Never Let Me Go

The first months at the Cottages put a strain on the friendship between Ruth and Kathy. They quarrel more than ever but also confide in one another most nights before they retire to bed. They trust one another not to use their private confessions in their quarrels, but Ruth breaks this agreement by commenting on Kathy’s struggles to make friends. Kathy feels betrayed.

Sex is treated differently at the Cottages. There is less gossip and speculation. Kathy feels people are more mature about the matter, especially casual sex. Kathy sleeps with a few boys but refrains from starting a relationship. She admits to Ruth in one of their nighttime chats that sometimes she feels the urge to have sex but worries about the impact this urge has on her emotions and her ability to form friendships. Kathy is shocked that Ruth uses this confession against her during their argument and feels as though there are “two quite separate Ruths” (78). One is desperate to impress the veterans and frequently ignores Kathy; the other is the quiet, supportive Ruth from Hailsham.

Kathy understands that Ruth might also have felt betrayed. They two come to an unspoken agreement by which Ruth behaves differently in front of the veterans but Kathy never mentions it. This agreement may have been violated by the comment about Ruth’s stolen gestures. Kathy appreciates that Ruth made a concerted effort to grow up and mature after leaving Hailsham. Ruth never kept any mementos from their time at school, as though she wanted to leave that version of herself behind.

The residents adjust to life in the Cottages. Some people go on “courses” where they are taught to be carers. Carers are people who pause their donations for several years to take care of other donors. The carer training courses are rarely discussed at the Cottages. Neither are the people who leave the Cottages. One day Kathy finds a pile of confiscated pornography magazines. They fascinate her, and she takes them to an out-building to examine them. She examines the faces of the girls in the magazine until she becomes aware that someone is watching her. Tommy enters sheepishly and tells her that she is looking at them wrong. She should pause and consider each image rather than rifling through the pages as quickly as possible. He knows that she is searching for something, but Kathy refuses to discuss the matter. 

Everyone feels more settled by the first winter in the Cottages. One day Ruth explains to Kathy that an older couple named Chrissie and Rodney took a trip to Norfolk. They saw a girl who looked remarkably like Ruth. They believe that this could be a “possible.” Kathy takes a break from the narrative to explain that all the donors are clones of real people. A possible is the real person a donor is cloned from. The idea of the possibles is a theory, and there are many unknown or disputed aspects. Discussions about possibles at the Cottages are awkward, but everyone is secretly fascinated by the idea. They hope meeting their possible might provide insight into their own futures.

Chrissie and Rodney want to take Ruth to Norfolk to see the woman they think may be her possible. Kathy quite likes Chrissie and Rodney but notes that they seem obsessed with Hailsham. She is skeptical about Ruth’s possible and worries that it feeds too much into their shared delusion of a future that the donors will not have. Ruth has long dreamed of working in an office, and the possible is spotted in this exact location. Kathy worries that Chrissie in particular has a hidden motive. She insists on accompanying Ruth, Tommy, Chrissie, and Rodney to Norfolk. 

Rodney borrows a car to drive the group to Norfolk. Ruth pretends not to take the idea of her possible seriously, but the matter clearly means a great deal to her. The long car journey is made worse by Ruth’s insistence on talking only to Chrissie and Rodney. Tommy and Kathy are stuck in silence. When they reach the small seaside town in Norfolk that is their destination. They eat in a café with a view of the sea, and conversation turns to people who have departed the Cottages. Ruth insists on taking Chrissie and Rodney’s side in every matter. Eventually they talk about her possible, but Rodney seems more dismissive than before.

Chrissie changes the subject and begins to talk about Hailsham. She considers the “Hailsham lot” to be more privileged than other donors. Ruth has done nothing to dissuade her of this idea. Kathy realizes that the story about the possible was simply a pretext to have a conversation about Hailsham away from the many listening people at the Cottages. The atmosphere becomes tense as Chrissie explains that she heard a rumor that Hailsham students can get a deferral and have their donations put back by years, but only if they can prove that they are in love. Ruth nods along knowingly. Kathy has heard rumors about deferrals but knows nothing. Tommy states that he knows nothing. Kathy notices Tommy’s old rage bubbling back to the surface, but the anger fades quickly.