"I thought about Hailsham closing, and how it was like someone coming along with a pair of shears and snipping the balloon strings just where they entwined above the man's fist. Once that happened, there'd be no real sense in which those balloons belonged with each other any more." page 213
The purpose this analogy is to describe the effects on the students of the closing of Hailsham. Kathy believes that Hailsham was an important common ground that bound together many of the students at Hailsham. Now that the school is closed, the common ground has been lost, and the students gradually drift away from each other and lose connection. The effect of comparing students to balloons is one of an inevitable separation. There is no way the effortlessly maneuverable balloons will hold together in an atmosphere of constantly changing winds. This describes the fate of the students as they grow up and their connections are lost. I think this analogy is also relevant to the entirety of the story. Ever since the students left Hailsham, their connections have been weakened. This is apparent when Kathy moves on to the cottages. Their Hailsham group of friends shrinks, and eventually the students become carers and are sent across the country to care for donors.
No comments:
Post a Comment