In the novel, Never
Let Me Go, Ishiguro uses character to illustrate how fate can make or break
a person. The characters Kathy, Ruth, Tommy, and all the students at Hailsham
all have the same fate. However, it is whether
they truly accept it or not. In the beginning of the book, they have all
learned to accept what they’re meant to do in life. Although they know what
they’re meant to do, they still wonder about their possible futures. Some students
want to become actors or actresses in America. However, Miss Lucy says “none of
you will go to America, none of you will become film stars.”(Ishiguro 81). These
donors know that they’re not going to decide what their fate is going to be
like but they believe there is still a chance. Further in the book, Ruth
decides that her fate could end up being like her “possible.” Since her possible
worked in an office, Ruth could see herself doing the same. Kathy states “Ruth
began telling us about the sort of office she ideally would work in..”
(Ishiguro 144). When she found out her possible really wasn’t her, she decided
her true fate was to be a donor. She realized she couldn’t change her fate and
it broke her. However, Kathy always knew her fate was to be a donor. At the end
of the novel, she felt peace at where she was with her life because she had the
memories of Tommy and Ruth with her. For these students at Hailsham, fate is
already decided for them. However, the way they accept it can truly hurt them
or help them in the future.
It is interesting how they all question their fate of donating for a brief moment. Kathy thought of becoming a mother at one point but moved on because she knew that she would never be able to reproduce. Ruth had a melt down almost when she she saw her possible and gone on about working in a office. It is never really clear if Tommy ever questioned his, but that could have been something he realized when he had temper tantrums. kathy said that he knew something they all didnt. just some ideas that spin off yours.
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it like that but I think you are right. It took years for Ruth to realize her true fate and it was sad seeing Ruth having her little fit over what she thought was her possible. It’s funny that Kathy is her exact opposite or foil since she is very accepting of her fate of being a donor. It shows that accepting your fate is better for you in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI really like your view of this, whether the reaction of knowing your fate can either make or break you... Seeing how each of the main charaters die can really help prove your point! How Ruth died after giving her second donation. A lot of people believe Tommy always knew his fate, and he was able to comlete after his fourth donation! An with Kathy totally accepting her ftae and what was in store for her, she hadn't even been noticed to start donating. I think because Kathy's character was so accepting that she was able to really see the world around (and seeing what her fiends were really like an what they were thinkg), she was able to learn, become cultured, and wise enough to really live out her life.
ReplyDeleteThis is a view that I wouldn’t have thought of until reading this. Ruth in many ways felt that something was wrong; maybe Ruth had her tantrums because she was scared of what she was feeling. Ruth may have seen that Kathy and Tommy were meant to be together and was meant to be alone, and that terrified her.
ReplyDeleteI like how you used that quote from the book because i don't think it gets any clearer than that about what will become of the clones. It seems like they wondered about stepping out of line but they were too disciplined to act on their rebelling thoughts. I think even if they had decided to run away or something, they would find themselves lost because they would not be used to the real world of humans.
ReplyDelete