Never Let Me Go : Kazuo Ishiguro

GENERAL
1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read, and explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

•  Never Let Me Go is set in a dystopian society where children are bred as clones in order to donate all possible organs to other human beings once they get old enough. The novel starts off as a flash back that the main protagonist, Kathy, has while she is at Hailsham, the primary academy where children are grown. At Hailsham, Kathy grows up with two other students that become her best friends once they come out of Hailsham. Along with Ruth and Tommy, Kathy grows up until they are old enough (16) to be released into the outside world. In Hailsham, they discover secrets that are not supposed to be told to the clone. Things like the purpose of their life or that they cannot bare children because they are clones. Once outside, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy live at the cottages where the clones are free to live as they wish until they are due for their donations. At the cottages, the children are able to choose between being a carer and a donor. The donors go straight into giving donations to clients, but the carers get to care for the donors during a certain period of time before they themselves have to donate. Once the donations start, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are separated from each other. Kathy gets word from a source that tells her Ruth gave her donations and she is doing poorly so Kathy goes and visits Ruth. While Kathy is there, Tommy is not to far from the center so they are all reunited once again. After this encounter, Ruth dies, and Kathy takes it upon herself to become Tommy's carer. At this point Tommy has given three donations and in order to prolong his life, they try to get a extension (rumors). The extensions turn out not to be true and Tommy dies after his fourth donation. Now the novel returns to the beginning of the book before Kathy's flashback and ends with Kathy awaiting her due dates for donations.
• The book is narrated from Kathy's point of view, and the reason for that, I believe, is because out of all the three main character (Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth), Kathy holds the strongest personality. She strengthens the theme with her attitude towards life. When Kathy decides to become a carer, she makes it apparent that she doesn't wish to believe in the purpose of her life.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.

•  Individualism is a huge component in the novel because the children that are raised as clones are not their own unique selves. All of the children are curious either in a hateful or emotional manner with their "originals" (what they call the person they were cloned from). Nonetheless, there is a huge feeling of individualism that mostly Kathy seeks because she despises the thought of her being someone else and not herself.

3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

•  The author's tone is sad, almost depressing. When I read this book, one thing that really popped out at me was the way the author would show a variety of emotions in the novel yet keep that sense of sadness and longing for real life. Along with that sadness comes rage.
• “Why did we do all of that work in the first place? Why train us, encourage us, make us produce all of that? If we’re just going to give donations anyway, then die, why all those lessons? Why all those books and discussions?” -Kathy p.259
•  “If you’re to live decent lives, you have to know who you are and what lies ahead of you, every one of you.” -Miss Lucy p.81
• “Didn’t we all dream from time to time about one guardian or other bending the rules and doing something special for us? A spontaneous hug, a secret letter, a gift?” -Kathy p.60

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

•  Symbolism- Kathy's music tape that she loves so dearly gives a connection the to outside world, maybe the only connection.
• Flashback- Kathy's narration starts at Tommy's fourth donation, and then she flashbacks all the way back to when she was a child in Hailsham.
• Direct Characterization- In the beginning, Kathy starts off her narration with "My name is Kathy H. I am thirty-one years old, and I've been a carer now for over eleven years."
• Indirect Characterization- Kathy shows a really motherly/caring side to her when she tell Tommy that his favorite polo shirt is all muddy and that he should take care of it.
• Bildungsroman- Throughout the whole book, Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy all discover new things about their like (that they are clones), and that changes all their personalities. They all developed a sort of careless, angry attitude of life.
• Conflict- Kathy and Tommy try to fight having to give donations, but its an inevitable purpose for the clone children. 
• Foil- Kathy and Ruth can be determines as opposites because Kathy is really nice and caring, but Ruth is shown as carefree and she doesn't care as much.
• Point of view- Ishiguro uses first person point of view in order to tell the story through Kathy's eyes.
• Setting- The setting is interesting because it isn't the norm of dystopian societies that we generally think of. Instead, the novel is set in older more recent and modern times with that dystopian feel.
• Stream of consciousness- Kathy's thoughts are constantly shown throughout the book. She constantly points out personal thoughts of matters at hand.

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.
Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

•  Direct Characterization
• In the beginning Kathy starts off her narration by stating her name, age, and current position. 
•  Kathy describes Ruth as charismatic, but manipulative and dishonest.
• Indirect Charcterization
• Kathy shows her caring personality by pointing about how Tommy dirtied his favorite polo shirt.
• Kathy is given a jealous personality at the cottages when Tommy and Ruth start dating. Kathy started out with a unselfish attitude, but as Tommy and Ruth begin to love each other, that changes.  
• Using both direct and indirect characterization strengthens the each character as the plot pursues. Direct characterization established an initial character and indirect establishes the long term evolution of each character. 

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

•  When the author is in Kathy's focus, his diction changes into softer and sadder words or more caring words; however, when the focus changes to someone like Ruth, there is always room for anger or arguments between Kathy and Ruth.
• “We all know it. We’re modeled from trash. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps. Convicts, maybe, just so long as they aren’t psychos. That’s what we come from. We all know it, so why don’t we say it?” -Ruth p. 166
• “Something in me just gave up. A voice went: ‘All right, let him think the absolute worst. Let him think it, let him think it.’ And I suppose I looked at him with resignation, with a face that said, ‘Yes, it’s true, what else did you expect?’” -Kathy p. 195

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

•  The protagonist is dynamic and round. Kathy definitely changes throughout the book because in the beginning she is very nice and caring, but towards everyone's death, she becomes emo. She gets really sad and welcoming of death. She also shows a lot of selfishness, rage, and jealousy as the plot ensues. 

4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

•  I wouldn't say that I have met a real character because they don't reach my standard of what a real person is, but the protagonists have a lot of real qualities. When Kathy is jealous of what Ruth and Tommy have going for each other, I, as well as many others, could related to Kathy's situation. It is really easy to find yourself sitting on the sidelines while you see the person you like with another person, and sometimes you just have to respect what they have. In a way I think Kathy did respect Tommy and Ruth's relationship.

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