Moment 4 - Miss Lucy Explains Flashcards
** If you’re to have decent lives, you have to know who you are, and what lies ahead of you, every one of you.**
Miss Lucy suggests that it is better to face death with full awareness of what’s coming, rather than trying to ignore it. Intrusion of Clone’s bubble of bliss at Hailsham - they’re unable to confront the truth and prefer to bury their heads.
Kathy’s approach is slightly less bold; after eleven years as a carer, she knows exactly “what lies ahead,” but she tries to focus instead on her memories and her present life.
“you’ve been told and not told… you’ve been brought into this world for a purpose and your futures, all of them, have been decided for you”
paradoxical language reflects how the clones have been left in the dark and are incapable to accepting/understanding the truth.
“purpose” - euphemism. Usually a positive connotation, but instead they are a means for other people. No intrinsic purpose, merely extrinsic - loss of humanity.
Passive verb “ have been decided” - no capacity to change fate and out of control. Absolute, declarative language affirms the certainty of their fate.
“She looked like a crouching animal waiting to pounce”
Vivid imagery
Is she attacking or defending? She intends to protect clones by telling truth, but she may inevitably cause more damage/
“before you’re old, before you’re even middle-aged”
Impending doom. Time-frame reduced rapidly
“None of you will go to America, none of you will be film
stars. And none of you will be working in supermarkets”
Descending tricolon reduces future hopes for clones dramatically by rapidly reducing opportunities - “supermarket” even out of their range.
“none” “will” declarative and absolute, affirming finality of their destiny. Monosybillic words heighten abrupt nature of message - enhances impact and suddenness to clones.
“the Guardians managed to smuggle into our heads a lot”
“smuggle” connotations of subversive nature and secrecy of Hailsham.
Perhaps deceptive - clones unaware of truth.
Irony of “guardian” - connotations of protective, dutiful, whereas idea subverted as they undermine Clone’s defenses and vulnerabilities
“Some students thought she’d lost her marbles”
Students inability to comprehend truth. Immature response demonstrating immaturity - as shown by childish idiomatic phrase towards such a grave topic. Lack of capacity.
We were all pretty relieved when she turned to look out over the playing field again….she’d seen the puzzled, uncomfortable faces
