Name:______________
Ms Paine 12 English Studies
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Study Questions - answers.
PART ONE – HAILSHAM
1. Look closely at the opening of Never Let Me Go. Who is Kathy H? What details are revealed about her life and
role in society?
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Setting – “England, late 1990s”.
“My name is Kathy H. I’m thirty one years old, and I’ve been a carer now for over eleven years. That sounds long enough, I know,
but actually they want me to on for another eight months, until the end of the year.” (CH1, pg.1)
Kathy H is a carer for organ donors, considered good at her job as her donors are rarely “agitated” (CH1, pg.1)
Her role is subject to an external authority who she calls “they”.
Sensitive – “I’ve developed a kind of instinct around donors. I know when to hang around and comfort them, when to leave
them to themselves….etc” ( CH1 pg.1)
Kathy H went to Hailsham, which is regarded as an idyllic place by other clones.
2. Kathy H is the primary narrator of Never Let Me Go? What evidence that she is aware of her own fallibility as a
narrator? Does this make her a reliable or unreliable narrator? Why?
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Kathy H is aware of her own fallibility as a narrator, as she makes several comments to this effect as she addresses the reader.
o “So, I’m not trying to boast….Okay, maybe I am boasting now.” (CH1, pg.1)
o “Or maybe I’m remembering it wrong.” (CH1, pg.8)
o “This was all a long time ago so I might have some of it wrong…” (CH2, pg. 13)
o “…that I’ve been getting this urge to order all these old memories” (CH4, pg. 37)
o “Maybe I’ve exaggerated it in my mind, but I’ve got an impression of thing changing rapidly around then, like day into
night.” (CH7, pg. 76)
The reader is constantly reminded through-out the text that Kathy is an unreliable narrator, and that the story is her attempt to
“order all these old memories”, but that she “maybe…[be] remembering it wrong”. This uncertainty affects the reader’s
understanding of the narrative, as they are constantly reminded of the constructed nature of Kathy’s stories and memories and
how it might be different if someone else was telling the same story.
However, by admitting her own fallibility as a narrator, the reader also sees Kathy H as honest, making her version of events
more trustworthy. (NOTE: This creates an interesting tension for the reader as to whether they should trust Kathy. Consider
at the end of the novel how events might be retold from either Ruth or Tommy’s point of view?)
3. The relationship between Kathy, Ruth and Tommy is at the centre of Never Let Me Go. For each character, do the
following:
a. Describe their personality and social interactions with evidence from the novel. How does each character
change in Part One?
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Kathy H - “carer” pg. 3. / follower/ perceptive
One of the first details Kathy reveals about herself in the novel, is that she is a carer.
She portrays herself as being more sensitive and caring than others in the novel. eg. Kathy attempts to intervene during
Tommy’s temper tantrum, and warn him that he will get his favourite shirt dirty, and he accidentally strikes her.
Perceptive - observes the changes in Tommy, who no longer violently reacts when other boys torment him.
Ruth - leader, dominant:
o “and I realised everyone was waiting for Ruth’s response.” (CH2 pg.15)
o “…that it was just to do with me and Ruth, and the sort of loyalty she inspired in me in those days.” (CH5 pg.55)
o shown as leader through the “Secret Guards” incident and the way she ostracises Kathy H
Tommy - good natured, naïve, violent temper
refuses to be “creative” and conform, so is seen as a “layabout” and tormented by the other boys
changes after Miss Lucy tells him its okay for him not to be as creative as others( CH3 pg. 29)
b. Describe their relationship and attitude towards each other?
i.
Kathy and Ruth
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Kathy H follows Ruth, like many other students. She is upset when she is ostracised by Ruth out of the “secret guards”.
“There’s a particular memory I have of sitting by myself one evening on one of the benches outside the pavilion trying to think of
some way out, while a heavy mix of remorse and frustration brought me virtually to tears.” CH 6, pg. 62
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Kathy H feels guilty about finding out that Ruth didn’t receive her pencil case from a guardian as she had led the others to
believe, but sourced through the Exchanges.
Much of Part One involves Kathy H having disagreements with Ruth, being ostracised, before becoming her friend again.
ii.
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iii.
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Kathy and Tommy
Kathy and Tommy are close friends and confidants.
Ishiguro often depicts them having private conversations apart from the rest of Hailsham. Often they seek out privacy, such as in
the lunch queue or by the pond.
Later on, another student says that Kathy will be the next one to date Tommy, when he and Ruth break-up.
Ruth and Tommy
Intially refers to Tommy as that “Mad animal” CH1 pg. 12 - even the clones think of themselves as different from the rest of
society.
Later becomes girlfriend and boyfriend, despite Ruth’s previous dislike of Tommy and his moods.
4. How is Hailsham described throughout Part One by Kathy H?
a. Describe the attitude towards Hailsham and its students by other donors.
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Idealize Hailsham - Kathy H refers to a donor who says “I bet that was a beautiful place”.
Takes on a mythological status for this donor, as Kathy recounts all the details of her childhood, which she realises that he wishes
to substitute for his own.
This event illustrates how other donors and carers see Hailsham as a privileged and idyllic place to attend.
Furthermore, some believe that Kathy H receives preferential treatment as she attended Hailsham.
b. What features of a typical boarding school does Hailsham have? (You might like to compare it to Hogwarts in
the Harry Potter novels).
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dormitories - where students talk after dark
sports matches and a sports pavilion
children/teenagers who whisper, gossip, bully, ostracise and value peer groups
dining room, art room etc
sex talks from teachers
subjects such as geography, art and sport are taught
c. What signs are there that the students and Hailsham are not a normal school?
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“‘Quiet’ places were often the worst because there was always someone likely to be passing within in earshot” CH2 p. 13.
Clones are taught about the rest of the world through calendars that depict each of the counties of England.
“I’ll be driving through Derbyshire, say, and catch myself looking for a particular village green with a mock-Tudor pub and a war
memorial - and realise that it’s the image Miss Emily showed us the first time I ever heard of Derbyshire.” (CH 6, p. 69).
Highlights the separation between the clones at Hailsham and the rest of England, as to learn about the outside world they rely
on old calendars for each county.
Clones are constantly reminded to look after their body and not smoke, and have weekly medical check-ups to ensure their
health.
Clones are infertile.
d. What are the Exchanges? Why are they so important to the students of Hailsham? What do they symbolise
for the students?
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The Exchanges are when students swap artwork.
They are significant for the clones, as creativity amongst the students and guardians is highly valued, and in the Exchanges they
can swap items for artworks. Like the sales, the exchanges also enable the students to gain personal possessions and be
different from other clones.
e. Who are the “guardians”? How is Ms Lucy so different from the other “guardians”? What does she reveal to
the students and privately to Tommy?
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The “guardians” are the adult teachers, who run Hailsham and care for the clones. Ms Lucy is different from the other staff, as
she seems upset by the clones’ fate as donors and feels that they should be told more about this. She seems to see the clones
more as people, as evidenced in the way she reassures Tommy that it is okay not to be “creative.”
f.
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How does Ishiguro use a range of techniques to create a sense of nostalgia for Hailsham in this section
Kathy H frequently refers to events in Hailsham happening during “Summer” which is usually associated with positive
experiences.
“The early years…tend to blur into each other as a kind of golden time” CH7 pg. 76 - The color “gold” is often associated with
summer.
“feeling a sort of glow” (CH7 pg.76)
“treasure” her attitude to her memories of Hailsham (CH7 pg.76)
She also describes how towards the end she had “an impression of things changing rapidly around then, like day moving into
night.” (CH 7, pg. 76) This simile associates Kathy H’s childhood at Hailsham with the “day”, but as she becomes a teenager and
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matures she likens it to the “night”, which reflects her own uncertainty about herself, Ruth, Tommy and their place in the wider
world.
Often looks for Hailsham as she criscrosses the country as a carer. (CH1 pg.6)
5. What is the “Gallery” (CH 3)? Why is it considered so important to the students of Hailsham? Why do you think
the “guardians” and “Madame” encourage the students and their creative pursuits? What might it reveal about
the clones to the outside world?
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“Everyone talked about it as though it existed, though in truth none of us knew for sure that it did.” (CH3 pg.31)
“If you wanted to praise someone’s work, you’d say: “That’s good enough for the Gallery”. (CH3 pg.32)
The Hailsham students believe the “gallery” is where the best artwork in Hailsham is sent. It was collected by the mysterious
“Madame” who turned up once or twice a year to select the very best artwork by the clones artwork. The students are never
formally told about the “gallery” by the guardians, rather it is a rumor that is passed between the generations at Hailsham.
The guardians encourage the Hailsham students to be creative and make different artworks, such as paintings, drawings, poems
and sculptures, so as to show that these scientifically created clones are capable of imagination and hence have a “soul”. By
collecting evidence of the students’s artwork, the guardians might hope to prove that the clones are more like real people and
have another future, not involving donations.
The connection between the students’ artwork and their purpose as donors in the future is made explicit in Tommy’s recount of
his conversation with Miss Lucy, who tells him that he is “as good as any she’s ever come across, never mind how creative you
are” (CH3, pg.28) before beginning to shake “with rage”. She also tells Tommy that she believe they “weren’t being taught
enough” about the Donation process. By linking creativity with the Donation process, Ishiguro is revealing how Hailsham is
being used as an experiment to prove that clones have a “soul” (or humanity.)
6. Look at Chapter 6, and the story of Kathy H’s favourite song, “Never Let Me Go”, by Judy Bridgewater.
a. What does the young Kathy H think the song “Never Let Me Go” is about?
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Kathy H believes the song is about a woman who has been told that she can never have children, but then has a miracle baby.
The woman, according to Kathy H fears that her baby will be taken away or fall ill, and so she sings to it “Never Let Me Go” from
the chorus of the Judy Bridgewater song.
b. Who observes Kathy H singing and dancing to song? How is their reaction so different to earlier in the book,
when confronted by the clones?
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The young Kathy H has been singing and dancing along to the song, clutching a metaphorical baby in the form of the pillow so is
shocked to see as it ends, Madame looking into the room and crying. This is one of the few times that Kathy H mentions a
guardian revealing any sort of emotion to a clone at Hailsham. Furthermore, despite Madame still acting like the other clones
“gave her the creeps” according to Kathy H, “there was something else, something extra in her look” and sobs, that she “couldn’t
fathom” (CH6, pg.71).
c. Look at the song’s title, “Never Let Me Go” and consider the implication of those words in light of Kathy H’s
role as a carer and the clones’ relationship with the larger dystopian world. You might like to think what they
might mean in the context of a variety of different relationships – wife to husband, child to parent, lover to
lover, and so on.
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Kathy H’s clutching of the metaphorical baby in the form of a pillow and crooning to it “Never Let Me Go”, reminds the reader,
that despite the clones being infertile, they still desire to fill some emotional connection to someone as in a mother with a child.
This has already been seen in the way Ruth hints that one of the guardians has given her a pencil case.
At Hailsham, there is no evidence of either a paternal or maternal figure for the clones, who are instead raised by guardians who
are meant to keep their emotional distance from the children. The song, “Never Let Me Go”, and Kathy H’s strong reaction to it,
highlights how much the clones desire to belong to someone or something, apart from other clones.
Furthermore, the title “Never Let Me Go” of both the song and Ishiguro’s novel aptly describes how clones’ like Kathy H relate to
society, as they refuse to rebel and escape the donor system; and instead see it as a secure place to belong. Kathy H even says
that she will “welcome the chance to rest” (CH4, pg.37) , when she becomes a donor.
7. The use of analepsis (or flashbacks) in Never Let Me Go.
“A flashback or analepsis is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point in the
story. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story's primary sequence of events to
fill in crucial backstory. In the opposite direction, a flashforward (or prolepsis) reveals events that will occur in the
future. Both flashback and flashforward are used to create suspense in a story, develop a character, or add
structure to the narrative. In literature, internal analepsis is a flashback to an earlier point in the narrative;
external analepsis is a flashback to a time before the narrative started.”
(Accessed on 09/03/15 - <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashback_(narrative)>)
Many of the events in Never Let Me Go are told through analepsis as the narrator, Kathy H, reflects on her childhood at
Hailsham and how this has affected her later. Find an example in Part One, where Kathy H’s narrative transitions from her
present life as a carer to her memories of Hailsham.
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a. Note down the context for the analepsis and the events recounted. Explain why they seem significant to
Kathy H.
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The first example of analepsis occurs in the opening chapter. Kathy H describes how that even as she criscrosses the countryside
in her role as a carer, she watches out for Hailsham. In particular, she looks for Hailsham’s sports pavilion. Ishiguro describes
how Kathy even “turned the car and went back for a second look” (CH1, ) when she spotted one in Worcestershire that was very
similar to the one at Hailsham.
b. Analyse the techniques in your example that Ishiguro uses to create a split between the present and past in
Never Let Me Go.
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Analeptic device - Kathy H reflects and then flashback to Hailsham and description of event.
Often after event is recounted - next chapter begins with a return to the present, and comments about the nature of memory.
This obsession with finding Hailsham and in particular its sports pavilion is used as a device by Ishiguro to transition the reader
from the present experiences of Kathy H to her memories of Hailsham, as she then begins to recount how much she and the
other children “loved” their “sports pavilion” and the reasons why.
8. Passages for close reading.
a. INTRODUCTION: Look closely at the following opening passage from the novel – from “My name is Kathy H”
(CH1, pg 3) to “Tommy, Ruth, Me, all the rest of us” (CH1, pg. 6) and answer these questions.
i.
What mood and tone is created through her narration in this passage? How?
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Tone is one of personal reflection and looking back at the past.
The first person narrator directly addresses the reader - “My name is Kathy H. I’m thirty-one years old, and I’ve been a carer
for over eleven years.” (CH1, pg. 1)
Language style is informal and colloquial, with a conversational tone:
o Use of contractions and abbreviations - “That’ll”, “who’ve”, “they’ve” (CH1, pg. 1)
o Short ungrammatical sentences (akin to someone speaking) “So I’m not trying to boast.” (CH1, pg. 1)
o Colloquialisms - “a complete waste of space” (CH1, pg. 1)
The narrator assumes that reader is another clone and self-defensively adopts a second person narrative position at one point
- “And why shouldn’t they? Carers aren’t machines. You try and do your best for every donor, but in the end it wears you
down.” (CH1, pg. 1)
Narrator questions the reader - “And anyway, if I’d never started choosing, how would I ever have got close again to Ruth and
Tommy after all those years?” (CH1)
Constant repetitive use of the personal “I”
Emphasis is on the passage of time, as there are six different references to the number of years a clone can be a carer for.
Told in the past tense, which is consistent with a normal recount - “There have been times over the years when I’ve tried to
leave Hailsham behind, when I’ve told myself I shouldn’t look back so much.” (CH1)
ii.
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Note down the nomenclature used to describe the clone and donor system in this world – “carer”,
“completion” etc. How does the meaning of these words differ from their usual definitions? What
effect do these euphemisms have upon you as the reader?
Nomenclature
o “Donor” - clone who donates their organs
o “Carer” - clone who cares for other donors
o “recovery centre” - where donors are looked after by carers, as they recover from their operation
o “recovery times have been impressive” - medical jargon normally associated with recovery from operations.
o “hardly any of them have been classified as ‘agitated’, even before fourth donation” - words “classified” and “agitated”
are the kind of words typically found on a person’s medical records “fourth donation” is the last donation that a clone
can make before dying.
o “my donors staying ‘calm’” - again another commonly used word to describe a patient’s start.
o “hadn’t gone well” - medical euphemism for saying someone is dying.
o “He knew he was close to completing” - euphemism for a clone completing the purpose for which they are created, as
a donor.
o “they” - the invisible system that controls the carer, donor and clone system.
o “much better than expected” - patient/ donor recovering better than normal from an operation.
Many of the phrases typically associated with a medical setting, ironically mean the opposite in this dystopian world. For
instance if a clone is doing “much better than expected” after a donation, than they can make another one which brings them
closer to “completing” or dying; whereas this wouldn’t be true of normal patient etc.
b. Madame and the Gallery: Look closely at the following passage from the novel – from “The autumn I’m now
talking about” (CH3 pg.33) to “troubling and strange” (CH3 pg.36).
i.
Why do Ruth and the other girls decide to “swarm” around Madame?
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Ruth and the girls decide to “swarm” around Madame, to test Ruth’s theory that she is not “snooty” but rather is afraid of the
clones (CH3 pg.32-33).
ii.
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“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.“ (CH3, pg.35)
Ishiguro likens Madame’s reaction to being surrounded by the clone children as similar to a fear of “spiders” where the
children are the insects. This simile highlights the disgust and fear that normal people have when dealing with the clones.
iii.
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Why is Madame’s reaction so troubling to Kathy and the other students? What does it reveal about
society and its attitude towards the clones?
“It had never occurred to us to wonder how we would feel, being seen like that, being the spiders.” (CH3, pg.35)
“…it was like we’d walked from the sun right into chilly shade.” (CH3, pg.35)
Kathy and the other students are confused by Madame’s reaction, as despite her “gallery” where the best of their artwork is
sent, she still fears the students like spiders. For Kathy and the other students, Madame’s revulsion and fear is really the first
time they fully understand how much of the wider world views the clones. Madame’s reaction epitomises the attitude of
progressives in society, who believe the clones have a soul and should be treated well in centres like Hailsham, but still struggle
with their own revulsion against these children produced by science.
iv.
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What simile is used to describe Madame’s reaction to the students? How does this reflect her attitude
to the clones?
Find another simile that Kathy uses to describe this moment, and explain why Ishiguro has used it at
this stage of the narrative.
“The first time you glimpse yourself through the eyes of a person like that, it’s a cold moment. Its like walking past a mirror
you’ve walked past every day of your life, and suddenly it shows something else, something troubling and strange.” (CH3 pg.36)
Ishiguro uses the simile of looking into a mirror and seeing something strange and unexpected in the reflection, to describe
how Kathy H’s epiphany at Madame’s reaction. It is an important moment in Kathy H’s life as it is the first time, that she really
fully understands how the rest of the world, even those most sympathetic to the clones, views the students.
c. Kathy and Ruth: Look closely at the following passage from the novel – from “But that’s not really what I want
to talk about…” (CH4 pg.45) to “over the next several days” (CH4, pg.48).
i.
Describe the interaction between Kathy and Ruth. Why do you think Kathy finds it so memorable?
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One of Kathy H’s first memories of Ruth is being invited to play an imaginary game with Ruth at age six. Ruth has a series of
imaginary horses such as “Bramble” and “Thunder” that she lets Kathy H ride, but only after carefully instructing her on how to
manage them (CH4, pg. 46-48). After they played this game, Ruth then tells Kathy H that she will let her become one of Miss
Geraldine’s “Secret Guards” (pg. 48). This event is particularly memorable for Kathy H as it is the first time that she actually
remembers playing with Ruth by herself, and becoming part of her peer group.
ii.
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What is symbolic about the way Ruth and Kathy play? What does it reveal about their characters and
future relationship?
Even as six year olds, it is clear that Ruth is the leader and Kathy H follows her. Initially it is Ruth who “led the way” (pg. 47) ,
who gives “all sorts of instructions” about the imaginary horses that a young Kathy H is happy to accept. Furthermore, Kathy H
feels “delighted” that Ruth wants to play with only her. This event is significant as it sets a precedent for Ruth and Kathy H’s
relationship, as Kathy is almost always willing to do what Ruth says as evidenced in the way she does not question Ruth’s
description of each imaginary horse. .
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