"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" (pg 213).
Much like in Brave New World, this novel seems to describe all the major events through some sort of comparison. This simile shows the actual importance of Hailsham for the students. While Hailsham may have seemed like a school for all the students, it really just gave everyone the chance to live a semi-normal life. When Kathy has this experience with the clown with a briefcase, it kind of seems to be a representation of how foolish everyone was when they were little. Clowns always represent humor and mockery, while the briefcase seems to deny that idea. The briefcase may show how they have all matured through time (the most prominent theme I have seen thus far), but could also show how they used to think they were mature. When the balloon strings get cut, not only does it show us that they all scatter, only to see each other should a higher power direct them to each other, but also shows us leaving behind the safety of home. They each go off on their own paths where any decision could be bad and anyway they go could be wrong. Like a balloon, each student from Hailsham can only take so many hits before they have to give up, only so many donations before their bodies shut down. The combination of the balloons, clown and briefcase made for a very detailed illustration on how Kathy feels about her past and future endeavors.
Oh, and the balloons had faces which not only makes them look five times better, but also really shows how tight-knit the community was and how much they are meant to portray the Hailsham lifestyle.
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