"I can still see it now, the shudder she seemed to be suppressing, the real dread that one of us would accidentally brush against her. And though we just kept on walking, we all felt it; it was like we'd walked from the sun right into chilly shade. Ruth had been right: Madame was afraid of us." - Never Let Me Go, page 35.
I found chapter three of this novel to be very interesting. I came across some questions, though, that I am sure will be answered later. My biggest question is in regard to Madame's reaction as she is passed by a group of Hailsham students. Why on earth would a grown woman react with such fear when put in the presence of children? I couldn't understand her reaction at all. Why would she act like this yet be so eager to take some of the students' works of art for her gallery? If she is so afraid of them, then why doesn't she just find a new job that would let her be away from children completely. My only reasoning that would explain Madame's fear is that maybe it's not fear of the children at all that caused her reaction. The reader knows from earlier discussions in the book that these Hailsham children will grow up and give donations. Maybe Madame just doesn't know how to greet or approach the kids. They are different from her and it is their futures that make her fearful. How can she connect with these kids knowing that they are merely just objects to be used later in the future? There is really no way for her to have a total understanding of the lives these kids are faced with.
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