Never Let Me Go Section 4: Madame and Miss Emily

                The characters of Madame and Miss Emily illustrate Kazuo Ishiguro’s utilization of indirect characterization and symbolism in order to enhance the themes of Never Let Me Go. When Kathy and Tommy arrive on Madame’s doorstep to talk to her about applying for a deferral, they unexpectedly enter into a conversation with both Madame and Miss Emily which answers many of their questions about their existence and lifestyle that had bothered them since a young age. Because I had been under the assumption throughout reading the entire novel that Hailsham had been an institution supported by the donation program in order to raise the clones which would one day become their source of vital organs, I was highly surprised to learn of Madame and Miss Emily’s true motivation behind running Hailsham. Miss Emily explains that, at the time Hailsham was founded, most clones were raised in inhumane environments and given no hope at a life deemed worthy of a normal human being; therefore, their entire lives were spent in misery and inferiority until the process of donations began for them and they reached completion. Miss Emily and Madame found this practice to be highly unjust, and therefore they founded Hailsham as an institution to provide clones with a proper living environment and education in order to give them as normal a life as possible for as long as possible. Furthermore, by educating the children and gathering their work into large collections, Madame and Miss Emily hoped to prove to society that these clones had souls and were humans just like them. Therefore, these two women, who were initially depicted as having little affection for the Hailsham students and were often depicted in an even foreboding light, indirectly characterized themselves through this conversation with Kathy and Tommy as being very admirable, moral women. This indirect characterization is therefore essential to understanding the roles that Madame and Miss Emily played in the novel and ultimately understanding the purpose of the lifestyle that Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth lived at Hailsham.

                In addition to utilizing indirect characterization through the characters of Madame and Miss Emily, Ishiguro also employ symbolism through these two women. Despite the immense measures and countless hours of tireless work which the women gave to provide the clones with a better life, Miss Emily ultimately admits to Kathy and Tommy that both women were always a little repulsed by the very idea of them. Miss Emily admitted this to Kathy and Tommy when stating, “…Marie-Claude is on your side and will always be on your side. Is she afraid of you? We’re all afraid of you. I myself had to fight back my dread of you all almost every day I was at Hailsham. There were times I’d look down at you all from my study window and I’d feel such revulsion…” (Ishiguro, 269). I found this opinion of the women towards the clones to be highly symbolic of social issues in society today. While human cloning for the purpose of organ donations may not exist today, other fairly similar issues do plague society, such as human trafficking and extreme poverty and disease in third-world countries. Although people do see that these injustices are highly immoral, they are also repulsed by some of the poor creatures who are victims to these tragedies, and while some try to help, these injustices have yet to be truly terminated because too many people are repulsed or indifferent. Therefore, I found the fact that the very women who were trying to help the clones were also afraid of them to be symbolic of the way that many social issues in society today are dealt with; thus, the role of both Madame and Miss Emily at the conclusion of this novel due to indirect characterization and symbolism is essential to understand the work’s meaning.

Never Let Me Go Section 4: Significance of Title

                Just as is the case with many novels, plays, and poems, the title of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is incredibly important to understanding the overall meaning of the work. The title Never Let Me Go originates with a song that was very important to Kathy throughout her life. At one of the Sales at Hailsham, Kathy purchased a Judy Bridgewater tape containing the song “Never Let Me Go” and instantly felt a connection to this particular song, listening to it over and over again when she was alone. This Judy Bridgewater tape had further significance in the novel when Tommy bought her a copy of it in Norfolk during their time at the Cottages, and a slight dispute over this tape became the beginning of the unraveling of the friendship between Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy before they left The Cottages for their training. However, the significance of the title Never Let Me Go stems much deeper than reflecting the name of Kathy’s favorite song. In reality, this title reflects one of the central struggles which Kathy deals with in the novel: the balance between knowing what aspects of life to hold on to and which aspects to let go. The most important aspect of Kathy’s life which she fervently “never let go” of was her memories, and I personally believe that this act was vital to her happiness and perseverance in life. Throughout the novel, Kathy made it clear that she made every effort to remember as much as possible about her childhood at Hailsham and adolescent years at The Cottages, as well as her twelve years serving as a carer. In fact, Kathy was unique in this regard, for her other friends and companions seem to treat their memories of Hailsham with much less importance. For example, nearly every veteran at The Cottages opted out of keeping their collections from Hailsham, Laura lost nearly all ties with her Hailsham friends once she began dating a young man from another institution, and Ruth forgot many details about their years at Hailsham. However, no matter how many years passed, Ruth always retained memories of even the minutest details of her childhood and even held on to her collection. I believe the fact that Kathy chose to never let go of these things was essential to her survival because of her solitary lifestyle as a carer. Because of her very nature and lifestyle as a clone, her future as a donor, and especially after the closing of Hailsham and the loss of both Ruth and Tommy, Kathy’s memories were truly all she had left to sustain her. Therefore, determination to hang on to these memories is reflected in the title Never Let Me Go.

                On the other hand, because Kathy had a tendency cling to all the things she loved, she often faced difficulty with letting go of things that were best set free. For example, Tommy was somebody that Kathy eventually learned she had to let go of despite the pain it may have caused her. Although Kathy and Tommy loved each other and served as one another’s support system throughout their lives, the time at which Tommy was to give his fourth donation became the fork in the road of their lives at which Tommy simply needed to go one way while Kathy went another because of the differences in their lifestyles as donors and carers. Tommy best expressed this when saying, “I keep thinking about this river…and these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other…but in the end it’s just too much…that’s how I think it is with us. It’s a shame, Kath, because we’ve loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can’t stay together forever” (Ishiguro, 282). Therefore, the title Never Let Me Go is so significant because it reflects Kathy’s inner turmoil as she deals with both guarding her memories so as to feel as though she has not been let go by those who love her while also understanding that, when you truly love someone, the best thing you can do for them is to let them go anyway.

Never Let Me Go Section 4: Theme

                One of the more prominent ideas presented in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go which I ascertained to be one of the themes of the novel was the idea of taking advantage of every moment of one’s time and embracing life regardless of one’s circumstances. Time is clearly a very important aspect of this novel; the ways in which Ishiguro manipulates time through Kathy’s retrospective point of view and the occasional lack of the chronological order of memories greatly enhances the work. Moreover, Kathy’s ability to draw comfort and strength from her memories even when she experiences crushing solitude and a foreboding future further contributes to the importance of time and memory. However, I personally believe that one of the most important contexts in which time is presented in the novel is in the sense that it is a fleeting entity which much be treasured with the utmost value. In other words, in looking back at her life, Kathy laments that there was much potential happiness in her life that she missed out of simply because she felt she was “too late;” she wish she would have used her time differently. This is best illustrated in the example of Kathy and Tommy’s relationship. Although they were best friends and one another’s confidants for their entire lives, they were never romantically involved because of Tommy’s relationship with Ruth. Once Ruth encouraged the two of them to become a couple and apply for a deferral years later, however, they did eventually begin to advance their relationship by having sex and beginning the process of falling in love. While this new relationship did make Kathy happy, she found it next to impossible to experience this happiness without also feeling a twinge of regret and remorse that they had not begun their relationship sooner. Kathy explained, “But something was definitely gone… so that feeling came again, even though I tried to keep it out: that we were doing all of this too late; that there’d once been a time for it, but we’d let that go by…” (Ishiguro, 241-242). This quote therefore calls to mind a major theme of the book: that life is too evanescent to allow it to speed by while remaining passive to new opportunities and possibilities. Furthermore, although one’s circumstances and possibly even their fate often cannot be changed, the way in which one uses his or her own time is entirely under their control, and therefore taking advantage of every moment becomes critical.

                This central theme of using one’s time to the fullest also coincides with the message of the novel of forcing one to face their fears in the hopes of finding contentment. On one hand, Kathy looked back on her relationship with Tommy and felt nothing but regret that they hadn’t explored a romantic relationship sooner; on the other hand, she still faced ominous aspects of her future with fear and a tendency to put off what she did not want to face, such as speaking to Madame about a deferral. However, after Kathy realizes that she wished she would have been unafraid to have fallen in love with Tommy sooner, she realizes that she also must overcome her anxiety of applying for a deferral so that she would not later look back on her passivity in this regard with regret, as well. Through these examples, the important theme of valuing and appreciating one’s time and taking advantage of every opportunity possible becomes clear in Never Let Me Go.

Never Let Me Go Section 4: Dynamic Character

The extent to which Ruth develops into a dynamic character in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is revealed in Section 4. Although Ruth was characterized throughout parts 1 and 2 of the novel as being somewhat of an antihero, she transforms her personality in a number of ways shortly before her “completion” as a donor. Throughout parts 1 and 2, Ruth proves herself to be consistently selfish, controlling, overpowering, and condescending. Her domineering personality could be seen in the way she constantly treated her dearest friends with disrespect and wore an air of superiority around them while simultaneously flattering veterans at The Cottages and attempting to befriend them. Furthermore, she was selfish in her relationship with Tommy, constantly rebuking him for his natural behavior and personality while also having the occasional affair with other young men. Ruth’s tendency to be so critical and manipulative tarnished her relationships with both Kathy and Tommy before they parted from each other to begin their training; however, through spending some time away from Tommy and Kathy and undergoing the pain of donations, Ruth apparently sees the flawed nature of her ways and eventually develops into a much more genuine person, making her a very dynamic character. This dramatic transformation is revealed when Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy take a car trip to see the boat ear the Kingston. To begin with, Ruth passivity when Tommy and Kathy gang up on her reveals that she has become more wary than fiery; she lost her desire to defend herself by criticizing others at all times. Furthermore, her frailty and fear of climbing through the barbed wire fence illustrates how her donations have made her timid as opposed to bold and controlling as she used to be. Most importantly, on the way home from the adventure, when Kathy stops the car so that they can admire a billboard boasting a picture of an office setting, Ruth suddenly admits to Kathy and Tommy that she knew she was wrong and that she regrets her behavior in the past. She asks for their forgiveness although she claims that she does not expect she deserves it from them. The single event which most fully manifests her transformation, however, is the moment in which Ruth admits how selfish she was in keeping Kathy and Tommy from being in a relationship together all those years because she refused to break up with Tommy. In a huge act of selflessness and humility, Ruth says, “…I kept you apart. I’m not asking you to forgive me for that. That’s not what I’m after just now. What I want is for you to put it right. Put right what I messed up for you” (Ishiguro, 232). From this point, Ruth proceeds to suggest that Kathy and Tommy begin a relationship and pour all their time and energy into attempting to get a deferral from Madame. Although the deferrals never existed, the complete conversion which this humble request of Ruth reveals proves that she is truly a dynamic character. Through the process of donations, Ruth changed from a selfish friend who thought of her own needs and desires before those of her friends to a girl who was willing to sacrifice her pride and allow her best friend and ex-boyfriend to fall in love in order to prolong their lives while hers withered away. This utilization of a dynamic character by Ishiguro was a truly important aspect of the novel which greatly contributed to the work’s meaning.

Never Let Me Go Section 2: Narration/Point of View

One of the most intriguing aspects of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go is Ishiguro’s choice in having the story told from Kathy’s point of view as she looks back and reflects of the past events of her life. To begin with, the fact that Kathy is recalling all the events of the story while offering slight glimpses at her current circumstances immediately and automatically produces a certain amount of foreshadowing which builds a sense of suspense in the reader. However, beyond this, the unique narration of the novel offers a number of insights into the essence of the story. For example, Kathy commonly uses the phrase, “I don’t know how it was where you were…” which implies a few essential things. First of all, the reader is lead to question who the “you” is which Kathy is addressing. Is the audience of her recollections intended to be one of the patients for which she is caring? Or perhaps she is addressing the community of clones at large? Furthermore, it is important for the reader to note that, by using the phrase, “I don’t know how it was where you were, but at Hailsham…” throughout the novel, Kathy implies that several institutions were in existence which housed and educated clones just like at Hailsham. These further leads the reader to question how many clones were supposedly in existence in the novel, since Kathy has yet to specify any ballpark number of students even at Hailsham alone.

The most important aspect of Kathy’s narration, however, is that is makes the story much more personable. The topic which Ishiguro focused Never Let Me Go on is certainly very controversial: the idea that clones could be made of human beings, raised and educated leading more or less perfectly normal lives, and then slowly murdered via donation of vital organs for the sake of others as though they were not human beings at all. While this idea has never been put into practice in today’s world, something along these lines could in fact be very possible in the near future given today’s incredible medical technology. Had Ishiguro not chosen to tell this story for the point of view of a clone herself, the story could have taken a much more objective approach, and the idea of raising clones for the sake of saving the lives of others may not have been portrayed in such a gruesome light. Rather, objectively speaking, a reader might even find the idea of producing clones in order to harvest their organs for the sake of others to be a good idea. However, the moment that the reader begins to see this idea through the eyes of a clone, the idea immediately transforms into a gruesome, torturous, and unjustifiably horrible act. Hearing Kathy talk about the theory of “possibles” and explain that, “Since each of us was copied at some point from a normal person, there must be, for each of us, somewhere out there, a model getting on with his or her life” (Ishiguro, 139) is almost eerie in nature. The fact that Kathy explains this fact to the reader so matter-of-factly and nonchalantly is almost striking. Having Kathy narrate the story almost forces the reader to picture what their own life would be like if they knew that they had been created as the exact model of another “normal” human being just for the purpose of giving their own organs to help others live. In this context, the idea of cloning becomes absolutely repulsive. Therefore, I believe that Ishiguro intentionally chose to have a character as likeable as Kathy narrate the story as a literary technique to bring attention to one of the overarching themes of the novel, the inhumane way in which many people are already treated in today’s world and the dangers of mistreatment of others in the future.

Never Let Me Go Section 2: Attitude/Perspective

                The fact that the main characters in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go are very unique is very obvious for a number of reasons. For example, the students have been “modeled” after other human beings and raised in a society all their own which is isolated from the rest of the world for the sole purpose of growing up and ultimately dying to donate their vital organs to others; in other words, they are clones raised to be slaughtered for the benefit of the rest of humanity. Despite the many intriguing aspects of these individuals which arise from their incredibly unique existence, the aspect of their personalities which I find to be the most intriguing is their attitude towards their fate. While Miss Lucy was right in her analysis that the students and Hailsham had been “told and not told” (Ishiguro, 82) of their purpose in life, the students certainly did have a reasonably good understanding of their ultimate destinies: to live brief lives which would ultimately result in their own deaths as well as the deaths of their dearest friends all for the sake of donating vital organs to others. Certainly this treatment must have seemed unjustifiably cruel and inexplicably unjust to them; however, the students at Hailsham never seemed to protest their fates. However, when told by Miss Lucy that they would never be able to follow their whimsical dreams of becoming movie stars or celebrities because of their duty in life, they did not protest or even question her; rather, they simply accepted this unfair reality as truth. Furthermore, if a topic was introduced for discussion that made the students consider their futures, they would often opt to leave the matter alone than express their feelings or curiosities. For example, the students at Hailsham had a mutual understanding that nobody would ever ask the guardians about their inability to have babies, the idea of discovering their “possibles” one day, or why Madame took so much interest into creating a gallery out of their artwork. Rather than gain a better understanding as to why they were so different from the rest of society, the students simply seemed to contentedly accept their uniqueness and ultimate duties in life. Perhaps this acceptance of their lifestyle originated in their ignorance for any other way of life than that which they learned to live at Hailsham; nevertheless, I found the students’ passivity towards their unjust lifestyles to be incredibly shocking. This was particularly surprising to when Kathy noted that, at The Cottages, “Another thing I noticed… was the big hush that would descend around certain veterans when they went off on “courses”—which even we knew had to do with becoming carers. They could be gone for four or five days, but were hardly mentioned in that time; and when they came back, no one really asked them anything” (Ishiguro, 132). Perhaps this general consensus that delicate topics related to their futures were too overwhelming to discuss was a coping mechanism for the young adults. Regardless, I still find the attitudes of these individuals, or clones, to be surprisingly accepting of their cruel existences. As the novel progresses, I believe it will be interesting to see if Kathy, Ruth, or Tommy decide to challenge their fates and attempt to live a more normal lifestyle or fight for the equality of all clones.

Never Let Me Go Section 2: Symbolism and Irony

In chapter 11 of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, an important discussion takes place between Kathy and Ruth regarding Ruth’s collection from Hailsham which I found to carry a good deal of symbolic meaning and irony that ultimately leads to a greater understanding of some of the themes of the book. In this conversation which takes place at The Cottages, Kathy asks Ruth if she kept any pieces of her collection from Hailsham with her after coming to The Cottages. Ruth responds solemnly by confessing that, while she had initially intended to keep her collection, she gave it to Keffers to dispose of once she realized that none of the other veterans at The Cottages seemed to hold on to any components of their own collections. To begin with, I found Ruth’s act in throwing her collection away to be very ironic. Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy had spent their entire lives up to this point at Hailsham; therefore, all their friends, relationships, memories, possessions, and so forth were directly tied to this one location. Once departing for The Cottages, however, the students’ collections became their only tangible remnants from this past life besides one another. Unfortunately, because Ruth was always very conscientious of impressing the veterans and was preoccupied with making every effort to “fit in” with them, she lost all sense of connection to her collection the moment she realized that no veterans had seemed to keep possession of their own collections. Believing that holding on to her collection would make her appear childish in front of the veterans, Ruth therefore resolved to dispose of her collection by giving it to Keffers to sell. I find this ironic in the sense that Ruth readily sacrificed her only tangible remnant of her past life, where she not only belonged, but thrived and was both well-known and well-liked, in an attempt to belong in her new lifestyle.

In addition to Ruth’s sacrifice of her collection from Hailsham being ironic, I also found this fact to be symbolic of the lifestyles which these young adults were asked to lead. These young individuals have been created, educated, and raised for the sole purpose of being sacrifices for the rest of society. For example, the students were trained in art so that their best work could be sold to Madame and serve as “evidence;” their bodies were created and refined so that they could one day donate vital organs. All their lives, these young adults, who are presumably clones, have been asked to continually make sacrifices for others for nothing in compensation for such generosity. They create beautiful art, yet are asked to give it away; they make friends, and are made to become separated from them after leaving Hailsham and other stages of life; they build lifelong relationships with each other and are then asked to care for one another as they die in the process of donation; they lead lives that are as normal as possible through their young adulthood and are then asked to sacrifice their lives in order to donate vital organs to others. Although Ruth did willingly give away her collection to Keffers, the manner in which she recalls this instance implies that she did not particularly enjoy giving up her possessions. For example, Ruth remarked, “I put them all in a bin bag, but I couldn’t stand the idea of putting them out with the rubbish… I suppose he just took it away and put it in some bin… but at least I didn’t have to know that” (Ishiguro, 131). I find Ruth’s sacrifice of her possessions to be symbolic of all the sacrifices which the students are asked to make in their lives. While the students seemingly accept their designated lifestyles and fates without question, this does not mean that they necessarily enjoy the fact that they are forced to donate their vital organs. Similarly, although Ruth did not particularly want to throw her possessions away, she seemed to feel pressured that making this sacrifice was something she simply must do to coincide with the natural progression of their lives.

Never Let Me Go Section 2: Foreshadowing

In both sections 1 and 2 of Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro incorporates a great deal of foreshadowing into the novel so as to advance the plot and elevate the feeling of suspense experienced by the reader. While very few specific details are given, the reader is made to understand that all the students at Hailsham such as Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are not like other members of society. Instead, they have been intentionally “modeled” after another human being for the specific purpose of being raised to one day donate vital organs. After leaving Hailsham, the reader knows that the students will become “carers” and donors, but little other information has been provided at this time as to the details of these jobs, the ultimate purpose of their education at Hailsham, the destinies and fates which they are bound to with such a unique life, etc. Therefore, because Ishiguro has intentionally chosen to exclude some important explanatory text which would clarify many details about Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy’s lives, the foreshadowing which is created by Kathy’s narration of the novel creates a great deal of suspense. For example, the fact that Kathy’s narration reveals the fact that she is currently serving as a carer, whereas Ruth and Tommy have already acted as donors. With this in mind, the reader is left to speculate the ultimate fates of Ruth and Tommy as well as what will happen to Kathy once her term as a carer is completed in the near future. The reader is also left to wonder how exactly the nature of their work has led Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy to become separated from one another. For example, when discussing how Miss Lucy was different from all the other guardians because she seemed to express more concern over the children’s future, Kathy reflects, “It’s even possible I began to realize, right back then, the nature of her worries and frustrations. But that’s probably going too far; chances are, at the time, I noticed all these things without knowing what on earth to make of them” (Ishiguro, 78-79). This clearly leaves the reader in suspense wondering what made Miss Lucy so unique and what insights and connections to her own fate Kathy was able to derive from observing Miss Lucy. Additionally, the sense of foreshadowing which is created by the fact that the story is narrated by Kathy and presented as her personal reflection on the past events of her life creates the suspense in the sense that it encourages the reader to speculate about the conclusion of the novel. I often find myself personally wondering as I progress through the book if the novel will end simply with the revelation of who exactly these special Hailsham students are, why exactly they were brought into the world, and what specifically other “normal” humans intend for their purpose in life to be. On the other hand, I also wonder if these revelations will be disclosed earlier on in the novel and will escalate into one much larger problem which Kathy must solve before the novel’s conclusion. For example, if Kathy has yet to become a donor herself, will she find a way to escape the fate of her friends and pave a new way of life for people like the students at Hailsham? Without the foreshadowing that is produced by Kathy’s narration, these questions may not be nearly as likely to linger in the mind of the reader as the novel progressed. Therefore, this foreshadowing is an essential literary technique used by Ishiguro in Never Let Me Go and greatly contributes to the overall advancement of the plot.

"I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed" Pg. 797 Question 4

As explained in Question 4, the last stanza of Emily Dickinson’s “I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed” does in fact paint the image of a stereotypical street scene in which neighbors or townspeople flock to windows to observe the comical behavior of a drunkard. Stereotypical drunkards in this situation would be likely to lean against a sturdy structure such as a lamppost or even the side of a building. However, because Dickinson’s poem presents an extended metaphor and is not literally depicting an individual who is drunk due to excessive consumption of alcohol, the drunkard in this poem does not lean on any stereotypical structure on the streets. Rather, the speaker in the poem is “drunk” as a result of feverishly drinking in the beauty of nature. Consequently, the speaker is described as leaning against the sun rather than a lamppost or building. However, the component of this final stanza of the poem which is bound to capture the attention of the reader the most is the description of the seraphs and saints. Dickinson describes these entities in the following manner: “Till seraphs swing their snowy Hats—and Saints—to the windows run—to see the little Tippler leaning against the—Sun—“ (Dickinson, 797). While one may expect neighbors and onlookers in a stereotypical situation in which a drunkard is on the streets to fly to the windows of their homes to take entertainment and delight in the drunk individual’s actions, one would not expect such holy beings as angels and saints to desire to rush to observe such shameful events. However, because the speaker in the poem is “drunk” on the beauty of nature rather than the excessive consumption of alcohol, the seraphs and saints would in fact take pleasure in observing such actions. After all, loving and admiring the magnificence of God’s creation is a pleasing act in stark contrast to the shame or immorality of drinking too much alcohol. Therefore, Dickinson’s use of imagery in including this image of holy beings such as seraphs and saints taking delight in the speaker’s “drunkenness” serves to emphasize the goodness of the speaker’s actions and enhance the contrast between the speaker’s form of intoxication with the stereotypical drunkenness of all others on normal liquor. This also ultimately reinforces the meaning of the title “I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed” in indicating that the speaker is unique in her sheer delight and inebriation caused purely by the natural elegance of the earth.

"Sorting Laundry" Symbolism

                The sorting of laundry which is performed by the speaker in Elisavietta Ritchie’s poem “Sorting Laundry” is to be interpreted both literally and figuratively. While the speaker is in fact literally sorting laundry, the articles of clothing which the speaker is handling are each representative of a component of the couple’s relationship; therefore, the poem can be characterized by the many examples of symbolism which occur throughout the entirety of the speaker’s words. In each piece of laundry that the speaker sorts, a different component of the couple’s relationship can be observed. For example, the speaker describes the pillowcases in the following manner: “Pillowcases, despite so many washings, seams still holding our dreams” (Ritchie, 841). Even within this very short statement, many insights can be made into the couple’s relationship. Because the speaker notes the fact that the pillowcases have been washed numerous times, the reader can reasonably assume that the man and woman in the poem have been in relationship for an extended period of time. Furthermore, seams are the components of a pillowcase which hold the two pieces of fabric used to make the pillowcase together. Therefore, as the speaker describes the seams of the pillow as still holding their dreams, she is not just referring to the fact that the couple’s dreams have been encouraged and preserved after all their time together. Rather, she is also referring to the fact that, just as seams keep two pieces of fabric bound to one another, the couple’s dreams do in fact keep the two individuals in the relationship bound to one another, as well. As the poem progresses, the speaker refers to other pieces of laundry to describe their life together, as well. For example, the horribly ugly patterns depicted on their towels suggest that the couple has a vibrant and lively relationship which does not demand perfection or a pristine outward appearance. Additionally, just as the speaker mentions that the couple never bleached the gaudy patterns out of the towels, she suggests that the couple would never desire to wash the colorfulness or uniqueness out of their own relationship. Moreover, even without considering specific pieces of laundry, the load of clothes as a whole is representative of the couple’s lives together. For instance, although they each have their own individual pieces of laundry, all articles of clothing are thrown into the wash together and combine into one massive pile of existence. In a similar way, just as two people in a relationship will always remain unique and distinct individuals, their lives combine in such a manner that they are, in many senses, a single unit, just as a pile of laundry composed of individual pieces of clothes can still be regarded as one unit, or load.

                Understanding the many examples of symbolism utilized by Ritchie in this poem is essential to understanding the mood shift at the end of the poem. As the poem concludes, the speaker expresses her fear at the thought of her lover one day leaving her. If the reader does not understand the symbolism presented in the other pieces of laundry, the reader will have a less clear understanding of the depth of the couple’s relationship and therefore will have less insight into the fear the speaker feels at the potential loss of this love. Therefore, the symbolism is an essential component of the poem “Sorting Laundry.”

"Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God" Paradox

The speaker in John Donne’s sonnet “Batter My Heart, Three-Personed God” essentially expresses a desire to grow closer in his relationship with God by turning away from sin and embodying goodness. While this desire may be the central theme of many religious poems, however, the speaker’s approach in asking God for guidance on his endeavors for goodness is fairly unusual. Consequently, the sonnet establishes a paradox which is developed throughout the course of the sonnet and is revealed in its entirety in the last two lines of the poem. Instead of simply asking God to purify his heart in order to make him more holy in mind and deed, the speaker requests that God batter his heart; in other words, he asks God to strike him repeatedly. Furthermore, the speaker insists, “That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new” (Donne, 840). Ultimately, the speaker is essentially asking God to beat him into submission. While the speaker may be seeking the same spiritual strength and relationship with God as many others do, the speaker separates himself from others by realizing that the only way for him to personally avoid sin is to be so broken and beaten down that God could reshape his heart and make him anew. The irony in the speaker’s request of God can further be seen in his statement that “…Dearly I love you and would be loved fain, but am betrothed unto your enemy” (Donne, 840). With the assertion, the speaker suggests that, while he truly loves God and desires to have a close relationship with him, he bitterly has to admit that he cannot escape the grasp of sin, which is in direct opposition to God. With this in mind, the paradox that is present in this poem is brought to completion with the last two lines of the poem, in which the speaker expresses that, in order to be free of evil, he wishes for God to imprison him, and in order to be made chaste, he wishes for God to “ravish” him. While it may seem like a contradiction to seek freedom through imprisonment and chastity through enthrallment, a certain amount of truth does exist in the speaker’s request. The speaker is fully aware of his own weakness and therefore understands his own limits; he knows that he will be incapable of ever being free of sin and imperfection unless the God of Goodness himself would make his heart pure by force. Therefore, Donne’s sonnet ultimately presents a paradox in the idea that, in order to be rid of evil and full of purity, the speaker desires to be broken, beaten, and imprisoned in order to be made new.

"The Convergence of the Twain" Juxtaposition and Situational Irony

                Thomas Hardy’s “The Convergence of the Twain” is divided into eleven stanzas, or subsections, which are centered around two central ideas that Hardy intends to convey through his employment of juxtaposition and situational irony. In the first five stanzas of the poem, Hardy paints a stark contrast between the lavish manner in which the Titanic was designed to exist and the displeasing reality of its true existence on the floor of the ocean. To accomplish this, Hardy juxtaposes a number of features of the boat as they were intended to exist in comparison to their tarnished state in the depths of the ocean. For example, Hardy writes, “Jewels in joy designed to ravish the sensuous mind lie lightless, all their sparkles bleared and black and blind” (Hardy, 778). In this statement, Hardy creates a juxtaposition that presents the opulence of extravagant jewels meant to dazzle even the richest of passengers in opposition to their dullness and dimness crushed under the great depths of the sea. Hardy also juxtaposes the elegant mirrors meant to reflect the beauty of the ship’s finer passengers against the status of the mirror as it rests on the ocean floor with dumb and indifferent sea-worms tarnishing its beauty. In establishing such stark contrasts, Hardy also highlights the situational irony in the fact that all the features of the Titanic which were manufactured at such great length to exemplify the extravagance of mankind met an immediate fate in the darkness of the deep sea. While one would expect such beautiful structures to please the human eye for years to come, Hardy instead illustrates the situational irony of the ship’s destruction by pointing to the fact that the ship now rested as far away from human contact as possible and could be seen only by dim “moon-eyed” fishes scavenging the ocean floor.

                The second half of the poem from stanzas six to eleven use the same techniques of juxtaposition and situational irony to illustrate another idea related to the sinking of the Titanic: the converged fates of the ship itself with the iceberg which brought about its destruction. In this piece of the poem, Hardy compares the construction of the ship to the simultaneous creation of the iceberg and then proceeds to illustrate how their existences were eventually destined to clash in an imminent yet tragic collision. Hardy best articulates this idea with this statement, “No mortal eye could see the intimate welding of their later history, or sign that they were bent by paths coincident on being anon twin halves of one august event” (Hardy, 779). Hardy therefore utilizes juxtaposition by continually throughout the six stanzas of this portion of the poem comparing the life of the Titanic to the life of the iceberg. This juxtaposition in turn points to the situational irony in the fact that, while most people entertained the misconception that the Titanic was unsinkable, fate led the mighty ship to be struck down on its maiden voyage by an iceberg which had swollen to its own grandeur at the same time that the Titanic itself was constructed. Thus, the full meaning of Hardy’s poem is revealed through juxtaposition and situational irony.

"Barbie Doll"

                In many ways I find the central essence of Marge Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” to be rooted in the idea of a stock character. The young girl in the poem is depicted as a strong, intelligent, independent woman with many unique gifts and talents to offer the world through her vibrancy and individuality. However, the girl was consistently pressured to improve herself because her “great big nose and fat legs” (Piercy, 835) prevented anyone from being able to see her genuine beauty, and the pressure and torment she experienced in the name of achieving physical perfection ultimately compelled her to take her own life. Thus, I believe that Piercy is asserting through her poem the notion that today’s culture both encourages and forces all young girls to essentially become stock characters, or Barbie dolls. Although the young woman presented in the poem possessed many beneficial and valuable qualities, all such gifts were overshadowed by the stereotype which all teenage girls are supposedly forced to comply with today. By mentioning the fact that the young girl was given dolls, fake stoves, and plastic lipstick to play with as a child, Piercy alludes to the idea that all girls today are molded to become stock characters, or stereotypical young women of today’s society, rather than embracing and developing their own individuality. Thus, in this manner, Piercy’s poem embodies a sarcastic and condemning tone as she conveys the idea that society’s obsession with creating all young girls into stereotypical Barbie dolls promotes a universal stock character which all girls must conform to.

                Furthermore, the idea of a stock character contributes greatly to the essence of this poem in the sense that the reaction of the young girl in the poem to the pressure she was receiving was also very stereotypical. Many stories have arisen in the past of young girls who were so distraught over their hopeless pursuits of physical perfection and so oppressed by the feeling of being unable to express their own individuality that they took their own lives. In trying to create an identity which the world would approve of, the teenage girl in the poem instead lost the only real identity she could ever truly possess: her very own unique and individual self. Piercy writes, “Her good nature wore out like a fan belt” (Piercy, 836). However, unfortunate as it may be, many young girls respond to today’s peer pressure in the same manner: instead of fighting for their own individuality and image, they fight endlessly to achieve perfection in the eyes of society, forsake their own identities, lose their sense of purpose and happiness, and take their own lives. Therefore, ironically, the poem “Barbie Dolls” reveals the fact that the young girl in the poem not only did everything in her power to become a “stock character,” but her reaction to her physical imperfections did, in and of itself, embody that of a stock character. In other words, the young girl in the poem acted as a stock character by placing too much emphasis in her life in trying to become a stock character. Though the sarcastic tone of the poem and the disheartening conclusion provide for the poem’s serious nature, Piercy does convey the central theme of embracing one’s own imperfection and individuality effectively via the utilization of the concept of a stock character.

"To His Coy Mistress"

               Figurative language is present in abundance throughout the poem “To His Coy Mistress” by Andrew Marvell and plays a significant role in illustrating the central themes of experiencing and enjoying love in the fleeting instance that life on earth lasts. For example, Marvell articulates the idea that life on earth is not indefinite by using a metaphor in the following passage: “But at my back I always hear time’s winged chariot hurrying near” (Marvell, 804). By comparing time to a winged chariot in this manner, the author conveys the idea that time passes rapidly and that the remainder of their lives on earth shrinks with each passing day. Furthermore, by describing time as a winged chariot approaching him from behind, he alludes to the fact that death is constantly in pursuit of man, consistently drawing closer and closer to him, yet behind his back, where he cannot see for sure when it will catch he. Therefore, in using this metaphor of a winged chariot to express the fleeting nature of time, Marvell reinforces the speaker’s sense of urgency to convince his coy mistress to cast aside her shy nature and embrace their love before they become prisoners to the effects of time and lose their lives.

                Marvell also employs figurative language in the poem by incorporating similes into his descriptions of the mistress and his love for her. For example, he describes the youthful hue of his young mistress as resting on her cheeks in the manner that morning dew rests gently upon the earth. In comparing the skin of his lady to something so gentle and beautiful in nature, he highlights the fact that his mistress is delicate and likely to be shy rather than the type of woman who would embrace every aspect of life, such as love. Furthermore, the speaker describes his own soul as firing at every pore, and this figurative comparison advances the meaning of his work by articulating his own desire for his mistress. The fact that he describes every pore of his being as being afire serves as a strong indication that the speaker has no intentions of wasting any more time than he absolutely has to; rather, he would prefer to embrace life while he still possesses his youth rather than waiting for their encasement in marble graves to love one another.

                Finally, Marvell concludes the poem with the statement, “Thus, though we cannot make our sun stand still, yet we will make him run” (Marvell, 804). I believe the sun to be symbolic of the couple’s time together and their lives at large. The speaker is intending to express the idea that they cannot prevent the time of their youth from fading away just as they cannot prevent the sun from rising and falling each day; however, they certainly can embrace every instant of their time together. All of these examples of figurative language therefore emphasize the speaker’s key purpose of convincing his mistress to forsake her coyness to as to enter into a loving relationship with him before the winged chariot of time takes either of them prisoner.

"A Jury of Her Peers" Pg. 426 Question 1

                Much irony can be found in the title of “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell. While the structure of the plot of the story is centered on determining who and what caused the death of Mr. Wright, the ultimate essence and theme expressed in the story were rooted in sexism. This work of Glaspell was first published in 1917, at a time in American history when women were not given the right to vote nor the right to be judged by a jury of peers, and women were often seen as having little purpose in daily life other than to fret over trifling things such as the cleanliness of dish towels in the kitchen. This view of women is conveyed by the three principle men in the story, Mr. Hale, Mr. Peters, and Mr. Henderson, the young attorney. Although the two women are brought along to the scene of the crime so that Mrs. Peters can gather a few essential items for Mrs. Wright, who is being detained under order of the law, and so that Mrs. Hale can give Mrs. Peters company, the two women are in no way expected to contribute in any way to the solving of the murder mystery. In fact, the men find a way of criticizing the women for their apparent simple-mindedness and lack of functionality in life throughout the duration of their visit to the Wright home. For example, the men act condescendingly towards the women when they discover them worrying over the state of Mrs. Wright’s canned fruit and quilt patterns. However, as the egotistical men search boldly for evidence of a murder, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters alone are able to discern that Mrs. Wright was in fact Mr. Wright’s murderer, as well as what her motives were in killing her own husband.

                The considerations mentioned above are what make the title “A Jury of Her Peers” very ironic in nature. While women in that time period were not allowed to ever serve on a jury, nor would women such as Mrs. Wright be given a jury of her peers in court, it was the only two women at the scene of the crime, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, who were able to determine Mrs. Wright’s motives in killing her husband quite simply because they themselves were women, too. After discovering Mrs. Wright’s precious bird dead from a wrung neck and entombed in a very elaborate box, the women determine that Mr. Wright must have killed her bird out of maliciousness and irreverence towards his wife’s happiness. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters begin to understand that Mrs. Wright may have killed her husband simply because she was driven to insanity by the solitude, loneliness, and lack of love and companionship that suffocated her in her empty abode and was perpetuated by the stoic attitude of Mr. Wright. Upon discovering the dead bird, Mrs. Hale remarks, “I wonder how it would seem… never to have any children around? …No, Wright wouldn’t like that bird… a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that too” (Glaspell, 423). This excerpt proves that the women understood the oppression which Mrs. Wright must have felt by her husband because their metaphorical “song” had been crushed by their own husbands and men at large, as well. There, the title “A Jury of Her Peers” is ironic because, despite the fact that women were not believed capable of great intelligence or the ability to solve a murder mystery, the women alone were the only ones able to solve the mystery because they could sympathize with the motives of a woman whose hopes, dreams, and happiness had been crushed by her inferiority and loneliness. The women’s defiance at the conclusion of the story also reinforces the notion that all women were resistance to the sexism they all endured.