Let's Get to Know Each Other a Little

"Tommy's right. You're just the person to have when you're in the corner." (pg. 105)

Throughout Never Let Me Go, the author, Kazuo Ishiguro uses indirect characterization to reveal things about the characters. Never once does he simply say that Kathy is insightful, or that Ruth is popular and intimidating, or that Tommy is troubled. Instead, he uses the stories to explain these things. This form of characterization causes the reader to slowly form opinions about the characters. It also has allowed me to keep an open mind about all of them, instead of putting them in a box because of what is written in the first chapter. At this point, I'm not sure that I know enough about Kathy to predict how she is going to react to Ruth's talk. She seems like a good friend, but will her feelings for Tommy get in the way of helping Ruth out? I think Kathy will try to do what is right, but her hints about sex in the preceeding pages have me questioning.