As Eng. II Summer Reading 2013
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Transcript of As Eng. II Summer Reading 2013
Name: 1
AS English II
Summer Reading Study Guide Background:
Summer reading for AS English II require careful reading and thoughtful analysis. To help
prepare you for the summer reading quizzes and essay at the beginning of the year, the AS
English II teachers teamed to make study guides for each novel, which follow.
Reading Selections:
Please read both of these books:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Plague by Albert Camus
(we recommend the Vintage edition with translation by Stuart Gilbert)
Please annotate your books, noting questions and comments in the margins as you read. You
may wish to complete the study guides as you read, or return to the questions after you have
completed the book (allowing you to review the book as you answer the questions).
Before You Read: The Philosophy of The Plague
This outline is meant to act as a philosophical primer to help you understand some of the
difficult questions being tackled by Albert Camus’ The Plague. Camus usually wrote fiction, but
his essay The Myth of Sisyphus describes his philosophy more straightforwardly. Much of our
work here will be drawing connections between that essay and The Plague. For a more in-depth
discussion, I encourage you to search the internet for resources outlining Sisyphus.
The Absurd:
Camus begins Sisyphus by stating that either the universe is illogical or that our limited
minds will never be able to make sense of it. When we try to figure out the “Truth”, the big
answers behind our existence, we are facing an impossible task. This is what Camus calls the
condition of the absurd, an utterly hopeless condition. Throughout the novel Camus displays the
human condition as violating logic. A clear example of this is the old man who likes to spit on
cats.
Recognizing the absurd requires humility, because none of us have access to the real
answers underlying existence. Some of the easiest targets for criticism in the beginning of The
Plague are the government officials who take a logical and painfully slow perspective on the
threat of disease. Similarly, the population tries to provide reasons for the rats acting as they are,
but all explanations fall short as nothing can make sense of death. Camus criticizes those who
rely too strongly on their own logic and rationality, preferring those who are more honest about
the confusing and unknowable state of existing.
Along these lines, Camus criticizes the church in the form of Father Paneloux. Twice he
provides answers for why the plague has come and both times his answers seem to provide little
help in actually combating it. Camus’ rejection of God and religion is clearly displayed in
Rieux, who defends his atheism by saying that the “Truth” of religion is incompatible with the
suffering he has seen.
The absurd is not just a claim about what we can know, but is also a rejection of ideals,
for they can only exist as fictions. Le Grand is debilitated by the desire to write a perfect
sentence and Rambert is blinded to his responsibility to his fellow citizens by his allegiance to
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AS English II
the ideal of seeing his wife again. Camus displays the more realistic characters as the only ones
who can actuate positive change.
Life as Struggle/Rebellion:
In Sisyphus, once he has outlined the absurd, Camus raises the question of why we
should choose to live in such an existence. After all, we know we are going to die one day and
we live in a universe that seems to have no meaning. Yes, Camus explains, there are certain facts
of our existence that we must struggle with, such as the inevitability of our own death and the
impossibility of finding any meaning, but we should search for meaning and fight death anyway!
He explains why by modifying the ancient myth of Sisyphus. According to legend, Sisyphus was
punished by the titans to push a boulder up a hill for eternity, only to have it roll to the bottom
once he got to the top. This, in a nutshell, is just like the frustrating task of being alive. When
Sisyphus sees the boulder roll to the bottom of the hill, Camus likes to imagine him smiling,
refusing to be broken by the absurdity, rebelling against the absurd. Camus believes that rather
than be discouraged by the difficulties of being alive, we should fight them because there is
nothing more powerful than man or woman in a state of revolt. In The Plague, Camus’ heroes
are continually fighting impossible tasks, tasks they believe to be hopeless. They don’t define
themselves in terms of success; they define themselves by the struggle.
Life as value:
The population at large is also clearly criticized for filling their hours with meaningless
tasks. One would think that this would all change when their death becomes much more likely,
but they ultimately go back to indulging their appetites for food, sex, and entertainment. We
might wonder on what grounds Camus can criticize the behavior of anybody, especially if our
lives are without logic or meaning.
Camus states that there is one exception to the absurdity of the universe: we know life is
valuable. He states the very fact that we value our own lives requires that we value the lives of
others as well. This clarifies how he can criticize the population at large: they indulge their thirst
for materialism, doing nothing to help save –or at least comfort –the sick around them. The
people of Oran are continually described as bored, for they fill their lives with pointless activities
to pass the time.
The simple truth that life is valuable is why our narrator rejects calling our heroes by that
name. The poor behavior of others is merely ignorance; once they have come to realize their
responsibility to the only thing that has value they must work to protect it. It’s not a matter of
heroism but common sense. It is here that we see the real ambition and beauty of Camus’ novel.
He hopes to make a compelling case for compassion and self-sacrifice without
Narrative Structure:
The novel is divided into five books. Briefly summarize the action of each book:
Book I:
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Book II:
Book III:
Book IV:
Book V:
Point of View:
Point of view refers to the method of narration. Dr. Rieux is the narrator, but he does not
function as a first-person narrator. He disguises himself, referring to himself in the third person
until the end of the novel, when he reveals himself. In the space below, explain the effect of this
method of narration and how it might relate to the philosophical underpinnings of the novel:
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Setting:
Where is the novel set? What is the historical context for the novel? Why is the setting
significant in terms of the story – how does it function allegorically?
Key Characters:
Note the defining traits of each of the characters listed below. Describe the character’s response
to the plague epidemic, and note his or her ultimate fate.
Dr. Bernard Rieux
Joseph Grand
Cottard
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Father Paneloux
M. Othon (and his son Jacques)
The Prefect
Raymond Rambert
Jean Tarrou
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Subjects/Themes
Exile and separation:
In The Myth of Sisyphus, an essay of philosophy, Camus wrote “In a universe that is suddenly
deprived of illusions and of light, man feels a stranger. His is an irremediable exile.” Consider
how Rieux and Rambert each deal with separation a loved one, and in Rambert’s case, exile from
home. Make notes below pertaining to their situations, and note page references for useful
quotations for a future essay:
Rieux:
Rambert:
Fate vs. Free Will
An early image establishes the absurdity of trying to control one’s fate: “From basements,
cellars, and sewers they [the rats] emerged in long wavering files into the light of day, swayed
helplessly, then did a sort of pirouette and fell dead at the feet of the horrified onlookers.” The
valiant efforts of Rieux and the municipal officials to stem the tide of the plague parallels the sad
little dance of the rats: human effort is as absurd in the face of an indifferent and capricious
universe as the rats’ “pirouette” appears to “the horrified onlookers.” Note below other evidence
of the machinations of the absurd:
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Solidarity and Resistance:
In The Rebel, Camus argues that “rebellion… put in the first rank of its frame of reference an
obvious complicity among men, a common texture, the solidarity of chains, a communication
between human being and human being which makes men both similar and united.” Faced with a
common destiny, human beings develop an ethical frame that fosters a united community. This
tenet underlies much of the “action” of The Plague. How do the people trapped in Oran while it
is under quarantine develop solidarity? Discuss below, using quotations where appropriate:
Role of religion:
Review both sermons preached by Father Paneloux. In the first, he describes the epidemic as the
“flail of God,” through which God separates the wheat from the chaff, the good from the evil.
When, however, he witnesses the death of Jacques Othon, Paneloux must reconcile his doctrine
with the suffering of an innocent child. In his second sermon, Paneloux insists that the love of
God “demands total self-surrender, disdain of our human personality.” What is Paneloux’s
argument regarding the suffering of innocent children? How does he go on to demonstrate his
belief in God? Is Camus advocating for religious faith? Why or why not?
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Name/Period: ________________________________
Never Let Me Go Student Guide Before you read…
1. What sort of memories do you remember from childhood? What topics, events, or ideas
do your memories tend to revolve around?
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2. How do you think people create value in their lives? What makes life valuable to you?
(Consider: life goals, school, jobs, relationships, etc.)
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3. How far would you go to provide health to someone who is sick? (Consider: treatment of
cancer, transplants, procedures, etc.)
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______________________________________________________________________________
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While you read…
Part One: Hailsham Reading Questions. Complete the following reading comprehension questions as you read.
Respond in complete sentences.
1. Describe the narrator. What is she like? What does she do for a living? Where is she
from?
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2. Describe Tommy. What is he like? How does he appear to be different from other
Hailsham students? What is his dynamic with Kathy?
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3. Describe Ruth. What is she like? What is her dynamic with Kathy?
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4. What are Sales and Exchanges? What do Hailsham students seem to value?
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5. What does Miss Lucy tell Tommy? Why does this seem strange to Kathy?
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6. What is the Gallery? Why is the subject taboo?
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7. How does Madame react to the girls when they gather around her? In hindsight, why is
Kathy not surprised?
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8. What is the “secret guard”? Why was it significant to the dynamic of the female
friendships?
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9. Where does the title “never let me go” come from? Why was this moment particularly
odd? What does Kathy reveal about Hailsham students?
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10. In their last year at Hailsham, what does Miss Lucy emphasize to the students? Why do
they not seem surprised or upset?
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11. How is sex education handled at Hailsham? How do students view sex?
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12. How does Miss Lucy’s opinion on Tommy’s art change? Why does she say it is
important?
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13. What happened to Miss Lucy? How does this affect Tommy?
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______________________________________________________________________________
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14. Based on references in narration, how long have Hailsham students known each other?
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15. Describe Kathy’s tone. How does she appear to feel about her time at Hailsham?
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Part Two: The Cottages Part Two – characters to know: As you read, keep track of these important characters. What
are their relationships to other characters? In what ways are they responsible for developing the
plot or revealing important thematic insights?
Kathy:
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Tommy:
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Ruth:
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Keffers:
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The Veterans:
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Chrissie:
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Rodney:
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Ruth’s Possible:
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Other important details to remember for comprehension:
The town of Norfolk is important because
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Judy Bridgewater, Songs After Dark is important because
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The idea of finding a “possible” is important because
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The essays they are assigned at Hailsham and expected to finish at the Cottages are important
because
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Part Two Comprehension Questions:
1. Why do you think Kathy mentally revises her essay even in her role as a carer? How
does this console her? What does it reveal about her?
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2. Discuss the significance of Keffer’s role in this part of the novel. How is he similar to
and different from the guardians? Whose perspective does he represent? Try to explain
his discomfort being around the students.
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3. Explain why the newcomers to the Cottages are uncomfortable with the idea of travel.
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4. Why does Kathy try so hard to hold onto her group from Hailsham? In her words, they
were “unable quite to let each other go” (120).
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5. Why does Ruth try so hard to become more veteran-like? Why does she see herself as an
ambassador for the Hailsham group?
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6. Why is Ruth consumed with finding her Possible? What hope does it represent for all of
them? What behavior suggests that Kathy is concerned with similar ideas?
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7. Why do veterans at the Cottages model so much of their behavior from what they see on
TV? Why does it bother Kathy?
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8. When Ruth interrups Kathy while reading Daniel Deronda, Kathy decides to call Ruth
out about her contrived efforts to mimic and fit in with the veterans. She comments that
“a few months before I might have let it go at that” (123). What has changed for Kathy?
What is different from a few months ago, and why does she stand up to Ruth here?
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9. Explain Ruth’s outburst when she realizes the woman they follow isn’t her possible
(166). What is painful about her assessment of where they came from? Why does she
think this, and how does it impact our understanding of cloning? Does her outburst make
her more or less sympathetic?
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10. Why does Tommy start drawing again? Describe Tommy’s drawings and his attitude
towards them.
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11. Describe Kathy’s initial reaction to Tommy’s drawings. What happens when Ruth brings
them up? Why does Ruth decide to ridicule Tommy’s artwork in front of Kathy?
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Part Three: Life as a Carer Part Three – characters to know: As you read, keep track of these important characters. What
are their relationships to other characters? In what ways are they responsible for developing the
plot or revealing important thematic insights?
Kathy:
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Ruth:
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Tommy:
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Madame:
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Miss Emily:
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Miss Lucy:
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James Morningdale:
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The Donors:
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Part Three Comprehension Questions:
1. What change makes Kathy decide to be Ruth’s carer?
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2. Why do Ruth and Kathy go to Kingsfield?
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3. What change in Ruth’s demeanor does Kathy notice on the drive to the boat?
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4. What subject is Ruth defensive about when they are looking at the boat? Why?
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5. What confession and request does Ruth make in the car ride home?
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6. How does Tommy show Kathy that he is preparing to meet Madame?
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7. Describe Madame’s reaction to seeing Kathy and Tommy.
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8. What is Madame’s real name? Who does Madame live with?
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9. Why does Miss Emily have to sell her furniture? What cause has put her into debt?
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10. Describe the mission of Hailsham and Madame’s “gallery.” What did Madame and Miss
Emily hope to accomplish there? In what ways were they successful?
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11. Explain why Miss Lucy was asked to leave Hailsham.
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12. Why does Tommy think that Miss Lucy was right about wanting the students to know
what they were in for? Do you agree?
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13. Identify and discuss the circumstances that lead to Hailsham’s closure.
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14. Explain what Madame saw the day she found Kathy dancing at Hailsham.
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15. How does Kathy explain Tommy’s fits at Hailsham?
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16. Kathy’s describes the donors’ fourth donation as “horror movie stuff.” Explain what
makes it horrific. Why hasn’t the novel been graphic up until this point? What makes
the timing of this description so painful and terrifying? How would we have received it
differently if had been made clear to readers earlier in the novel?
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17. Explain why Tommy wants a different Carer to help him through his fourth donation.
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18. To what extent have Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy “transcended their fate”?
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After you read…
Part One Quotations for Analysis and Discussion: Respond to the quotations after you’ve completed reading the entire book. You might have a
different perspective reading them for a second time knowing what happens to the characters at
the end.
For each quotation below, identify who is saying/thinking it, and discuss what it reveals about
the novel’s reoccurring conflicts, characters, or themes. Use the guiding questions at the top and
within each box, but feel free to say more.
Quotation What does the quotation reveal about the characters,
conflicts, or themes? Which phrases or ideas seem
most important? How can you tell?
“That was when I first understood,
really understood, just how lucky we’d
been – Tommy, Ruth, me, all the rest of
us.” (6)
In what way were they lucky? What makes her realize
this?
“Madame was afraid of us. But she was
afraid of us in the same way someone
might be afraid of spiders. We hadn’t
been ready for that. It has never
occurred to us to wonder how we
would feel, being seem like that, being
the spiders.” (35)
Why does Madame react the way she does? Why is this
moment significant for Kathy? For the plot?
“All I can tell you today is that it’s for
a good reason. A very important
reason. But if I tried to explain it to you
now, I don’t think you’d understand.
One day, I hope, it’ll be explained to
you.” (40)
What does Miss Lucy’s concern show about her
character/personality?
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“And suddenly my behaviour seemed
to me utterly baffling. All this effort,
all this planning, just to upset my
dearest friend. So what if she'd fibbed
a little about her pencil case? 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? All Ruth had done was to take
one of these harmless daydreams a
step further; she hadn't even
mentioned Miss Geraldine by name.”
(60)
Why does Kathy regret her confrontation with Ruth?
Does her sentiment about childhood seem true or
accurate? What made their experience different?
“When I think about it now, it seems
to me, even if she wasn’t a guardian,
she was the adult, and she should have
said or done something, even if it was
just to tell me off. Then I’d have
known how to behave.” (72)
Why does Kathy think Madame should have done
something? How would Madame’s reaction have told
her how to behave?
“I still have it now. I don’t play it
much because the music has nothing to
do with anything. It’s an object, like a
brooch, or a ring, and especially now
Ruth has gone, it’s become one of my
most precious possessions.” (76)
Why would the tape still be precious if it’s no longer
played? What meaning does it carry for Kathy?
“Your lives are all set out for you. […]
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.” (81)
How is this statement true for the students? In what
way is it potentially true for all children?
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“We’d been ‘told and not told,’” (82) How is her statement paradoxical?
“In those days I had this secret game.
When I found myself alone, I’d stop
and look for a view—out of a window,
say, or through a doorway into a
room—any view so long as there were
no people in it. I did this so that I
could, for a few seconds at least,
create the illusion the place wasn’t
crawling with students, but that instead
Hailsham was this quiet, tranquil
house where I lived with just five or
six others.” (90)
Why would this game be important or valuable to
Kathy? What does it show about her personality?
“Look, there are all kinds of things
you don’t understand, Tommy, and I
can’t tell you about them. Things
about Hailsham, about your place in
the wider world, all kinds of things.
But perhaps one day, you’ll try and
find out. They won’t make it easy for
you, but if you want to, really want to,
you might find out.” (109)
How does Miss Lucy’s suggestion/prediction turn out to
be true? Would Miss Lucy be proud of Tommy?
Part Two Quotations for Analysis and Discussion:
Quotation What does the quotation reveal about the characters,
conflicts, or themes? Which phrases or ideas seem most
important? How can you tell? “But somehow—maybe we could see
something in the guardians’ manner—
no one really believed the essays were
that important, and among ourselves we
hardly discussed the matter . . . Once we
got to the Cottages . . . it was like we
were each clinging to our essay, this last
task from Hailsham, like it was a
farewell gift from the guardians. . .
those essays helped keeps us afloat in
our new surroundings” (115).
Why does the idea of the essay become more important when the students leave
Hailsham? How and why does it help them adjust to this new stage in their
lives? What internal conflict does this new period—one step closer to their
donations—present for the students?
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The essays reemerge as a topic on page
197.
“I don’t think we were afraid exactly.
We all knew no one would stop us if we
wandered off, provided we were back by
the day and the time we entered into
Keffer’s ledgerbook . . . We’d watched
[the veterans] with astonishment,
wondering if by the following summer
we’d be the same” (118).
Why does the veteran’s attitude towards travel seem like “scary nonchalance”
to the new Cottage members? What does this quotation reveal about rules and
internalized acceptance of their roles in the larger society that they’ve been
largely excluded from? What do they find astonishing about the veteran’s
independence?
“There was one Ruth who was always
trying to impress the veterans, who
wouldn’t hesitate to ignore me, Tommy,
any of the others, if she thought we’d
cramp her style. . . But the Ruth who sat
beside me in my little attic room at the
day’s close, legs outstretched over the
edge of my mattress, her steaming mug
held in both her hands, that was the Ruth
from Hailsham” (129).
How real is Kathy and Ruth’s friendship? Why does Kathy remain loyal to Ruth
despite her potential for cruelty? What creates internal conflict for Kathy here?
Is this internal conflict similar to the typical growing pains of friendships you’ve
experienced?
“What I’m saying is that we were all of
us struggling to adjust to our new life,
and I suppose we all did things back then
we later regretted. I was really upset by
Ruth’s remark at the time, but it’s
pointless now trying to judge her or
anyone else for the way they behaved
during those early days at the Cottages”
(131).
Why is Kathy able to be so forgiving and compassionate in hindsight? Why is it
“pointless” to judge? Consider that she is telling the story as a carer.
“Though most of us had first come
across the idea of ‘possibles’ back at
Hailsham, we’d sensed we weren’t
supposed to discuss it, and so we
hadn’t—though for sure, it had both
intrigued and disturbed us . . . Some
students thought you should be looking
for a person twenty to thirty years older
than yourself—the sort of age a normal
parent would be. But others claimed this
Why would considering possibles be considered intriguing and disturbing?
What is sentimental about imagining a possible being parent age? Why is
understanding the truth about possibles and “dream futures” so consuming for
some characters?
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was sentimental. . . Others argued back
that they’d use for models people at the
peak of their health” (139).
“I remember feeling . . . a sort of
resentment towards them on Ruth’s
behalf. Because however sympathetic
they were, I could see that deep down
they were relieved. They were relieved
things had turned out the way they had;
that they were in a position to comfort
Ruth, instead of being left behind in the
wake of a dizzying boost to her hopes.
They were relieved they wouldn’t have
to face . . . the notion which fascinated
and scared them: this notion of theirs
that there were all kinds of possibilities
open to us Hailsham students that
weren’t open to them” (165).
“My first instinct was to deny it, then
just to laugh. But there was a real
authority about the way Ruth had
spoken, and the three of us knew each
other well enough to know there had to
be something behind her words. So in
the end I was silent, while my mind
searched back frantically, and with a
cold horror, settled on that night up in
my room with our mugs of tea” (194)
“I’ve thought about those moments over
and over. I should have found
something to say. . . I could have
challenged Ruth, told her she was
twisting things, that even if I might have
laughed it wasn’t the way she was
implying. I could have even gone up to
Tommy and hugged him” (195).
What kept Kathy from doing what she felt was right at the time?
“But the fact was, I suppose, there were
powerful tides tugging us apart by then,
and it only needed something like that to
finish the task. If we’d understood that
back then—who knows?—maybe we’d
have kept a tighter hold of on another
(197).
What does Kathy wish they had understood?
Name: 24
AS English II
Remembering a time they got in trouble
at Hailsham:
“The thing was, he got into trouble
because that proved he’d been coming
down through the rhubarb patch.”
And that was when Ruth looked at me
and said: “Why? What was wrong with
that?”
It was just the way she said it, suddenly
so false even an onlooker, if there’d been
one, would have seen through it. (202)
In hindsight, why is Ruth’s question a good one? Explain Kathy’s irritation.
Part Three Quotations for Analysis and Discussion
Quotation What does the quotation reveal about the characters,
conflicts, or themes? Which phrases or ideas seem most
important? How can you tell?
“Every so often, I could see the man’s
fist, where all the balloon strings
converged, and I could see he had them
securely twisted together in a tight grip.
Even so, I kept worrying that one of the
strings would come unraveled and single
balloon would sail off up into that cloudy
sky” (213).
How does the image of the balloons relate to Kathy’s feelings about Hailsham?
“I’m sure Tommy felt it too, because
we’d always hold each other very tight
after times like that, as though that way
we’d manage to keep the feeling away”
(240).
What feeling is she referring to? How does this relate to their purpose in life?
Name: 25
AS English II
“I don’t know if she recognised us at that
point; but without doubt, she saw and
decided in a second what we were,
because you could see her stiffen—as if a
pair of large spiders was set to crawl
towards her” (248).
Why does Madame react this way? How does this relate to the similar, earlier
scene at Hailsham? Why does Ishiguro italicize those specific words?
“You Hailsham students, even after
you’ve been out in the real world like
this, you still don’t know the half of it.
All around the country, at this very
moment, there are students being reared
in deplorable conditions, conditions you
Hailsham students could hardly imagine”
(261).
“But you mustn’t be dejected. I hope you
can appreciate how much we were able to
secure for you. Look at you both now!
You’ve had good lives, you’re educated
and cultured” (262).
Name: 26
AS English II
“We’re all afraid of you. I myself had to
fight back my dread of you all almost
every day I was at Hailsham. There were
times I’d look down at you all from my
study window and I’d feel such
revulsion. . . But I was determined not to
let such feelings stop me from doing
what was right” (269).
“There was no way to reverse the
process. How can you ask such a world
to put away that cure, to go back to the
dark days? There was no going back.
However uncomfortable people were
about your existence, their overwhelming
concern was that their own children, their
spouses, their parents, their friends, did
not die from cancer, motor neurone
disease, heart disease. So for a long time
you were kept in the shadows, and people
did their best not to think about you”
(263).
“You know why it is, Kath, why
everyone worries so much about the
fourth? It’s because they’re not sure
they’ll really complete. If you knew for
certain you’d complete, it would be
easier. But they never tell us for sure”
(279).
What makes the uncertainty of “completing” scary? Why don’t they just tell
them it will be their last?
“I’ve got no anger left for her now.
When I say I wish she’d found out the
whole score, it’s more because I feel sad
at the idea of her finishing up different
from me and Tommy. The way it is, it’s
like there’s a line with us on one side and
Ruth on the other, and when all’s said
and done, I feel sad about that, and I
think she would too if she could see it”
(285).