The toll of impeding completion

            The relationship between Kathy and Ruth has been at the center of debate over how Never Let Me Go by Kazue Ishiguro depicts friendships during strenuous and trying times. With the looming threat of “completion”, friendships and relationships are constantly being tested. Kathy’s caring, forgiving, and almost naive nature towards others show one side of human nature; the side that would be closest to an optimistic point of view. Her personality and treatment of others is what makes her such a good carer, however, I think Kathy could be considered naive in the sense of her relationship with Ruth. There is no doubt that Ruth has been a support to Kathy and vise versa over the years, yet Ruth has consistently been manipulative and downright evil towards Kathy at times. This is evident when Ruth brings up a bedtime conversation between her and Kathy about Kathy’s relations with some of the veterans at the Cottages. Kathy at first seems to be upset by the betrayal of the unspoken code of their nightly conversations, however, she soon shrugs it off and writes how the event was not something of note. At times, I am finding myself wanting Kathy to stand up for herself in the face of Ruth, just once so Ruth will understand that the way she is behaving is horrific and no way to treat others. Kathy repeatedly stands by Ruth’s side, even when she knows that Ruth will eventually turn on her again.

 On the other hand, the more I think about Ruth and where her feelings are coming from, the more I understand her and her personality. Ruth has always had a manipulative personality, and this is only amplified at the Cottages. During my reading, I was convinced that Ruth had no right to act how she was acting, yet sitting and thinking about her situation, I think that some of Ruth’s outbursts and actions were just in this particular situation. Now that Ruth is at the Cottages, reaching completion is more of a looming threat than a distant thought like it was at Hailsham. Essentially, Ruth has been made to eventually be destroyed. These children are exposed to television and books and Ruth, along with others, have convinced themselves that they have a future beyond completion. However, Ruth is aware that she will have no such future. As a result, I think Ruth copes with this thought through acting out and creating problems for others. If any of us were in Ruth’s position, I do not think that acting out would be such a far-fetched idea.