Paradox

"So I'd say Miss Lucy had it about right when she said, a couple of years later, that we'd been 'told and not told.'" Pg. 88

     This is obviously a prime example of a paradox. Without any context, the words would seem to be polar opposites; to know and not to know. In light of the storyline however, they make an understandable phrase explained by the protagonist. When analyzing paradoxes, I am usually struck with the realization that they connect the story to reality better than any literary device. The fact of the matter is that we humans tend to naturally focus on the pleasant aspects of life and live in the moment rather than dwell on the macabre experiences we all must face. We accept the fact that we must submit to fate in order to fully live the enjoyable times we have left. Most lives exist as this man-made paradox. The world favors disorder and difficulty. We try with the greatest amount of effort possible to tame the disorder, ultimately knowing that we can never live in happiness at all times. We can have but we cannot have. The students at Hailsham knew the same. They ultimately knew they were spare parts for the regular humans. Why not enjoy each other while they were ripe?