. This incident also suggests the impact of these truths slowly coming to light and the internal battles the students face as they start to confront their destinies. 4. The fact that Kathy shares this information in a somewhat detached manner suggests that relationships at Hailsham, while significant to the individuals involved, may not be deeply analysed or openly discussed among the students. Additionally, by keeping the details sparse, Ishiguro creates an air of mystery and tension around personal relationships. This narrative choice serves to emphasize the theme of suppressed desires and the controlled nature of their existence, where even significant emotional connections are overshadowed by the looming reality of their purpose as donors. 5. Kathy talks about how confusing the topic of sex at Hailsham was for the students as well as the guardians. Although the guardians described sex as something beautiful, the students were given mixed messages: there were strict rules around when and where they could be, implying disapproval. This left them uncertain whether sex was encouraged or not. That's why they developed various theories so that they could explain and understand the guardians\' behaviour. These conflicting perspectives reveal the complex, controlled environment at Hailsham and the students' struggle to understand their place and purpose. 6. The students\' attitudes and behaviours were typical of teenagers in several ways. There is a sense of peer pressure and the desire to fit in, as Kathy notes how it felt like everyone was expected to have had sex. In a sense, it became a status symbol, similar to the past pressure around being creative. They created a culture where appearances mattered more than reality, with students implying or exaggerating their experiences without being questioned too deeply. There is also an element of pretending to be more experienced than they actually were, showing their insecurity and need for social validation. 7. Kathy decides that she wants to experience sex, not just out of curiosity but to gain familiarity and practice. She reasons that it would be better to first do it with someone she doesn\'t care about deeply, so she can learn without the pressure of it being emotionally significant. This way, if she wants to do it later on, with someone special, she would feel more confident and prepared. With this practical and detached manner Kathy shows a thoughtful and deliberate approach to control and navigate her experiences and emotions.