“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro is a deep look at what it means to be human, what it means to be an individual, and what the moral effects of cloning are. The boat, which is the main image in the book, is a metaphor that can be seen through three different lenses: object, timeline, and map. Each way gives you a different view of the story and its ideas.

The object viewpoint looks at the boat in the story from its physical point of view. In “Never Let Me Go,” the boat is both a physical and a symbolic way to get away and think. In the middle of their sad lives, characters like Kathy H. find comfort there. The boat’s appearance in the story makes the characters miss home and yearn for freedom—freedom from their fates as organ donors. From this point of view, readers can understand how Ishiguro uses real things to show more emotional facts about his characters’ lives. The boat represents their hopes and dreams, which are very different from their hard lives at Hailsham and elsewhere.

From the point of view of time, we can look at how the boat’s meaning changes as the story goes on. At first, it’s a beautiful place to get away from Hailsham, a sign of hope and promise. As the story goes on, though, this hope fades, and the boat becomes a symbol of missed chances and unmet dreams. This change in time shows how fate is always watching over Kathy, her friends Tommy, and Ruth as they try to figure out who they are as clones made for organ harvesting. By looking at how time changes the meaning of the boat, readers can understand Ishiguro’s thoughts on death and existential sadness.

By showing the map view, we can think about the places connected to the boat in the bigger picture of England’s landscape, which these characters live in. The places where the stories take place—Hailsham, Norfolk, and others—are not just backgrounds; they are essential to understanding how social systems affect people’s lives. The trip to the boat is a metaphor for their search for freedom from the rules that society sets for them. Marking these places on a map helps readers understand how space affects character growth and themes like being alone vs. being connected.

By making a digital project based on “Never Let Me Go,” I’m using my digital skills to give the book themes a new meaning that helps people understand them better, especially through the boat’s symbolic meaning. I can use digital tools to make interactive timelines that show how moments of hope and sadness happen over time by following the character arcs and important events related to the boat’s meaning.

I can also make visual representations of important places related to character journeys by using mapping software. This spatial analysis makes the reading more interesting by showing how geography affects the flow of the story and the links between characters. For example, viewers can look at how isolated Hailsham is compared to other places where people try to make friends or get away.

Multimedia elements like audio reads or video clips can also make this digital experience better by adding emotional depth that text alone might not be able to convey. These creative routes encourage a deeper reading by getting people to connect with “Never Let Me Go” instead of just passively taking it in.

But every digital project has its own flaws that mean this one might not fully capture Ishiguro’s complex stories or ideas. For instance, digital tools can successfully show data or timelines visually, but they might not be able to match the depth of literary analysis or philosophical discussion about the ethics of cloning that is found in traditional academic formats. Also, when writing is turned into visual media, some emotional nuance might be lost. This means that some interpretations might risk making things too simple.

https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/26c5cfc84c3d3a297fdf531c0fef9582/never-let-me-go/draft.html

By drawing maps of the story’s important places, like Hailsham, the houses, and the boat’s landing, I had to think about how these places affect the characters’ lives. For example, putting the abandoned boat in its proper place helped me think about how its solitude is similar to how Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth feel emotionally and socially alone. Putting story points on top of each other on a map made the changes that the characters go through more clear. This process showed me how Ishiguro uses places not only as backgrounds but also as mirrors for his characters’ inner battles.

I used different kinds of media when I made the map to make the story more interesting and full of different parts. For example, I put together pictures of empty landscapes that looked like Hailsham’s home and the boat scene, along with passages from the book that explained what these places meant. By writing captions for these media elements, I was able to combine my thoughts on the book with the visual material. This mix of writing, media, and design made a story with many layers that linked the audience to the story’s emotional core and gave them a sense of place.

The map story gave people new points of view by combining different sources, like visualizations, textual analysis, and geographic mapping. By using Voyant to do a computational reading, I looked at words like “abandoned,” “freedom,” and “dreams” that were used. This helped me find repeating themes in the book. This Voyant analysis added a new layer of literary evidence to my map that helped me figure out what certain places meant. For example, connecting the word “freedom” to the scene on the boat helped people understand how Ishiguro uses language and story to create meaning.

Voyant’s word frequency analysis helped me understand how Ishiguro’s language supports his main ideas. For instance, the word “memories” stood out because it showed how connected the characters are to their past. I showed this clearly in the story map by connecting places to specific memories. When I looked more closely at the visualization, I saw trends in how some words were grouped together, which showed how the story made me feel. I used these ideas to improve the map’s captions and story flow, making sure that the Voyant results and the geographic visualization went together like butter.

To get people interested, I focused on making a plan that was both visually appealing and made people feel something. For instance, the map of the boat scene put together a picture of a deserted beach with a part of Kathy’s reflection. This pairing let the audience experience the scene through both sight and sound, which brought out the sadness in the book. The story map is an easy-to-use and interesting way to learn about Never Let Me Go on many levels. It has clear pictures, thoughtful text, and interactive parts.

Overall, making this map let me combine narrative analysis with computational and visual storytelling. It gives me a better understanding of Ishiguro’s book and lets me show it in a way that appeals to a wide range of readers.

https://uploads.knightlab.com/storymapjs/26c5cfc84c3d3a297fdf531c0fef9582/never-let-me-go/index.html

https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1tJNwWwPd9SfaiLwuECSBVT3w8szkFw-IronEsMhNyNc&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=800

First, I had to consider a timeline of some significance to the book, Never Let Me Go. So, a central event in later chapters is the trip that Ruth, Kathy and Tommy take to see the boat, and the events that surround that trip. One thing I saw as I read through the text that made mention of the boat was how far off and distant it was to the characters at first. It was a concept, and just a plot on a map. They only had secondhand descriptions provided by others that had visited the boat. So, when considering a visual, of course, it is like when one is going to a new place and looks up the location on a map. One only sees the roads and lakes as presented in a map.  It is theoretical and hypothetical. It is an unrealized place as it is a place never stood in before. We see the characters as they dive into the mystery of the boat and its location, and they show courage to make the trip, and to see what they have heard about.

                The timeline considers the perspective of the characters in relation to the boat. The multimedia sources demonstrate the perspective of the characters as they encounter different scenes and perspectives in the story. As the characters approach the boat, we get a visual that shows what is being described as a marshland.  The final visual in my timeline is the detail of a boat, which is demonstrated in the story. The characters focus so much on the boat, and the surrounding scenery is less important.

                The challenge was to consider what all of this means to the characters. The process has helped me to consider the viewpoint of the characters, who have lived in a world where they are trained in art and see the world differently from say a person that works with boats or has some interaction with them.  One might think a boat is an ordinary functional thing. But to these characters it may represent more.  The commentary as presented in the Danger of a Single Story, from the lesson, makes one consider the background of the characters—and how foreign something like a boat might be to them. It is complicated to try to get into the mind of a character, but this exercise and material has helped me to consider these things.  The characters’ futures are not going to be a world of travel that the boat might represent.

                The challenge I have encountered is trying to take these complicated concepts and drill them down into the format required to make the timeline. But the process of doing that has been beneficial because it has forced me to think about and consider things I passed over.  I would not have gotten nearly as much from those chapters in the book dealing with the boat without following this process. Learning how to use Timeline JS has helped me to open my mind and consider things that I would not have considered before. A new way of reviewing and trying to understand the material.

Here is the Perspectives of the boat timeline

https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/timeline3/latest/embed/index.html?source=1tJNwWwPd9SfaiLwuECSBVT3w8szkFw-IronEsMhNyNc&font=Default&lang=en&initial_zoom=2&height=800

The Old Fishing Boat

Chapters 18 through 20 of Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go use an old fishing boat as a powerful metaphor for the characters’ desire, despair, and fragile hope. The boat was found stuck on the shore of a marshy field. It is said to be dead and have served its purpose. “Above the dead trees, maybe sixty yards away, was the boat, sitting on the beach in the marshes in the weak sun,” Kathy says (231). The boat being surrounded by decay and lit by a dim sun is a metaphor for the characters’ existential lives, which are full of longing and inevitable bad things that will happen, but there are also brief times of beauty. Like the boat, they can’t serve a purpose of their own choice and instead lie in a state of quiet decline.

The characters’ trip to the boat is more than just a trip; it turns into a spiritual journey. Ruth’s excitement to see the boat, even though her health is getting worse, shows that she wants more from life than what she has planned. The wooden and paint-peeled boat makes me want to escape and go on an adventure, but those ideas are so far away. Kathy says the paint on the boat, which used to be sky blue, has worn off and now looks “almost white under the sky” (231). This visual detail shows how time and events have drained the boat of its life, just like the characters’ lives have been drained of their potential by a system that sees them as disposable. It makes you feel like you’ve lost a lot—not just what the boat used to be, but also what the people could have been.

As the three people look at the boat, it becomes a place for them to think. Ruth seems to see herself in this situation the most. “Why would it look like this?” (232), her question about how the marshland formed, points to a larger question about her own fate. Why has she lost so much freedom and opportunity in her life? The marshland swallowing up the boat is a metaphor for how their lives have been taken over by the parts they were meant to play. Tommy’s more realistic view, in which he sees a connection to Hailsham’s change, is set against Ruth’s confusion. He says that it might have also become broken down and lost its importance over time. The boat then represents their whole lives—it was once important and full of hope, but now it’s been left behind and is falling apart.

Kathy and the others find a sad beauty in the scene, even though the boat is empty. This point of view might come from the fact that they studied art at Hailsham, which taught them to find beauty in even the worst situations. The way that death and beauty are put together is very moving. The dead tree trunks and rotting wood represent physical and mental decline, but the characters’ ability to see beauty shows how human they still are. This paradox shows one of Ishiguro’s main ideas: there is honor in finding meaning and relationship, even when loss is unavoidable.

In the end, the old boat represents more than just the characters’ unmet hopes; it also shows how strong they are. Ruth, Tommy, and Kathy can’t change what will happen to them, but their trip to the boat shows how they can still hope, think, and look for meaning in the little time they have. The empty boat is like their own problems, but the fact that it is there as a symbol of beauty and reflection shows how complicated their humanity is, even in a system that makes them seem less human.

Work Cited

Ishiguro, Kazuo . Never Let Me Go. Vintage International, 2005.

The Old Fishing Boat

In Chapters 18 to 20 of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Never Let me Go,” we are introduced to an object of major importance in the story that leads to a trip made by the main character’s Kathy, Ruth and Tommy. Oftentimes in literature, we think of boats leading people to great adventures. Boats are a means of transportation to other words.  Here, the boat is lying in a marshy field, “And beyond the dead trunks, maybe sixty yards away, was the boat, sitting beached in the marshes under the weak sun.” (Ishiguro 231)  The beached boat was anything but alive. It was not fulfilling its purpose. And it was dead. “Then we gazed at the beached boat. I could see now its paint cracking and how the timber frames of the little cabin were crumbling away. It had once been painted a sky blue, but now looked almost white under the sky.” (Ishiguro 231)  Perhaps the characters are in the same shape as the boat, having undergone donations already. And perhaps they longed to see the boat because it represented some sort of hope of escape, which was obviously not happening.

The boat may represent the hope that the characters cannot have in their life. They are destined to be clones, and the thought of escaping on the boat is just a fantasy.  The boat also represents the possibility of adventure and the outside world. Ruth, who desperately wanted to see the boat, may have yearned to think of possibilities outside of her existence. But the old boat that is destroyed and unused, looks pale and lying in a sorry state. The trip to the boat represents a story of people that have been limited in their life in terms of opportunity. They have only been allowed to study art at Hailsham—no other subjects. They are born and raised to be commodities for others. It is their sorry fate to have a tiny adventure in their life, be limited to a visit to a marshy area to see a boat not being used for its purpose in the world—almost like the donors.

“’Why would it look like this?’ Ruth sounded genuinely puzzled. ‘It wouldn’t turn into a marshland just because its closed’.” (Ishiguro 232)  Tommy and Ruth are reminded of Hailsham. Tommy believes it looks like a marsh now, but Ruth dreams that floodwaters surround it. The old boat reminds them of places and life they can never return to and the people they have lost. It also reminds them of their own demise with the passing of time. Both Ruth and Tommy are weakened at this point in the story, physically.  There are a lot of physiological implications to the dialogue and events in this chapter of the story.  There is sadness and loss well represented by the dead tree trunks and the old, busted wood of the boat. Yet, they still find the scene beautiful. Perhaps their art training helped them see the beauty to be found in this situation of life?

Work Cited

Ishiguro, Kazuo . Never Let Me Go. Vintage International, 2005.

Old Boat in Tidal Marsh Photograph by David Gordon – Pixels

Reading and digital literacy are not totally different. In both, reading skills like comprehension and critical thinking are necessary. Reading is more of an exercise in diving into the author’s text and discerning their meaning through their voice, their story, and their point of view. Digital literacy includes reading skills but expands the tools available to evaluate text through technology as well.

The “Guide to Close Reading” provides helpful guidance for contemplating what you are reading and applies to digital texts. Although the point is made that all distractions and devices should be removed, as well as comments about marking text, it also mentions looking up unfamiliar words. This is more easily done digitally. It also recommends making notes and formulating questions. This would all seem to be more easily accomplished in a non-digital setting. Although there are ways to accomplish this, and the guidelines provided here are helpful and relevant.

In “How Do You Read Stories,” the author goes over generally applicable things to consider when reading stories, like the author’s point of view, characters, plot, setting, symbolism, and motifs.  These are important building blocks for every story, no matter what form the story takes or what form the story is presented, either digital, visual or in a motion picture.  So, these are all important things to consider, especially when reading fiction or in many cases, nonfiction.

On Bryn Mawr’s site, the Digital Writing and Publishing Competencies under 2.2, was important for me last year in my coursework. I learned how to create references for footnotes and endnotes. I also had an assignment that required me to imbed images, charts and tables. I had a complex subject that involved the impact of various pollution on the water supply in the Willamette Valley, but I was able to simplify the narrative with some charts and graphics that really made the points clear and concise.  I have also gotten used to being involved in collaborative communication efforts under 2.1, in that I have engaged in posts and responses with other students on various assignments. Many times, these are required in the course. So, it offers the opportunity to see what others are doing and get new ideas.

                As far as digital competencies are concerned, I would like to learn, I would say I would like to learn more about audiovisual production, under 2.3. Just being able to produce high quality audio and visual information would be helpful in school and in the future.  I would also like to improve my knowledge and capabilities in using various forms of digital publishing under 2.2. Becoming competent with data queries would also be good, especially with Excel, which comes under Section 4.1. This will help with my future business endeavors. The only way to improve in these areas would be to jump in and get exposure to them. At this point, I am not sure where to start with some of these competencies. Perhaps this course will help me to expand my knowledge in some of these areas.

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