User:Olivia2013/Draft of Never Let Me Go

Introduction Paragraph
Never Let Me Go is a story that follows three characters, Ruth, Kathy, and Tommy through their lives; first at their boarding school called Halisham where they grew up, then on to the cottages where they spend their young adult years, then on to when they became carers and donors. Their curiosity about their past and what their futures hold leads them to make some startling discovers about themselves.

Plot Summary
Never Let Me Go starts off at a boarding school called Hailsham in the English countryside. The students have been attending the school their entire lives, and are looked after by the people they call their 'guardians'. They are seperated into age groups, and learn how to get along with eachother. They are taught about how they are not like normal people, and how when they get older they will start their training to become carers and then eventually recieve their notice to become donors. A main focus of Hailsham is also creativity. There is a mysterious woman they call Madame that visits Hailsham, and chooses the best of the student's artwork to be put into her 'gallery'. The main character is Kathy, and her along with her two close friends Tommy and Ruth, encounter strange things at Hailsham, such as Madame's supposed fear of all the children there, and how one of the guardians, Miss Lucy, seems to be hiding something. Naturally, their curiousity leads them to quesiton their lives at Hailsham. As the students grow older, they move out of Hailsham, and Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth get sent to the Cottages. Life there is pretty peaceful, though relationships get tested and Ruth tries to impress the older students. Kathy feels like her and Ruth are growing sepreate at times, and Ruth ridicules her about how she hasn't made friends with the other students at the Cottages that are not from Hailsham. Tommy and Ruth's relationship as a couple is also strained. This leads them to a trip to Norfolk, a near-by town that two of the older students, or 'veterans', had claimed to see Ruth's possible, the person she was modeled after, living in. Tommy and Kathy grow closer on this trip, and realize how strong their friendship is. Soon after, the three land on some rough spots with each other and Kathy decides to leave to begin her training to become a carer. She doesn't see Ruth or Tommy for years, until she decides to be Ruth's carer. The two have some tension from the past, but are glad to see each other. They decide to take Tommy with them on a short trip to see and old abandoned boat. The three are catching up, when Ruth suddenly apologizes. She says she is sorry for keeping Kathy and Tommy apart all those years, and that they should finally try being together. She gives them Madames' address, and says to ask if they can get a defferal- a rumored way to get out of donating for a few years if you are in love with someone. Afterwords, Ruth completes. Kathy becomes Tommy's carer, and together they decide to visit Madame and ask about the defferal. They follow Madame to her house, only to find Miss Emily, the former Head Guardian of Hailsham there, too. They learn that the defferals were a false rumor, and many other secrets about their lives at Hailsham, and their lives now. Miss Emily explains about Madame's gallery, and how they are just clones that have to donate their entire lives until they complete. Therefore, Tommy and Kathy will not be able to stay together forever. Time passes, an Tommy asks Kathy not to be his carer for his fourth donation. He says he doesn't want her to see him in that state. She grudgedly agrees. Tommy completes after his fourth, and Kathy realizes that she is now completely alone and has to accept the life that has been given to her.

Character Descriptions
Kathy: The main character, she is a young girl at the beginning of the book, and grows older throughout it. Her personality is quiet, curious, and worried. Ruth: One of Kathy's closest friends, a couple with TOmmy during their childhood. She is ambitious, bossy, and tries to change herself to please others. Tommy: Kathy's other friend, who later becomes her partner. He was together with Ruth during their childhood, and he is uncreative, sweet, has a bad temper. Madame: She has some unknown connection to Hailsham at the beginning of the book. She seems to be afraid of the children, but still care about them. She is a cold, stern, quiet figure. Miss Lucy: She seems to want to tell the children something, but is unable to. She pities them, and mysteriously disappears in the book. Miss Emily: Miss Emily is quiet, but stern. She is very sharp, and obviously a good thinker. She is the head guardian of Hailsham. Chrissie: Chrissie is one of the veterans at the cottages, and is a couple with Rodney. Ruth seems to want to impress her. Rodney: A veteran at the cottages, and is a couple with Chrissie. He is the one who claimed to have seen Ruth's possible. Miss Geraldine: Ruth starts a 'secret guard', just to protect Miss G, in a made-up story where she is said to be kidnapped.

Style
Never Let Me Go is written in the style of "things not quite being said" [Geoff Dyer]. Ishiguro creates suspense by hinting at an important or key fact of the story, such as what "donors", "carers", and "completion" are, without telling the reader directly. He builds up to the climax by dropping little details, and allowing the reader to piece them all together by the end of the book.