The use of literary devices serve to adequately construct and develop aspects of all literary works to enhance a better quality and a proper overall structure. The author of Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro Kashuo, uses one of the most important devices- characterization. Through indirect characterization, the author establishes a clear view of the development of Ruth throughout the novel, showing that Ruth is a very manipulative, insecured, selfish, dishonest, and not a good friend character. Ruth, the boss, the leader, the demander, the greatest of all, has played a very important role in Never Let Me Go. While living in Hailsham, she was basically always the one to know everything. This is evident when she pretends to know the rules of chess and Kathy and everyone else wanted to learn from her. But eventually her ‘’game’’ did not result in her favor. Kathy said “she proceeded to show me a game that was a vague variant on draughts...I didn’t believe this and I was really disappointed.” (page 53) But precisely because she wants to be the wise person, this is most likely for the reason that she might feel insecured of herself. She might think that if she is seen as a smart person, then she would have the respect and power without having to worry about losing it because she would have her admirers as backups. She might feel that she will be all alone if she does not make herself seen as the wise one. Another reinforcement of this can also be evident when Kathy later says “This continued until the time I tried to take her and she claimed it wouldn’t count because I’d slid my piece up to hers in too straight a line,” (page 53) She manipulates the game of chess by using her fake knowledge to prevent herself from losing not only against Kathy but most likely against anyone. Being manipulative and insecured will not only make her life more challenging than what it has to be but puts her at risk of losing her friends too. But even though her attitude is not appropriate, the author developed her the way she is to increase the reader’s curiosity of how she would end up. The reader would probably think “ Will she eventually change to become a better person knowing her friends might get tired of her and the way she is and leave her?” “if she never changes, will she put an end to the possible chance of Kathy and Tommy to be together?” Without Ruth’s negative personality, the whole plot would have been very different.
As ruth gets older and moves into the cottages, her behavior with her surroundings intensifies for the worse. First off, she continues to be that manipulative character but just ten times worse. She shows that she does not truly care about her friends, specifically for her friend Kathy when she says “Tommy doesn’t like girls who’ve been with...well, you know, with this person and that...,” (page 201) implying that Kathy is a promiscuous person who would never be seen as a serious person. This statement said by Ruth not only depicts her as a bad friend but also as jealous. She is again using lies to keep Tommy and Ruth separated because she clearly knows they have a strong attraction towards one another. Ruth wants to keep him with her rather than seeing Kathy and Tommy happy, which makes her a selfish person as well. The question rises, is Ruth really a friend to both Kathy and Tommy or have they always been enemies ‘’secretly’’? This is also again reinforced when she says,” you’re upset because I’ve managed to to move on, make new friends. Some of the veterans hardly remember your name....