Comparative Study Never Let Me Go


Kathy, the protagonist in Never Let Me Go, is a caring, loving and selfless young woman. However, the society in which she lives does not value her life, because she is simply a clone, so her decision to live a good life makes no difference to the terrible fate that awaits her. If that were the entire message, then the general vision and viewpoint would be irredeemably bleak. However, Kathy’s humanity provides a note of hope and optimism, albeit a small one. She finds love with Tommy and a purpose in caring for him and the other donors facing their premature end. Although nothing Kathy does changes the inevitable outcome, she takes great pride in doing her job to the best of her ability. She is disgusted by the carers who are ‘just going through the motions’ in their jobs and ‘can’t make themselves speak up on behalf of their donor’.


On the one hand, Kathy’s attitude is a shining beacon of goodness in a bleak and cruel world, but on the other hand it is depressing to think that this lovely young woman not only will meet the same end as those she looks after but also may well be on the receiving end of sloppy and incompetent care when her time comes. Another reason for not looking at Kathy’s story and her attachment to precious memories of Tommy and Ruth as a deeply depressing view of life is that everyone is on the earth for a relatively short time. Kathy’s experiences tell us it is how we live our lives that matters most. She wrestles with an extreme version of a dilemma about the meaning of life that we all face, but she faces it with a dignity, courage and grace that highlight the best of what it is to be human.


Brooklyn


Eilis, the central character in Brooklyn, is a far more straightforward protagonist than Kathy in Never Let Me Go. The ups and downs of her life do not pose the same difficult philosophical questions about the meaning of life as Kathy’s trials and tribulations in the novel. Instead, her journey is the rather predictable one of gentle romantic stories. As a result, it is easy for us to rejoice in her successes and not to be overly downcast at her failures. Eilis’s experiences tell us that the world is a good place that ultimately rewards those who work hard and find a loving partner.


The vision and viewpoint grows increasingly positive as the story progresses. When Eilis first goes to America, she is miserable and homesick, but this reaction doesn’t portray a particularly negative view of the world. After all, her feelings are natural. She is surrounded by kind and caring people, so we feel optimistic that all will work out in the end.


Even in Eilis’s lowest moments, she is the recipient of admiration and affection. In the diner where she sits alone sadly eating a meal, the waiter tells her that he hopes when he dies and goes to heaven, Eilis’s lovely voice is the first thing he hears. When Eilis’s supervisor at work tells Father Flood that Eilis is finding it hard to settle in, he arranges a night class for her. Tony, the charming young Italian man Eilis meets at a dance, falls head over heels in love with her. Unlike Kathy, whose fate is always at the forefront of our minds, Eilis’s life seems to go from strength to strength as all obstacles are miraculously overcome.


Even when she returns to Ireland and finds herself torn between Jim and Tony, everything works out for Eilis. Whatever heartbreak is experienced by Jim and her mother as result of her decision to return


Philadelphia, Here I Come! Our impression of the central character can influence our sense of the general vision and viewpoint.


Gar has more in common with Kathy than he does with Eilis. He, like Kathy, is a complicated and conflicted character facing great difficulties in his efforts to achieve fulfilment. The principal difference between Gar and Kathy is that Gar has far more choice in his life, and his problems are largely of his own making. This does not make his situation any less depressing than Kathy’s, however; if anything, it makes it sadder. Gar has several chances to find happiness but he does not – or cannot – seize the moment, so is doomed to repeat the mistakes his father made in his similarly unhappy life.


Both Gar and Eilis have a life-changing decision to make as they face emigration to America. However, Eilis makes the most of this opportunity, and we have every reason to believe that she will continue to do so. Gar, on the other hand, is self-destructive and immature and presents us with a pessimistic view of a world in which men are emotionally stunted and unable to overcome their problems in a mature manner. For example, Gar is annoyed that his father won’t talk openly to him about his departure, or even acknowledge it. Instead, S.B. tells Gar to stay late in the shop and salt pollock. Rather than confronting S.B. about this, however, Gar takes his revenge by deliberately over-salting the fish and then fantasising about being a fighter pilot shooting a pollock-fishing boat out of the water. Later, in a flashback, we learn that Gar was similarly inept when it came to talking to Senator Doogan about marrying Kate and as a result she left him for the more suitable Dr Francis King. Had Gar had any of Eilis’s courage and resolve, it is likely he could have made a better life for himself. Instead, he loses himself in childish fantasies, bitterness and anger. It is hard to feel a great deal of sympathy for Gar when he behaves this way.


432 King Lear and Comparatives


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