• World building

The descriptions of Hailsham, such as the building itself, the lunch line (so loud you can have private conversations)

The explanation of the exchanges and the sale

The introduction of Tommy and Ruth, tommy with his tantrum, and Ruth with her introduction to Kathy as friends

“None of you will go to America, none of you will be film stars. And none of you will be working in supermarkets as I heard some of you planning the other day. Your lives are set out for you.”

When Ruth tells Kathy that Tommy does not love her, she then decides to become a career.

"but I know he doesn’t see you, you know, a proper girlfriend" Ruth, Page 197

• Characters grapple with their purpose and identity as clones created for organ donation.

• Characters face internal conflicts about love, friendship, and loss, leading to feelings of hopelessness.

• Tension arises between the desire to fight against their fate and the acceptance of their roles in society.

Quote

• 'Kathy, what you have to realise is that Tommy doesn't see you like that... you know, a proper girlfriend' (Page 197)

“We all know it. We’re modelled from trash. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps. Convicts, maybe, just so long as they aren’t psychos. That’s what we come from. We all know it, so why don’t we say it?” - Ruth, Page 166

• When Kathy and Tommy learn that these deferrals do not exist.

• Tommy getting out of the car after learning that the deferrals don't exist, coming full circle from his original tantrum at the beginning of the book.

  
  

  Quotes:

  
  

  "There is no truth in the rumor. I'm sorry, I truly am" - Miss Emily (pg.253)

"I lost Ruth, then I lost Tommy, but I won’t lose my memories of them."

“But this dream of yours, this dream of being able to defer. Such a thing would always have been beyond us to grant, even at the height of our influence. I’m sorry, I can see what I’m saying won’t be welcome to you. But you mustn’t be dejected.”

"… after I heard Tommy had completed, I drove up to Norfolk, even though I had no real need to" - Kathy (pg.281)

Falling action

• Ruth’s apology to Kathy and Tommy: Ruth admits her wrongdoing and urges them to pursue a relationship, saying, “I kept you apart. I’m sorry. But now you should be with him.” This scene ties up emotional loose ends by showing Ruth seeking redemption and peace before her donations begin​

  Green Bee Study Guides

  .

  
  

• Tommy’s outburst after learning there are no deferrals: Following the climactic revelation, Tommy vents his frustration, tearing through a field. His breakdown marks the acceptance of their fate, symbolizing the end of hope for a different life and the emotional resolution between him and Kathy

"We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we've lived through, or feel we've had enough time."

Introduction of Characters:

• Kathy H. - The narrator of the story, reflecting on her life and experiences. She is a clone raised for organ donation, grappling with her identity and purpose.

• Tommy - Kathy's close friend and love interest. He is emotionally expressive and struggles with his anger and creativity.

• Ruth - Another friend from their childhood, who often seeks to assert her dominance in their relationships. She is complex and manipulative.

Quotes

Who Kathy is

• 'My name is Kathy H. I'm thirty-one years old and I've been a carer now for eleven years' (Page 3)

Kathy being good at her Job

• 'I've developed a kind of instinct around doners. I know when to hang around and comfort them, when to leave them to themselves; when to listen to everything that have to say, and when to just shrug and tell them to snap out of it' (Page 3)

Quotes:

“I won’t be a carer any more come the end of the year, and though I’ve got a lot out of it, I have to admit I’ll welcome the chance to rest—to stop and think and remember. I’m sure it’s at least partly to do with that, to do with preparing for the change of pace, that I’ve been getting this urge to order all these old memories.”

When Kathy and Tommy learn that these deferrals do not exist, learning that their panting was not meant to be used to prove their love was true but to try to prove that clones had souls showing that they are their own person not just a copy of their possible.

Falling Action:

Kathy and tommy accept that they cannot get more time together so they spend what little time they have left together enjoying life. Nearing the end Kathy says goodbye to Tommy as he goes into for his last donation.

Quote: Miss Emily "[The paintings], we did it to prove you had souls at all."