"'You've been told about it. You're students. You're . . . special. So keeping yourselves well, keeping yourselves very healthy inside, that's much more important for each of you than it is for me.'"
(pg. 68)
Wow! There are so many anecdotes in this book. Reading through the first seventy pages, I must have read at least ten anecdotes already. However, as many of them were of little significance, just introducing more characters, I found this anecdote Kathy is describing about Hailsham very profound. First off, the anaphora in the quote serves as an indicator that what is being said is especially important. It creates a monolithic emphasis on the serious atmosphere and tone of the situation. In the quote, Miss Lucy was telling the children how it was bad to smoke. What I found significant, though, was the way in which she told them it was bad, saying that it is important for them to stay healthy "inside" since they are special and not like her. Why would she say healthy "inside" instead of just healthy in general? The word just seems out of place conveying a more physical aspect to their health. Anyway, Miss Lucy and the other guardians seem to take their no smoking policy quite far. Kathy mentions going so far as to try to keep her cassete tape secret since it showed a woman smoking on the front cover. Whatever the reason for keeping all the children healthy, it seems like it is of great importance. I'm interested as to find out the reason as the story progresses since it seems key to understanding the significance of the students at Hailsham and Kathy's present job as a carer which still has not been defined clearly.
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