Oh, But They're Weird and They're Wonderful / Simile (Chapter 16/ Pages 185-196)

"In fact, it took a moment to see they were animals at all. The first impression was like one you'd get if you took the back off a radio set: tiny canals, weaving tendons, miniature screws and wheels were all drawn with obsessive precision, and only when you held the page away could you see it was some kind of armadillo, say, or a bird."

~ Never Let Me Go, page 187

So, in this chapter, Tommy finally shows Kathy his drawings that may someday make up for his lack of artwork at Hailsham. The quote above is a simile comparing his drawings to the inside of a radio. This helps readers really envision the artwork. We can imagine the tiny little lines he would have drawn on the armadillo, or all the feathers on the bird. We could also think that the drawings were, at least, slightly abstract and strange because Kathy says that they almost didn't even look like animals. I know I think of these weird little creatures with more animation than realistic detail. It also evokes a sadness in readers, though, because we know that he's doing this so he might get a deferral. We can tell that there really isn't much of a chance that Tommy can redeem himself.