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On this discussion board, please leave comments about Part Two of Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. Make sure to use the (view spoiler)[ brackets to keep from ruining anyone's experience. (hide spoiler)]

I didn't really understand the purpose of The Cottages. The students went there to do what exactly? They talked some about a paper or an essay but aside from that I didn't really understand what they spent their time doing. I felt it was mostly teenage drama. Which is something Ishiguro is portraying really well though. I'm impressed by his ability to capture what to me feels like truly realistic interactions and social codes between children and young adults.

At this point I do definitely resent Ruth. She is NOT a likable character! And to be honest I don't find a depth in her either to make her interesting. I'm annoyed that Kathy and Tommy still puts up with her behavior and the way she treats them. (view spoiler)[I'm also confused as to why Ruth and Tommy continue their relationship? I understand that the story is told from Kathy's perspective but I don't feel that I'm granted any information as to what Ruth and Tommy sees in each other. I never sense any real affection between the two. (hide spoiler)]

Maria, I agree with you about the cottages. Maybe it'll become clear in the final part of the book. I really dislike Ruth. (view spoiler)[I think Ruth and Tommy maintain their relationship because they don't see a viable alternative, and that seems realistic to me in the small society they've grown up in. I'm still really enjoying the suspense of this novel. We know what the main characters are to do in their future now, so hopefully part 3 will show us WHY (hide spoiler)].

I wonder why Kathy keeps directing her retelling to this mystical "you" person. I get a strong sense the you isn't actually the reader, but another character. I'm curious who it is. Hopefully, it gets cleared up by end of this section.

Louise wrote: "Maria, I agree with you about the cottages. Maybe it'll become clear in the final part of the book. I really dislike Ruth. [spoilers removed]."

Maria wrote: "I didn't really understand the purpose of The Cottages. The students went there to do what exactly? They talked some about a paper or an essay but aside from that I didn't really understand what th..."

I think that the main purpose of The Cottages is to help ease the clone children into regular society in terms of social interaction with more than just Hailsham kids. Even though they are given false assignments like the essays to keep them loosely tied to Hailsham, Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy are slowly allowed to become aware that they are growing up. I saw it sort of like an alternative to college where the kids are taking to mature a bit before they are confronted with that harsh reality of what their lives will become.

As for Ruth and Tommy's relationship, I think it's suppose to be one of those relationship that are akin to a high school sweetheart type of things that came about when the participants of the relationship were much too young to really understand what they were committing to. So when they got to The Cottages, they feel like they're just stuck together since it's the way they've always been.

I wonder what is keeping Kathy from realizing that Ruth is jealous of her or that Tommy may actually like her. Also, I think it's interesting how Ishiguro makes this bold statement about sexual relationship with Kathy in terms of making her a character that has multiple partners who she feels nothing about, but just wants to engage in intercourse with. Yet, she mentions the concept that the act of sex should mean something when you find the "right" one. This juxtaposition between the idea of the clone children as being just "spare parts" vs. The characters show of having actual human emotions and doing simple things that every human does is so contrary to their actual purpose in the story that it's hard to tell how this will end.

I'm also curious to see what you all think of the whole carer vs. donor situation. I keep getting confused if the people who get donated organs are also students or if these individuals are regular people. Kathy's declaration of being a carer for people like Ruth and To,my when they're older make me think that she never donated any organs, but I'm not sure if I'm getting something wrong or if I'm misunderstanding the book's system.

I was confused about the donation system as well. I didn't understand if they're eventually meant to 'complete' why do it in seperate stages? Why not all at once? Maybe to ease the students into the system so there isn't some public outcry?

I think that they did it in separate stages to help preserve the life of the donor once they started. They didn't want to take too many organs all at once I guess. (view spoiler)[ I don't think they actually cared about the students from what I read in the last part all that much. My misunderstanding came from the fact that Kathy is still a carer and she says she like 26 (I think). Yet, everyone else is all or by now. It doesn't make sense. (hide spoiler)]

Adira wrote: "I wonder why Kathy keeps directing her retelling to this mystical "you" person. I get a strong sense the you isn't actually the reader, but another character. I'm curious who it is. Hopefully, it g..."

I wonder that too. I think either its another person who like them, a clone, or knows all about their world. The way she just drops information about them makes me feel that way. For instance in part one, when Miss Lucy gives the speech about them "Being told and not told" and reveals to the reader (as in "us" not the person the story is being told to, at least it seems that way to me) that they were bred to organ donors so they shouldn't be planning their futures, etc. I say that reveal was to us because that wasn't even the point of Kathy even telling the story. The point was to talk about how Miss Lucy's behavior became "strange" to them right before she left. The way she told the story was such that, the information was known already.

Why do you think they chose even educate and institutionalize them in a place like Hailsham, if their ultimate purpose is to just give away their organs? Why bother with making them "creative" and teach them History and Geography, etc.