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Memories (Past/Present):
Kathy seems to reminisce about the past, which probably helps her in the present. As the novel progresses, we learn more about Halisham and Kathy's life.

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"I accepted the invisible rein she was holding out, and then we were off, riding up and down the fence, sometimes cantering, sometimes at a gallop. I’d been correct in my decision to tell Ruth I didn’t have any horses of my own, because after a while with Bramble, she let me try her various other horses one by one, shouting all sorts of instructions about how to handle each animal’s foibles."

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"Our activities always revolved around gathering more and more evidence concerning the plot itself. For some reason, we were satisfied this would keep any immediate danger at bay" (Ishiguro, 42). With the formation of the 'secret guard', Kathy and the other students pieced together possible plots for the abduction of Miss Geraldine. However, the members of the guard did not disclose any of the evidence/plots to Miss Geraldine or any of the other students. This was my favorite quote because it is an example of dramatic irony, as the Hailsham students must piece together the truth hidden from them by the Guardians.

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Questioning Authority:
Kathy's narration in the early chapters describe Hailsham as an isolated school, strictly controlled by the administration. However, as the novel progresses, we see the students begin to uncover the secrets behind Hailsham by questioning the authority of the adults. This theme will likely persist as the group learns more about teachers and even challenge them in search of the truth.

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The need to have artistic talent in order to convey identity. Hailsham praises students for their artistic ability and this often leads to students being envious of others with talent. Tommy is made fun of for not being artistically gifted and even dramatizes his artistic inability in order to get reactions from his schoolmates.

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"There have been times over the years when I’ve tried to leave Hailsham behind, when I’ve told myself I shouldn’t look back so much. But then there came a point when I just stopped resisting." This quote establishes the narrator's disposition early on and places an emphasis on Hailsham that we see the rest of the novel revolve around. Her having "stopped resisting" sets up her recollections in the rest of the novel while allowing the reader to immediately gain insight into her character. This is my favorite because it offers not only a look into Kathy's psyche, but also institutes later events.

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Many aspects of Hailsham seem particularly strange compared to what would be expected of a normal boarding school. What is Hailsham's purpose and how does this connect to its students?

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Childhood Innocence
The innocence of every child at Hailsham becomes apparent at the novel's outset. When Ms. Lucy hints to a greater truth beyond the childrens' current understanding of their future, their blissful ignorance is revealed. Kathy's narration from the future, when she has already matured and is fully aware of the children's destinies, further emphasizes the knowledge gap between the innocent kids and the seemingly malicious adults.

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"It's like walking past a mirror that you've walked past every day of your life, and suddenly it shows you something else, something troubling and strange" (Ishiguro, 31). Taken from the end of chapter three, this elaboration of feeling strongly imparts how the children feel when estranged by Madame, as though they've lost their identity. Here, Madame is also representative of the society outside Hailsham, so her reactions to the children have more weight than initially apparent.

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Imagination vs Reality
Hailsham and its students' lives consist of both imagination and reality. For example, Ruth constantly thinks up of imagined plots, and there are many rumors about the woods. On the other hand, Madame and Ms. Lucy provide some hints to the reality of the students' situation.

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"The distinguishing feature of chess, according to her, was that each piece moved in an L-shape" (Ishiguro 43). As a chess player, this is my favorite quote because it discusses Ruth's epic fail at chess, her laughable claim that all the pieces move in L-shapes. However, this quote also highlights Ruth's pretentious personality and her efforts to impress others, as exemplified by her prior actions of pretending to be a chess player and commenting on others' chess games.