“I wonder how it got here”, Kathy makes an inquisitive statement on the origin of the boat but does not get any more answers when Tommy changes the subject comparing the boat with Hailsham. It shows the reader Kathy’s fascination of the boat, a symbolism of her impending death and loneliness, but they don’t investigate or confront the subject too much. She accepts that she won’t get too many answers, and ultimately accepts her fate without any challenge or confrontation. The imagery of the boat and the diction Kathy uses to describe it such as “cracking”, “crumbling” and “white” reflects how Kathy feels in the present; lonely and abandoned. With her contrast of how she thought the boat was before as “painted a sky blue” and how Tommy made a comparison of the boat setting with Hailsham shows the development of emotion of the characters from when they were in Hailsham, and how they feel now. 

From the audience’s perspective, the development of all characters can be seen when Tommy says “That’s exactly what I was about to say. I lost track of it a while ago.”. Ruth is seen to have been disheartened by this statement, but the most intriguing part on behalf of Ruth, is that she does not react to it, she is more reserved and simply accepts it and “smile had gone, and her eyes looked far away”. This contrast between how she would have acted in the past, if they were at the cottages or at Hailsham, demonstrates her development in character after being a donor or seeing the relationship or bond quickly re-formed between Kathy and Tommy. Furthermore, the words associated with Ruth such as “frail”, “uneasy”, “frozen look” and “upset” further shows Ruth’s anxiety and weakness.
To the reader, the trip to the boat is a symbol of the looming fate of death. The boat is a representation of brokenness and helplessness to which Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy are stepping closer to through donating their organs. Through not being able to approach the boat fully, but observe it from a distance, it shows how their journey is ending soon, but not quite yet. The boat also represents the three’s abandoned friendship or the shared past that they lost after Kathy left the cottages to be a carer. The trip can symbolize their re-joining of friendship. The fact that they can’t get close or fully reach what they had in the past, is due to the differences and the new relationships between Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy. 

“I wonder how it got here”, Kathy makes an inquisitive statement on the origin of the boat but does not get any more answers when Tommy changes the subject comparing the boat with Hailsham. It shows the reader Kathy’s fascination of the boat, a symbolism of her impending death and loneliness, but they don’t investigate or confront the subject too much. She accepts that she won’t get too many answers, and ultimately accepts her fate without any challenge or confrontation. The imagery of the boat and the diction Kathy uses to describe it such as “cracking”, “crumbling” and “white” reflects how Kathy feels in the present; lonely and abandoned. With her contrast of how she thought the boat was before as “painted a sky blue” and how Tommy made a comparison of the boat setting with Hailsham shows the development of emotion of the characters from when they were in Hailsham, and how they feel now. 

From the audience’s perspective, the development of all characters can be seen when Tommy says “That’s exactly what I was about to say. I lost track of it a while ago.”. Ruth is seen to have been disheartened by this statement, but the most intriguing part on behalf of Ruth, is that she does not react to it, she is more reserved and simply accepts it and “smile had gone, and her eyes looked far away”. This contrast between how she would have acted in the past, if they were at the cottages or at Hailsham, demonstrates her development in character after being a donor or seeing the relationship or bond quickly re-formed between Kathy and Tommy. Furthermore, the words associated with Ruth such as “frail”, “uneasy”, “frozen look” and “upset” further shows Ruth’s anxiety and weakness.

In this passage, we also see the change in Ruth’s character, after her first donation where she is more submissive, whereas she used to be rebellious in her actions when told. This can be seen when Ruth tells her story of another carer and Kathy cuts her off without any resistance. Ishiguro shows this character change by cutting the sarcasm and rhetorical questions that Ruth used before and we can see she uses these rhetorical questions again when she had stints of her old self such as “Why would he know?”(226). Without the sarcastic and rhetorical responses, the audience notices Ruth’s non-dominance and the transformation of her character since her first donation.

In this part of the novel, Kathy is working as Ruth’s carer and has brought Ruth and Tommy to see an old washed-up fishing boat as per Ruth’s request. The trip to the boat is represented as tranquil and isolated. Ishiguro is very descriptive about the nature present on the trip, from the sycamore trees to the marshes. Nature usually signifies tranquility as it contrasts the loud din and speed present in city life. This sense of tranquility throughout the trip to the boat provides the three main characters with a fresh slate. The last time that they were together, there were fights and a prevailing atmosphere of bitterness. The tranquil atmosphere present in this trip allows the characters to speak openly and reacquaint themselves with each other. Furthermore, there seem to be no other people present and Kathy describes the drive as being on “a near-empty road” (page 220). She also describes the weather when she remembers “the sun started to shine weakly through the greyness” (page 220). The isolation present on this trip along with the ‘grey’ weather adds a sense of sadness to the trip. Ishiguro does this to foreshadow that this is the last memory the characters will have all together. The uncertain weather of the trip also reflects the uncertain atmosphere between the characters. This uncertainty is emphasised by the body language of the characters- Tommy’s discomfort from Ruth staring at him; Ruth’s reaction where “she didn’t seem particularly upset, but the smile had gone” (page 222) after Kathy and Tommy taunt her. Overall, Ishiguro has represented this trip as a chance for the characters to reconcile through the prevailing sense of tranquility and uncertainty present in the passage. 

What language techniques has Ishiguro employed in this setting to enhance the development of the characters?

While the trip may be a chance to reconcile for the characters, its setting provides the reader with deeper insight into the characters and how they have developed during their time apart. To reach the boat, the characters take a long drive. During this drive, Kathy interrupts Ruth and taunts her for boring the others with her anecdote when she says “Yeah, okay, we don’t need to hear every last thing about her” (page 221). Later on, it is Kathy who deciphers the map through the forest, as explained when she states “I was suddenly conscious of Ruth and Tommy standing behind me, not talking, waiting almost like children to be told which way to go” (page 222). The car and forest settings provide examples for Kathy to demonstrate her new confidence. In the past, it was always Ruth who led the group and occasionally spoke rudely to the others. In this setting however, it is apparent that Kathy has developed in her role as the ‘carer’ to take on the authority in the group. Furthermore, the setting provides physical challenges for Ruth, like crossing under the barbed wire and walking through the wet marshes. While these challenges place her under physical strain, they also prove that she has lost some of her confidence. For example, she exclaims “You didn’t say we had to get past barbed wire!” The exclamation in her voice demonstrates her panic at facing this challenge, contrasting her confidence in younger days at the cottages where she would always carry an air of certainty and confidence in front of the others. Lastly, the setting of the boat alerts the reader to Tommy’s sense of nostalgia. He seems to miss Hailsham, especially when he compares it to the boat by saying “But I always see Hailsham being like this now.” (page 225). While the reader previously only viewed Tommy’s life at Hailsham from Kathy’s perspective as troubled and difficult- a time best forgotten, they are now awakened to the fact that Tommy also remembers Hailsham often. By missing his old school, Ishiguro has added another perspective to Tommy’s childhood character, depicting him as a content child rather than a troubled one. In this manner, the sub-setting during this trip consisting of the car, the forest, the fenced area, and the marsh with the boat, enhance the development of all three characters. 

 

Within the passage the trip to the boat is seen to be across a long and winding road amidst the empty countryside. However, as they begin to approach their destination, they face more challenges, building up little by little until they finally arrive and can sit and reflect on the view of the boat in front of them. The trip they have taken to the boat parallels their lives and its progression over time and thus, the setting is very important. The “road”, a word repeated throughout the passage with “eyes were on the road”, “narrow curving road”, and “near-empty road” and this sets up their path as being an extended metaphor for what they had to face throughout their lives.  Near the beginning of the passage, after Tommy had just been picked up, it says, “We began by driving through narrow, twisting lanes. Then we came out into open, featureless countryside and travelled on along a near-empty road. What I remember about that part of our trip to the boat was that for the first time in ages the sun started to shine weakly through the greyness”. At this point, the despondent diction with words such as “narrow”, “featureless”, “empty”, and “greyness” add in a sense of sadness and isolation, similar their childhood at Hailsham. They were all forced to live the same lives, in isolation from the rest of the world and even if they felt unhappy, the path for their lives had already been determined. Although there is no malice, there is a melancholy tone. Further along, they reach a point where finally there seems to be some freedom however, it is apparent that this is simply an illusion. In the passage, it says, “We went down a narrow curving road shrouded by hedges, and parked beside a clump of sycamores. I led the way to where the woods began, but then, faced with three distinct paths through the trees, had to stop to consult the sheet of directions I'd brought with me”. At this point, a parallel can be drawn to the time at the cottages. Although it appears as though there is finally more choice for Kathy she still is forced to follow the directions se had been given. The use of the adjective “distinct” emphasizes the idea that there are set options that are available and there is no chance of them merging or any leeway being given. Finally, the most difficult obstacle the had to face came when it says “Then we came to a barbed wire fence, which was tilted and rusted, the wire itself yanked all over the place”. Here, the disparaging connotation of the words such as “tilted”, “rusted”, and “yanked” evoke a sense of fear. This can represent the point at which the first donation has to be made and the reader is put on edge in thinking about how they will make it across. Finally, once the boat is reached, the entire setting is calm and but also depressing. In describing the boat, words such as “crumbling” and “peeling” are used, as is the word “ghostly” and “dead” when describing the trees. Overall, this can represent their journey up until the point when they complete.

 

Overall, Ishiguro has used the setting as a means of developing each of the characters with regard to how they interact with it. In the passage, Ruth is seen to be a character that is very weak, a stark contrast to her behaviour in earlier parts of the book where she was often leading. This can be seen in the passage when it says, “We entered the woods, and though it was pretty easy walking, I noticed Ruth's breath coming less and less easily.” At this point, the contrast seen with the words “pretty easy” and “less easily” in describing the reality of the walk with how Ruth perceived it. This is able to represent how in comparison to the rest of them, Ruth was physically much weaker as enhanced by the repetition of the word “less and less” as well. This makes it appear as though Ruth herself was withering. Furthermore, by using diction such as “frail”, and “fear” when describing Ruth and her interaction with the environment, the audience is able to see that not only her physical, but also her mental state, has become weakened. In this case, it is Kathy that has taken on the role of the leader as she is the one guiding the rest on their path to the boat.