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62 pages 2 hours read

Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2005

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Essay Topics

1.

The purpose of the Hailsham students’ lives is to donate their organs. How do these organs function as metaphors for the experiences of the clones?

2.

Hailsham is staffed by adult guardians. How do the different personalities of the guardians shape the lives of their students?

3.

Kathy and Ruth are essential parts of each other’s lives. In what ways do they drive one another apart? In what ways do they draw one another closer?

4.

The children graduate from Hailsham to the Cottages. How do their lives change when they move to this new location? Does the new location alter their philosophy on life?

5.

Norfolk has a great emotional importance for Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy. How does the concept of Norfolk evolve throughout the novel?

6.

To what extent are Tommy and Kathy destined to be together? How are they kept apart?

7.

The bond between carers and donors is an essential part of the novel. How does this bond influence the actions of the characters?

8.

The song “Never Let Me Go” is very important to Kathy. How does her relationship to the song change over time?

9.

Hailsham is revealed to be a failed experiment. What does the failure of this experiment mean to the main characters?

10.

Can Kathy be considered an unreliable narrator? How does the question of her reliability affect the events depicted in the novel?

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