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Chapters One to Three

Kathy H is a 31-year-old carer. She has been a carer for almost 12 years but at this point the reader does not know exactly what her job entails. Kathy explains that she is a good carer and often gets to choose her clients. She is an ex Hailsham student and when she can, she tries to care for her old friends from the school. There is a sense that the school was a prestigious one to attend; Kathy refers to it as being ‘privileged.’

Kathy begins to reminisce about her days at Hailsham. Her friend Tommy was often picked on for having temper tantrums. When caring for her old friend Ruth, Kathy recalls the ‘exchanges’ where pupils could buy each other’s art and craft work using special tokens. Tommy, however, has difficulty as his paintings are ridiculed by the other pupils and this encourages his sense of frustration. He admits to Kathy that a talk he has had with Miss Lucy, one of the guardians, has helped him to feel better. Miss Lucy tells Tommy not to worry about his lack of creativity but Kathy finds this difficult to believe as Hailsham is a school which prizes artistic ability. However, Tommy is certain and tells Kathy that when she told him this, Miss Lucy was shaking with rage She was furious. But furious deep inside.

Although Tommy and Lucy do not realise it, Miss Lucy is furious that the students are not told about their futures in a clearer way. She is angry that they have no idea why their ability to be creative is important; that it can be used to prove they are capable of appreciating beauty in the same way as real humans do. She can also see the pressure this puts on students such as Tommy who are not very artistic and this infuriates her even more.

Tommy and Kathy are also puzzled about the Gallery, where the best work produced by the pupils is taken. Madame, a figure who remains a mystery to the students, arrives at Hailsham several times a year to take away their most creative pieces of work. Ruth believes Madame is scared of the pupils as she behaves rather coldly towards them but no one is sure why this might be the case.