Ruth And Her Influence

"My guess is that I knew Ruth only very slightly at that point.  But she must already have made some impression on me, because I remember carrying on busily with whatever I was doing in the sand, absolutely dreading the idea of her turning her gaze on me." - Never Let Me Go, page 46.

I want to take this time to explain what I already know about Ruth and how she influenced the people around her.  From the beginning, I was able to see that Ruth was more or less the leader of the group she and Kathy were a part of.  People looked toward her for advice and before saying anything, they thought of what Ruth would think of them.  I believe that Ruth will have a huge influence on Kathy later in the book and might even be the cause for the actions Kathy makes.  At this point in the story, I find a simmilarity between Ruth and what an older brother or sister might be like.  The younger siblings look up to that older, much wiser sibling and ask for advice from that brother or sister.  I am the oldest of my siblings and my younger sisters are always asking for my advice, whether it's with fashion or even homework.  In this way I can sort of see how Ruth is like an older sister to her friends at Hailsham.  They  look up to her and want more than anything to please her.  Hopefully Ruth will live up to her role without disappointing the rest of the students.