"The basic idea behind the possibles theory was simple, and didn't provoke much dispute. It went something like this. 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)
Aha! Finally, the moment in the book has come that I have been waiting for! Kathy and all of her friends are clones, each made for their original. This is what makes them "different" from normal people. I have heard of the possibility of this happening in the future, but I hope it doesn't. In Chapter Twelve, we were told that the kids' dream is to see their "possible" because it may tell them what their futures are. Rodney and Chrissie told Ruth that they saw her "possible" while they were in town, and she works in an office. Kathy believes that they are just kidding with Ruth because she talks about working in an office being her dream job all the time. I personally agree with Kathy, but I could be proven wrong. At the end of the chapter, Rodney, Chrissie, Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy set off to find Ruth's "possible" again.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Chapter 10 Again - A Blog Post Out of Order...
"As soon as I said this I realised I'd made a mistake; that until I'd mentioned these two, I'd had Ruth in a corner, but now she was out. It was like when you make a move in chess and just as you take your finger off the piece, you see the mistake you've made, and there's this panic because you don't know yet the scale of disaster you've left yourself open to." (pg. 124)
This analogy is a great example of how Ishiguro can make the reader create a feeling in them as they are reading the book. The author really makes you remember the feeling of a regret of a mistake you have made in your life. His diction also contributes to the idea of regret by using words like panic, scale, and disaster.
The quote is from the description of the argument I talked about a few posts ago. Kathy had just mentioned to Ruth that she was copying off of the veterans in their way of goodbye. She set Ruth up, and Ruth was furious. I think it was kind of rude of Kathy to bring it up out of nowhere. On the other hand, I do think that it was necessary for Ruth to be put in her place. Since, at this point, I have read a little far ahead, I think it was a good thing that this happened because it helped them both in the long-run.
Chapter 11 - No More Collection for Ruth
"'My plan was I'd find a really good wooden box for it all once I got to the Cottages. But when we got there, I could see none of the veterans had collections. It was only us, it wasn't normal. We must all have realised it, I wasn't the only one, but we didn't really talk about it, did we? So I didn't go looking for a new box.'" (pg. 131)
This quote has an example of a rhetorical question in it. Ruth is talking to Kathy and asks her this question, but isn't really expecting an answer. She continues talking because she already knows the answer.
The beginning of this chapter talks about how Ruth is growing up and becoming more mature. She got rid of her collection because she thought none of the older kids had one. Later, she told Kathy how she regretted her decision in giving it to Keffers. I can imagine what Ruth's feeling right now. Everyone has at least one time in their life where they wish they could go back and fix it like Ruth wants to right now. This chapter also has Kathy being caught looking at some inappropriate magazines by Tommy, but something seems strange to him.
This quote has an example of a rhetorical question in it. Ruth is talking to Kathy and asks her this question, but isn't really expecting an answer. She continues talking because she already knows the answer.
The beginning of this chapter talks about how Ruth is growing up and becoming more mature. She got rid of her collection because she thought none of the older kids had one. Later, she told Kathy how she regretted her decision in giving it to Keffers. I can imagine what Ruth's feeling right now. Everyone has at least one time in their life where they wish they could go back and fix it like Ruth wants to right now. This chapter also has Kathy being caught looking at some inappropriate magazines by Tommy, but something seems strange to him.
Chapters 9 and 10 - A New Place, Old Friends?
"'So that's what's upsetting poor little Kathy. Ruth isn't paying enough attention to her. Ruth's got big new friends and bay sister isn't getting played with so often... You're upset because I've managed to move on, make new friends. Some of the veterans hardly remember your name, and who can blame them? You never talk to anyone unless they're Hailsham. But you can't expect me to hold your hand the whole time.'" (pg. 124)
The quote is just an excerpt of the verbal argument and external conflict that happened between Ruth and Kathy in these chapters. The kids have now moved on to the Cottages, which I feel like is really similar to college life. Kathy is tired of Ruth trying to copy everything that the older kids are doing in order to get attention or seem more cool than the rest of them. Ruth is offended and counters back by saying that she can't make new friends. I think it is inevitable that all best friends will fight sometime, and I'm pretty surprised it has gone this long. I feel like Ruth and Kathy don't really have the personalities to be best friends, but they manage to do it somehow. I am going to predict that this relationship is going to end soon, or at least it should in my opinion. As they grow older, the less likely Kathy is going to put up with Ruth it seems. When they were younger, Kathy tried to not hurt Ruth, like the pencil case incident, but now I feel like Kathy is getting to be more mature and doesn't want to put up with some of her best friend's drama.
The quote is just an excerpt of the verbal argument and external conflict that happened between Ruth and Kathy in these chapters. The kids have now moved on to the Cottages, which I feel like is really similar to college life. Kathy is tired of Ruth trying to copy everything that the older kids are doing in order to get attention or seem more cool than the rest of them. Ruth is offended and counters back by saying that she can't make new friends. I think it is inevitable that all best friends will fight sometime, and I'm pretty surprised it has gone this long. I feel like Ruth and Kathy don't really have the personalities to be best friends, but they manage to do it somehow. I am going to predict that this relationship is going to end soon, or at least it should in my opinion. As they grow older, the less likely Kathy is going to put up with Ruth it seems. When they were younger, Kathy tried to not hurt Ruth, like the pencil case incident, but now I feel like Kathy is getting to be more mature and doesn't want to put up with some of her best friend's drama.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Chapter 8 - Sex
"Then I realised, in the same instant, that this was the source of the odd noise, and that what I'd taken for dark shiny paper on the table had also, not long before, been pages of neat handwriting." (pg. 91)
This excerpt is an example of vernacular. At first, I thought that it was weird that Ishiguro was spelling many words wrong, but then it was pointed out to me that this was written in England. I guess some of their English can be a little different than ours, and they spell some words differently.
Chapter Eight was an interesting chapter to say the least. It explained how the students knew that sex was wrong, but they wanted to do it anyway. There was one example of a couple students who got caught in the act by a guardian, and he said that they knew they weren't to do it. This act of rebellion can relate to our society today. Some kids nowadays do drugs, drink, and have sex even though they know they're not supposed to. I believe, since they are told that they can't, they want to do it even more and decide to do it. The chapter ended with Kathy finally building up herself to have sex with Harry.
This excerpt is an example of vernacular. At first, I thought that it was weird that Ishiguro was spelling many words wrong, but then it was pointed out to me that this was written in England. I guess some of their English can be a little different than ours, and they spell some words differently.
Chapter Eight was an interesting chapter to say the least. It explained how the students knew that sex was wrong, but they wanted to do it anyway. There was one example of a couple students who got caught in the act by a guardian, and he said that they knew they weren't to do it. This act of rebellion can relate to our society today. Some kids nowadays do drugs, drink, and have sex even though they know they're not supposed to. I believe, since they are told that they can't, they want to do it even more and decide to do it. The chapter ended with Kathy finally building up herself to have sex with Harry.
Chapter 7 - Nobody's, Just Donators
"We still didn't discuss the donations and all that went with them; we still found the whole area awkward enough." (pg. 84)
This quote is an example of an anaphora. Anaphoras are mostly used to reinforce an idea by repeating a couple words in a row. This example just explains why they didn't talk about the donations.
"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. You're not like the actors you watch on your videos, you're not even like me. You were brought into this world for a purpose, and your futures, all of them, have been decided." (pg. 81)
I think this is a really important quote in the book. It finally reveals what is different about these students and what their purpose is. Each of them is an organ donor for when someone needs an organ that is vital to body functions. I personally think this is morally very wrong. People should not be created for this purpose. This idea is degrading to humanity. Recently, I have heard that people, in the future, might clone themselves or their pets for extra body parts in case their own aren't functioning. Although I can see the benefit in this, I still believe that this degrades our personal morals of humanity as a whole.
This quote is an example of an anaphora. Anaphoras are mostly used to reinforce an idea by repeating a couple words in a row. This example just explains why they didn't talk about the donations.
"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. You're not like the actors you watch on your videos, you're not even like me. You were brought into this world for a purpose, and your futures, all of them, have been decided." (pg. 81)
I think this is a really important quote in the book. It finally reveals what is different about these students and what their purpose is. Each of them is an organ donor for when someone needs an organ that is vital to body functions. I personally think this is morally very wrong. People should not be created for this purpose. This idea is degrading to humanity. Recently, I have heard that people, in the future, might clone themselves or their pets for extra body parts in case their own aren't functioning. Although I can see the benefit in this, I still believe that this degrades our personal morals of humanity as a whole.
Chapters 5 and 6 Again - Symbols and Foreshadowing?
"What made the tape so special for me was this one particular song: track number three, 'Never Let Me Go....' Well, the thing was, I didn't listen properly to the words; I just waited for that bit that went: 'Baby, baby, never let me go...' And what I'd imagine was a woman who'd been told she couldn't have babies, who'd really really wanted them all her life. Then there's that sort of miracle and she has a baby, and she holds this baby very close to her and walks around singing: 'Baby, never let me go...'" (pg. 70)
I think this quote might be demonstrating some foreshadowing. We, the readers, just learned that Kathy and the other children cannot have babies. Kathy didn't know at the time that she couldn't have babies, yet she still imagined, what I believe, will be her life. She can't have babies, but by some miracle she does. At least, this is what I hope happens.
Another literary term in effect in these chapters is symbol. The cassette tape is a prized possession of Kathy's that is obviously pretty special if the book is named after it. I believe that the tape symbolizes her idea that someday she might have kids and how happy she would be. Another thing it symbolizes is her own uniqueness and secret that no one else knows. The new cassette, Twenty Classic Dance Tunes, is also a symbol of how much Ruth appreciates Kathy as a friend and the kindness she has shown to her.
I think this quote might be demonstrating some foreshadowing. We, the readers, just learned that Kathy and the other children cannot have babies. Kathy didn't know at the time that she couldn't have babies, yet she still imagined, what I believe, will be her life. She can't have babies, but by some miracle she does. At least, this is what I hope happens.
Another literary term in effect in these chapters is symbol. The cassette tape is a prized possession of Kathy's that is obviously pretty special if the book is named after it. I believe that the tape symbolizes her idea that someday she might have kids and how happy she would be. Another thing it symbolizes is her own uniqueness and secret that no one else knows. The new cassette, Twenty Classic Dance Tunes, is also a symbol of how much Ruth appreciates Kathy as a friend and the kindness she has shown to her.
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