NRJ#2: Sexuality

NRJ#2: Sexuality

            When the students were taught about sex in Hailsham, Ishiguro extends the sensation of Kathy’s feelings about her sexuality in Never Let Me Go. The students were told that sex could be dangerous if they were to have feelings for another human being outside Hailsham. They could potential get a disease if they weren’t careful with whom they chose to sleep with.  Ishiguro demonstrates that even as a clone, sexuality is important and sacred. Sex shouldn’t be taken as a joke but also with the respect of the human body and the feelings of others. One of the guardians tell the students that when they find someone to share the experience with, to make sure they are the one because the feelings that come with being sexually active can have a strong impact with your emotions.

            Ishiguro’s use of symbolism on sexuality is to show his readers how it’s our nature to feel a special bond for a man or a woman. No matter how different we are as human beings we still are the same when it comes to our physical needs. Some people may have different religious views or outlooks but its how humans were created. Miss Emily expresses to her students how important it was to their bodies, to “respect their physical needs,” and how sex was “a very beautiful gift”.  Kathy remains pure while she was at Hailsham but her intentions to explore her sexuality were not innocent. She was thinking of who would be a perfect candidate for her first time but she wanted it to be with someone who her feelings weren’t attached to.

With sexuality symbolizing a physical need for the human body, Kathy mentioned about having a few one nighters when she lived at the Cottages. One evening, Kathy was talking to Ruth about those incidents with the guys and how she never wanting to do it with them. But because her urge to really need it she ask Ruth, “…Do you ever get so you just really have to do it? With anybody almost” (128). The author demonstrates the sense of human nature and even though Hailsham students were clones, they need the same physical need as “normal” humans

NRJ#1: Childhood

NRJ#1: Childhood

            When you become an adult or even if there is a change of surroundings, many times you think back about childhood memories. Those memories consume us of who we are today as adults such as our attitudes, what makes up happy or fearful, friendships, personalities and etc. In the novel Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro creates many childhood memories with the children from Hailsham, especially Kathy who narrates her child life with flashbacks throughout the novel. Ishiguro sense of childhood seems important to his novel. The first part of the book is him giving us insight on the beginning of childhood on Hailsham. For example, Kathy explains possessions that she had received as a childhood at Hailsham and still remains with her.

            In chapter 6, Kathy begins to mention about a tape she loves to listen to and “still has a copy of that tape” (Ishiguro 64).  The tape was by Judy Bridgwater and from that tape was Kathy’s favorite song, “Never let Me Go”. The author’s use of flashback is allowing the reader to understand the importance of the tape and what it meant to Kathy as a child. We also learn that this song is mentioned towards the end of the story encountered with Madame.  That’s it is necessary for her to explain the past with the meaning of this tape. This tape also brought back a familiar connection between Ruth and Kathy after months of awkwardness. Ishiguro is reconstructing childhood friendships by allowing Ruth to realize Kathy has lost her favorite tape and gives her a new one, “Kathy, it’s not your one. The one you lost. I tried to find it for you, but it’s really gone” (75). That tape given by Ruth still remains with Kathy amongst with her childhood memories of their friendship.

            Throughout the beginning part of Never Let Me Go,  Ishiguro has used many flashbacks for  the reader to recount the past of the children at Hailsham and for the reader to know at one point we thought the kids were normal just like how today’s society we analyze how important it is for children to go to school, have friends, and be involved with activities. That’s all the children remember from Hailsham and some of their guardians. The sense of a regular life, aka perfect life, doesn’t exist even if you’re cloned.  As adults we will always have distraught, un-normal, sensitive, positive, happy and sad childhood memories.