Places and Events in "Never Let Me Go"
The novel is structured around key locations and events that shape the characters' lives. These are divided into three main parts:
Part One (Chapters 1-9): Childhood at Hailsham
- Setting: Hailsham, a secluded boarding school for clones
- Time period: Characters' childhood until age 13 (the "golden age")
- Key events:
Miss Lucy's hints about the students' future (Chapter 3)
Madame's visits to collect artwork (Chapter 3)
Kathy's dance to "Never Let Me Go" and Madame's emotional reaction (Chapter 6)
Highlight: Hailsham represents a protected environment where the clones experience a semblance of normal childhood, despite their predetermined fate.
Part Two (Chapters 10-17): The Cottages
- Setting: The Cottages, a transitional living space for clones aged 16-18
- Time period: Two years after leaving Hailsham
- Key events:
Development of the "theory of possibles" (Chapter 12)
Trip to Norfolk (Chapters 13-15)
Tommy's gallery theory (Chapter 15)
Vocabulary: Theory of possibles - The clones' belief that they might find the humans they were modeled after in the outside world.
Part Three (Chapters 18-23): Donors and Carers
- Settings: Various locations including Dover and Norfolk
- Time period: Characters' adult lives as donors and carers
- Key events:
Trip to a stranded boat (Chapter 19)
Kathy and Tommy become a couple (Chapter 20)
Kathy and Tommy's visit to Madame's house (Chapter 21)
Quote: "Maybe none of us really understand what we've lived through, or feel we've had enough time."
This structure allows Ishiguro to explore the characters' development from innocent children to adults grappling with their predetermined fates. The movement from the sheltered environment of Hailsham to the wider world mirrors the characters' growing awareness of their purpose as organ donors.