Following A (Disappointing) Superbowl Sunday

I told myself I would use my freebie to celebrate if the Rams won. I am disappointed to say the least.

All four covers immediately present me with the themes of innocence, loneliness, and simplicity. Both the first and fourth covers show a young girl, who I have decided is meant to represent Kathy. In both of these covers, the girl looks innocent and isolated. In the first cover, she seems pensive and a little upset, staring deep into the grass as though she were in a dramatic movie. We see her face, which I believe is important, as it is portraying her as an average girl (and not a clone created for organ harvesting). I believe that this cover is more focused on Never Let Me Go as a bildungsroman. In the fourth cover, Kathy seems to be fading away. This ties in very well the the words on the cover, as it appears as though she is a figure in a memory that we are letting go of. She looks as though she is being erased and forgotten. This too focuses on the bildungsroman aspect of the novel, although I feel as though it makes the book seem as though it were created for a younger audience than the first cover. The first cover holds a certain air of maturity to it, which is not present in the innocent fourth cover. 

The second cover depicts the famous boat scene, which I believe to the climax of the novel. We have come to define the climax as the moment when tensions are at an all time high, after which the characters will have a new understanding of who they are. This occurs when Ruth finally admits to her keeping Kathy and Tommy apart. I believe that this cover was chosen as a representation of the book not only because of it's being the climax, but also because it manages to convey some of the central themes of the novel (childhood, innocence, isolation). The third cover is focused on the main purpose of the characters, which is their role as organ donors. It does not play with themes or other ideas presented in the novel, and instead "gets down to business". However, it does manage to have a sort of innocent feel to it, as the design is incredibly simplistic, and looks as though it could be outlined by a child. I believe that this cover is the best representation of the novel, as it at first seems to be solely about the characters role as organ donors, but, upon closer inspection, reveals more profound themes of the story. The way this cover presents its ideas is very similar to the way in which Ishiguro presents all of his information: It seems simple enough at first, but truly has a much deeper meaning.

I have chosen to more closely examine the second and third book covers, as they are my two personal favorites. The first thing that comes to mind when I see the both of them is the idea of loneliness. Both covers seem deserted and empty, the first showing a small boat in a big empty port, and the second a delicate outline of the human body (complete with some of its major organs). While the two covers are very similar in this aspect, I feel as though their moods are very different. The sunset on the boat cover gives it a sort of bittersweet feel (much like the scene where Ruth chooses to confess her biggest mistake). It makes me feel as though something devastating has just happened, but at the same time, a miracle has occurred. The best real life example (which still doesn't do a very good job of justifying the feeling) I can give to you is the feeling you get when someone very dear to you has died, but you know that they are now in a better place. It's how you feel when something hurts you, but makes someone you love dearly so happy. It's a sad smile. The other cover, however, seems to have no warmth to it. It looks as empty as it makes you feel. It seems more cryptic and hollow than the other cover, and the topic of the book seems much more obvious. While the other cover could represent many ideas presented in the book (hope, rebirth, loneliness), this cover is clearly focused on the job of the Hailsham students (and others like them). In fact, had I not read the novel, this cover would probably lead me to believe that this book was about someone with a terminal illness (or the book Unwind). 

The two covers also seem to come from two very different points of view. The boat cover makes me feel as though we are in the shoes of Kathy, Tommy, or Ruth. Instead of reading the novel, we are the ones watching the boat at the dock, trying to ignore our fate looming overhead. In the other cover, however, we seem to be looking at our characters from the perspective of the rest of society. We are seeing these students as what they were raised to be, which is organ donors. While the boat cover is more about what is portrayed (the themes of hope, loss, and isolation), this cover is about who is being portrayed (the Hailsham students and other clones). The two covers also give off very different suggestions about both the author and audience of the novel. The cover with the boat seems like it belongs to one of those tear-jerking adult novels your mom would read (written by the Nicholas Sparks for adults), while the other cover leads one to think that this novel is aimed more towards a youthful audience, and written by a hip new young adult author. Overall, the cover with the body outline on it has a younger, darker feel to it.