Never Let Me Go - Ten (Double Digits - take two!)

"There was one Ruth who was always trying to impress the veterans... But the Ruth who sat beside me in my little attic room at the day's close, legs outstretched over the edge of my mattress, her steaming mug held in both her hands, that was the Ruth from Hailsham...  And until that afternoon in the field, there'd been a definite understanding these two Ruths wouldn't merge" (pg 129).

While reading this Stream of Consciousness by Kathy, I almost felt like she was confiding with me information that she would tell Ruth at one of their nightly meetings.  This seems to be Ishiguro's way of characterizing the new Ruth at The Cottages.  I suppose that this is direct characterization, but I cannot really tell since it does leave some room for interpretation.  The stream of consciousness feels like a small rant from Kathy trying to figure out who Ruth truly is.  Up to this point in the novel, Ruth and Kathy seemed to be really good friends, and this was really shown by their "future" (though I guess current?) relationship as a donor and carer.

From this betrayal, I saw a shift in attitude in Kathy.  She went off into the barn to look at porn magazines, but she only was looking at the faces.  I assume that she was looking at the expressions displayed by the people's faces to try to feel happiness from them.  Honestly, it kind of shocked me when Kathy went off to look at the magazines since she seemed to be really keen on Miss Emily's advice in waiting and avoiding the harms associated with sex.

You know last blog how I commented on the awkwardness of this book?  Well, it is still awkward.

Brave New World - Five

"Contact with members of the lower castes always reminded him painfully of this physical inadequacy.  'I am I, and wish I wasn't;' his self-consciousness was acute and distressing.  Each time he found himself looking on the level, instead of downward, into a Delta's face, he felt humiliated" (pg 64).

This stream of conciousness late chapter four seems to well characterize Bernard Marx.  From his previous appearances in the plot, it seems as though Bernard Marx could be one of the predicted individuals who will ultimately rise against the world ethics.  He is an Alpha (or possibly Beta?), but his physical stature has left him not feeling the power this title entails.  This feeling of a lack of power is exemplified by his colleague Helmholtz Watson who has had many lovers recently.  Also, Watson has the ability to speak to others which Marx apparently lacks.

Further imploring the realm of allusions sprinkled throughout the novel, Bernard Marx seems to be a clear clink to philosopher Karl Marx.  According to the Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Karl Marx believed "that human beings are essentially productive, in that they must produce their means of subsistence in order to satisfy their material needs."  This further confirms the possibility of a link between Karl and Bernard Marx, because Bernard's principles would show that he does not the robotic nature of the world he lives.  They also both seemed to have outlandish theories which were unaccepted by the mainstream public, though in the case of Brave New World, I do not really believe those creations have any real thinking process, but I really cannot tell for certain.