The novel is centered around three students from Hailsham, a school where students learn of their future jobs as carers and donors. The three main characters in the novel are Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth.
Kathy
Tommy
Ruth
The students learn in their years at Hailsham that they are never allowed to have a normal life and were only put in this world to donate their vital organs. They are watched over by the guardians of Hailsham, who are basically overprotective teachers.
Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth are all very close friends. Ruth and Tommy however start a relationship while they are still at Hailsham. Kathy and Ruth have the tendency to fight over some disagreements whether it's playing chess or something rude Ruth said.
"I never said out loud that she didn't know how to play (chess)" (Ishiguro 53)
Rodney and Chrissie
The Beginning
Growing Up at Hailsham
Kathy, Ruth, Tommy, Chrissie, and Rodney decide to take a trip to Norfolk to find Ruth's possible, a person Ruth was modeled after. During the trip, Ruth was rude to both Kathy and Tommy and sat in the middle of the car so Tommy and Kathy could not talk.
Relationships
The Cottages
The students eventually graduate from Hailsham and move to the Cottages. There are veterans at the Cottages like Chrissie and Rodney who are helping the Hailsham students get acquainted.
A Trip to Norfolk
Kathy After the Cottages
Eventually, Kathy left the Cottages to become a carer. She never looked back on her decision despite leaving her best friends. Time goes by, Kathy decides to become Ruth's carer, which she seems to regret.
