Check Mate- 10

"It was like when you make a move in chess and just as you take your finger off the piece, you see the mistake you've made, and there's this panic because you don't know know yet the scale of disaster you've left yourself open to." (Never Let Me Go, page 124)


I think an extended metaphor is being used here. Kathy is comparing her confrontation with Ruth to the point in a chess game when you know you made the wrong decision but it's too late to correct it. The metaphor also develops over many lines. I think this extended metaphor is very effective because it defines the moment perfectly. The reader can sense Kathy's panic as she realizes she has now turned the situation around, and she is the one who is going to be attacked by Ruth.


I also like this metaphor because I feel like it applies to Ruth and Kathy's friendship as a whole. Their friendship is like a chess game. They both are trying to make moves that they know will upset the other, and they both try to be the best. I think Ruth is more guilty of this because she is usually the one who starts drama. However, both girls know how to push each other's buttons and are constantly competing for the other's "queen" or attention.