Analysis of structure and form in Never Let Me Go 2

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  • Structure and Form of NLMG
    • 3 parts in the past framed by K in the present from 1st to last line
      • "My name is Kathy H"
        • Not an objective omniscient narrator
          • Readers bound to limits of K's knowledge
      • Simple
        • Highlights how ordinary the concerns of the donors are e.g. Tommy's polo shirt
        • Mirrors colloquial language/ lack of figurative language
          • Bound to concerns about relationships
            • Emphasizes humanity
          • Broad structures e.g. chapters become more important as Ishiguro relies on it to create meaning
          • K accepts place in society
          • K expects readers to have had similar experiences
      • Part 1: Hailsham, age 11-16, ch. 1-9, 39%
      • Part 2: The Cottages, age 16-18, ch. 10-17, 32%
      • Part 3: Recovery centres as a carer, 11 years, ch.18-23, 29%
    • Structure of novel and life important and clear to K
      • "My life at Hailsham falls into two distinct chunks" pg 76
      • Adds to poignancy as emphasizes shortness of her life
      • Builds K's character
        • Life at Hailsham is special to her
      • Attempt to structure own work of art (NLMG)
        • Link to genre of Bildungsroman
          • Novel that offers account of someone's development e.g. David Copperfield
          • Lives of donors as important as any other protagonist in that genre
          • Link to significance of art showing humanity
        • K is very well-read
          • "How well you were coping was somehow reflected by how many books you'd read"
          • Self-consciously constructing novel with certain shape
      • AI: Not important to K as it takes more of a spoken form with little quality of language. Catharsis instead of art
    • Form and structure used to place readers in same position as characters
      • Having to string random memories together
        • gives readers a sense of exhaustion that K experiences as a carer
        • Readers have to piece details of their fate together like the children have to at Hailsham
          • Compels readers to read on
        • E.g. Mention R, T, H and "fourth donation in chapter 1
      • Readers can identify with characters whilst still retaining subtle differences
        • Intensifies humanity
        • General trajectory of school to work relatable to many readers
          • For them, it is the beginning of the end whilst for us it is the end of the beginning
        • Highlights inequalities which are more sympathized with due to established identification with characters
    • Beginning and end of chapters are important
      • Often dramatic and thought-provoking, used to emphasise key themes
        • Key examples: End of chapter 7 and 3

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