Dust In the Wind

"I was thinking about the rubbish, the flapping plastic in the branches, the shore-line of odd stuff caught along the fencing, and I half-closed my eyes and imagined this was the spot where everything I'd ever lost since my childhood had washed up, and I was now standing here in front of it, and if I waited long enough, a tiny figure would appear on the horizon across the field, and gradually get larger until I'd see it was Tommy, and he'd wave, maybe even call."  Never Let Me Go (p. 287)


I think it is interesting how Ishiguro ends the book.  Instead of a happy ending, we are left wondering what Kathy will do next.  Will she continue to be a carer, or will she finally become a donor?


The image of the rubbish caught in the fence represents Kathy's life.  When a piece of trash is on the side of the road, no one ever pays attention to it.  Usually, it is unknown as to where it came from and how it got there.  In the same way, Kathy has no idea how she got in this place.  Everything that made her who she was (Ruth, Tommy, and Hailsham) are gone.  She has lost that sense of identity and purpose in her life.  


Both Brave New World and Never Let Me Go end with the loss of everything.  Both Kathy and John lose a sense of purpose in their lives.  They feel they have no identity because they are outcasted by "normal" society.  In John's case, he was left out because he was a normal human.  On the other hand, Kathy was a clone who served the purpose of benefitting the modern world by giving up her own life. I think the two books connect on one similar basis: outcasts.  When someone feels left out of society, it can cause many negative effects both mentally and morally.   


After reading Never Let Me Go, I learned that humans want what is right, but if something stands in the way of a loved one, morals are allowed to be twisted.  Miss Emily wanted what was best for the students of Hailsham, and yet, she was still scared of them.  Madame even referred to the students as "little creatures."  I was confused by this, but I guess humans naturally are afraid of the unknown.  Feeling sorry for a person or group of people is never enough - action must be taken in order for change to occur.  


Here is a song I imagined playing in the background as the story ended.  I thought it was kind of a good summary of how Kathy feels.  

:)