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.
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