"I thought about Hailsham closing, and how it was like someone coming along with a pair of shears and snipping the balloon strings just where they entwined above the man's fist. Once that happened, there'd be no real sense in which those balloons belonged with each other any more." Never Let Me Go (p. 213)
I think clowns are extremely ironic. The one and only purpose for a clown is to create happiness; however, many people are afraid of clowns. I think it is no mistake that Ishiguro used this image to create a metaphor. In a way clowns are mysterious - after all, you never know what they might do next and their identity is usually sealed. In the same way, Hailsham's closing was a type of mystery. Hailsham, a place of happiness and dreams, scared many people who did not know what exactly made this school so special.
The excerpt I found was part of a metaphor comparing the closing of Hailsham to the snipping of the strings of balloons. The balloons actually represent the students of Hailsham who are connected by the very existence of the school. Without a common denominator, people tend to drift apart. Even though this has already happened, Kathy is still upset. Hailsham is her last chance to hold on to the past,of sharing that escape from reality with others. But now that this is gone, Kathy has to face the world alone. But really, I think that everyone who attended Hailsham will always remember their experiences. Nothing that is truly meaningful ever actually leaves a person's memory no matter how hard he or she tries to forget. However, the closing of Hailsham is like a closing of a big part of Kathy's life. When one chapter ends, another begins.
No comments:
Post a Comment