Reactions to the End and Meaning of the Work as a Whole (Spoilers!)

Everything has been leading up to these last few chapters. Throughout this book, I have been waiting for one big revelation about the society and a strong reaction from the characters. Maybe Kath and Tommy would revolt and try to escape their fate! Perhaps they could be the exception! 

But no, in the end, when Ruth finally pushes Kath and Tommy to be together, they find the mysterious Madame and Miss Emily to be sourly disappointed that even those who are in love cannot defer from the donations for a period of time. When Kath's memories catch up to her in the present, Ruth and Tommy are dead, and she is preparing to end her career as a carer to begin the process of giving up her life piece by piece. 

Kath in the movie version of Never Let Me Go

Ishiguro limits our perspective to just Kath so that readers can start piecing together the puzzle of cloning and donations. In this final chapter, most everything comes together with Miss Emily's account of her motives for creating Hailsham. She explains, "Most importantly, we demonstrated to the world that if students were reared in humane, cultivated environments, it was possible for them to grow to be as sensitive and intelligent as any ordinary human being"(261). I find this information extremely conflicting. On one hand, Miss Emily's project to show the world that clones have souls is a progressive approach. However, regardless of the conditions they are raised in, all of these clones have no choice and will give up their lives to save others. I don't think anyone would argue against the fact that it is more humane to raise them at places like Hailsham, however, the entire process is inhumane to begin with. Miss Emily discusses how people who benefit from new organs don't want to know where they come from. This contributes to the idea that humans would rather turn off the news at night and ignore the pain others go through to sustain their own happiness. 

The conversation between Miss Emily and her two former students is rather calm, emphasizing the passiveness of each character. Why doesn't Kath just drive off with Tommy and leave the cruel world behind her? I think submission to fate is controlled by their upbringing in which they were sheltered and happy enough to follow along with the lives they were supposed to lead. This is what I find the most upsetting in the novel. There is no rebellion, reflecting the idea that if we go with the grain when things get bad, they will only get worse from there on out. 

The connection between the outside world and Kath's internal bubble is revealed in this last section. At Tommy's recovery center, Kath can see outlines of a pool from years before when the place was a summer camp. She thinks to herself, "I can't help picturing a swimmer taking a dive off the top only to crash into cement"(219). This is a subtle take on how the clones are able to see how things could be if they were like other humans but are instead pained by the harsh reality. While saying goodbye, Madame and Kath recount the time at Hailsham in which Madame started crying when she caught Kath dancing in her room. Madame shares her reaction to seeing Kath that afternoon and says, "I saw a little girl, her eyes tightly closed, holding to her breast the old kind world, one that she knew in her heart could not remain, and she was holding it and pleading, never to let her go"(272). I found this to be a very moving part of the book in which the theme of holding on to the past is applied to a large scale. Not only is Kath holding on to her memories of Hailsham, but by wishing for a normal life, all of the clones are refusing to let go of this "old kind world." 

Now let's move on from the society as a whole and focus on what we can learn from the relationships developed in the book. Kath realizes when she sees an old friend from Hailsham that she needs to reconnect with Ruth and Tommy. She thinks to herself, "And it started to dawn on me, I suppose, that a lot of things I'd always assumed I'd plenty of time to get round to doing, I might now have to act on pretty soon or else let them go forever"(213). Through this realization, she decides to become Ruth's carer and reconsiders her relationship with Tommy. Although Kath never outright admits that she has been in love with Tommy all of her life, it is clear through their interactions and connection that they are meant to be together. Ever since the beginning, Kath and Tommy took interest in uncovering the secrets of Hailsham while Ruth embraced the life she has been given. In this final section of the book, the tone switches from neutral and reflective to dark and sad, especially when it comes to the physical and emotional changes the characters endure. Ruth and Tommy are weakened by their donations and Ruth's personality is equally deteriorating. She rarely fights back when Kath and Tommy challenge her beliefs, but in her dying plea, she urges them to try and receive a deferral. 

Once Kath becomes Tommy's carer, they silently struggle to feel fulfilled. She realizes, "'Yes, we're doing this now and I'm glad we are doing it now. But what a pity we left it so late'"(239). The themes of holding onto the past and feelings of regret come together for the meaning of the work as a whole. Although it sounds cliche, the final message Ishiguro leaves readers with is to grasp life in the moment and steal any opportunity for happiness and love or else it will be too late. Yes, Kath and Tommy find love, but the time they have together is bound by a ticking clock. Tommy describes their relationship as a river and tells Kath, "The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how I think it is with us"(282). In this case, the river is their life, and the current is their fate. Ishiguro slowly builds up to the moment the two can be together slowly tears the two apart, leaving readers feeling empty. 

We leave Kath staring out in a field, trying to imagine her loved ones coming back to life. One thing the society can't take away from her is her memories. Even though she let Tommy go, she will still hold on to every moment from the past. 

I'm sorry to end on such a sad note, but that is exactly what Ishiguro did. Check in next time to read about the movie comparison (shout out to Netflix for just uploading Never Let Me Go).