Kathy H. is the protagonist in Kazuo Ishiguro's captivating novel, Never Let Me Go. The story follows Kathy's journey through her relationships with her close friends Ruth and Tommy, her time at the peculiar Hailsham boarding school, and her eventual role as a 'carer'. However, this seemingly simple tale takes place in an alternate, dystopian version of 1990s England where the characters are clones, created solely for the purpose of donating their organs.
The story opens with Kathy, now working as a carer for donors, reminiscing about her past at Hailsham. As she takes care of her patients, she fondly thinks back on her friendships with Ruth and Tommy, and their experiences at the school. Kathy shares a strong bond with Tommy, who was often teased for his lack of artistic ability. But after a conversation with one of the school's carers, Miss Lucy, Tommy learns to embrace his creativity and no longer cares about the teasing.
Ruth, on the other hand, is a leader among the girls at Hailsham. Despite their differences, Kathy and Ruth become close friends. However, Ruth's tendency to lie and boast about her relationship with Miss Geraldine often causes tension between them. They also enjoy playing imaginary games together, such as horseback riding.
As Kathy cares for Ruth, who is in the process of donation, she remembers the high value placed on art at Hailsham. The students would often trade their artwork during special events called 'exchanges'. Kathy also recalls the mysterious figure known as Madame, who would select the best artwork for the Gallery. Ruth believes that Madame's cold demeanor is a result of fear, but the true reason remains unclear.
During one of these exchanges, Kathy comes across a cassette tape by Judy Bridgewater, titled 'Never Let Me Go'. The song evokes strong maternal feelings in Kathy, and she often dances to it while pretending to soothe an imaginary baby made out of a pillow. One day, Kathy catches Madame crying after witnessing her dance, but she doesn't understand why. Later on, the tape disappears, and Ruth gifts her a replacement.
As the friends grow up together at Hailsham, they slowly uncover the truth about their existence - they are clones, created only for organ donation. This explains Madame's reaction to Kathy's dance. Miss Lucy, a carer at Hailsham, disagrees with the sheltered ways the school prepares them for their future. In one conversation, Miss Lucy reminds them of their fate:
"Your lives are set out for you. You'll become adults, then before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do." (Chapter 7)
In their final years at Hailsham, Ruth and Tommy begin a relationship, but Tommy remains close with Kathy. Their relationship is tumultuous, and they often break up and get back together. During one of their breakups, Ruth encourages Kathy to convince Tommy to reconcile. However, when Kathy finds Tommy, she learns that he is upset about a conversation with Miss Lucy. She had told him that art and creativity were indeed important, contradicting her previous statements.
As their time at Hailsham comes to an end, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy move to The Cottages, where they embark on a new chapter in their lives as donors. The harsh reality of their situation starts to take a toll on Ruth's relationships as she tries to fit in with the veteran residents. She befriends a couple, Chrissie and Rodney, who tell her about a woman they saw in Norfolk who could be her 'possible' (the person she is cloned from). In an attempt to find out more, they all go on a trip to Norfolk. However, Chrissie and Rodney are more interested in discussing "deferrals", a rumored process that could delay donations if true love is evident in the clones' artwork. To impress the veterans, Ruth lies about knowing about deferrals. After investigating, they realize that the woman Chrissie and Rodney saw cannot be Ruth's possible. The group splits up, with Kathy and Tommy exploring the area while Ruth, Chrissie, and Rodney meet a friend who now works as a carer.
The trip to Norfolk holds a special significance for the Hailsham students, as they believed it to be a place where lost things could be found. However, this idea eventually became more of a joke. Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go is a poignant and thought-provoking tale that explores love, friendship, and the harsh realities of a dystopian society where clones are seen as nothing more than vessels for organ donation.
Kathy and Tommy's friendship is the heart of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, Never Let Me Go. While searching for a lost cassette, they discover their true feelings for each other and their bond deepens, despite Tommy being in a relationship with Ruth.
Ruth, however, scoffs at Tommy's attempts at creativity and his theory about deferrals. As their friendship grows, she confides in Kathy about her fear of losing Tommy if they were to split, due to Kathy's behavior at The Cottages. Kathy, feeling lost and unsure of her future, decides to become a carer and leaves The Cottages, Tommy, and Ruth behind.
Years later, Kathy has become successful as a carer, able to choose her patients. She learns that Ruth has already started the donation process and decides to become her carer. This brings the three friends back together, and they visit a stranded boat, where they reflect on their past and present. Ruth opens up about her jealousy of Kathy and Tommy's friendship and her attempts to keep them apart. She also reveals that she has Madame's address and wants them to try and get a deferral for Tommy's remaining donations.
Tragedy strikes when Ruth passes away during her second donation, leaving Kathy with a promise to try and get a deferral for her. As Kathy cares for Tommy before his third donation, their relationship continues to grow. Tommy, hoping to impress Madame and potentially receive a deferral, creates more artwork.
When they finally visit Madame's address, they are surprised to find both Miss Emily and Madame living there. The truth about Hailsham is revealed: the school's primary purpose was to prove that clones have souls through their artwork, but the public rejected this idea, leading to the school's closure. Kathy and Tommy are disappointed to learn that deferrals were merely a rumor among students and not a real possibility.
As they delve deeper into the past, Madame shares her tears at seeing Kathy dancing with a pillow, symbolizing a world where science had morals and cloning was unnecessary. This revelation deeply affects Kathy and Tommy, as they come to terms with the harsh reality of their existence.
Returning home, Tommy becomes increasingly frustrated with their inevitable fate and pushes Kathy away. He chooses to spend his remaining days with other donors, accepting his fate and completing his fourth donation.
Never Let Me Go is a moving tale of loss and grief, showcasing the power of friendship in the face of impossible circumstances. Through Kathy's narration, readers are taken on a nostalgic journey filled with memories, emotions, and ultimately, acceptance. Ishiguro's thought-provoking novel forces us to question the moral implications of scientific advancements and the true meaning of being human.
In Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, Never Let Me Go, the characters of Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth face multiple losses, both physical and emotional, as they navigate through a society that values some lives over others. As they grapple with a bleak fate, they must also give up their identities and freedoms, creating a void that they struggle to fill. Ishiguro's poignant exploration of grief is manifested through the characters' different responses to their impending deaths. While Ruth holds on to hope and seeks absolution, others, like Tommy, experience emotional outbursts as they come to terms with their hopeless situation.
The novel follows Kathy as she reflects on the losses she has experienced while driving towards her fate, knowing that she will never forget the people she loved and cared for. It offers a profound and melancholic insight into the themes of loss and grief in a society where some lives are deemed more valuable than others. Ishiguro's storytelling showcases the resilience and humanity of his characters in the face of their inevitable deaths.
The clones in Never Let Me Go may have shorter lifespans compared to regular humans, but their fates serve as a reflection of the universal human condition. Death and illness are inevitable for all of us, making the book more than just a commentary on societal injustices. Ishiguro also delves into the concept of the human experience and our limited time on this earth.
Kathy often turns to her memories as a means of coping with her grief. She clings onto them to come to terms with her fate and preserve the memories of her deceased friends. These memories form the foundation of the story, revealing more about the narrator's life. Kathy holds a special place in her heart for her time at Hailsham, and she shares her memories to provide comfort to her fellow clones and create positive memories of their pre-donation days.
Despite their grim reality, the clones cling onto hope. At Hailsham, some students dream of a future beyond being mere organ donors. However, Miss Lucy's reminder of their purpose shatters their aspirations. Yet, the clones continue to hold onto the hope of finding their own unique identities, a difficult feat to achieve. For instance, Ruth believes she has found her "possible" in Norfolk, but this turns out to be a false hope. The idea of "possibles" gives the clones a sense of connection and disguises their true identity. As a carer for other clones, Kathy finds purpose in providing them with comfort and minimizing their pain during their final donations.
Many clones also cling to the hope of a "deferral," which would postpone their donation process. However, this turns out to be a mere rumor, ultimately crushing their hopes. Even Ruth passes away with the belief that her friends will live longer through this process. Similarly, Kathy hopes to find Tommy in Norfolk, a place where lost things supposedly turn up. However, she knows this is futile as he has already "completed."
The clones in Ishiguro's novel desperately strive to establish their own identities. They long for parental figures and form strong emotional attachments to their Guardians, such as Miss Lucy, who hugs Tommy, and Miss Geraldine, whom Ruth idolizes. These Guardians encourage the students to explore their identities through their unique talents, with the underlying goal of proving that clones have souls.
Ishiguro also highlights the clones' search for their true identities through their intense desire to find their "possibles." They have an innate need to understand themselves, even going as far as catastrophizing their origins and believing they are made from "trash." Despite the unsettling nature of this idea, Kathy scours through adult magazines in search of her "possible."
Narrated in a simultaneously friendly and distant first-person voice, Kathy uses informal language to engage readers in the intimate details of her life. However, she rarely reveals her true emotions, instead choosing to allude to them indirectly and creating a divide between her and the reader. This unique structure allows readers to experience the characters' emotions through their actions and memories, creating a powerful and stirring narrative that stays with the reader long after finishing the book.
Written by Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go tells the story of Kathy H. and her friends as they grapple with their identities as clones. Fusing elements of science fiction and dystopia, Ishiguro's novel challenges the reader to contemplate the ethical implications of cloning and society's indifference towards suffering. Through Kathy's non-linear narrative, the novel explores the depths of humanity and mortality.
Kathy often turns to her memories for solace, reminiscing on her time at Hailsham before becoming a carer and facing the harsh realities of being a donor. The novel's non-chronological structure jumps between past and present, inspired by Kathy's daily life and her recollections.
Divided into three parts, each section focuses on a different stage of the clones' lives. 'Part One' takes place during their childhood at Hailsham, 'Part Two' delves into their time at The Cottages, and 'Part Three' explores their experiences as carers. This structure allows for a deeper understanding of the characters and their journeys.
Kazuo Ishiguro's novel incorporates elements of science fiction, exploring the morality of cloning in a world where the technology is emerging. References to real-life events, such as the successful cloning of Dolly the Sheep, add a sense of realism to the story. The novel also touches upon other technological advancements, such as the 'Morningdale scandal,' where a scientist creates superior beings.
In addition to science fiction, the novel also contains strong dystopian elements, offering an alternate vision of 1990s Britain where clones are created solely for organ donation. The clones passively accept their fate, highlighting the lack of moral values in society and the unchallenged acceptance of suffering.
Never Let Me Go was shortlisted for prestigious awards, including the Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. It was also adapted into a film by Mark Romanek and has garnered praise from renowned authors such as Margaret Atwood and Ian Rankin. Atwood commends Ishiguro for his exploration of humanity and the concept of 'ourselves, seen through a glass, darkly.'
The novel presents thought-provoking themes, challenging the reader to evaluate their perception of morality and humanity. Its unique narrative and blend of genres make it a must-read for science fiction and dystopian fans alike. Through the clones' experiences, Ishiguro reminds us to question the consequences of our actions and the importance of moral values in a rapidly advancing world.
Ishiguro explores the characters' diverse responses to their eventual losses. Ruth clings to the hope of a better future for her friends, using it as her lifeline until her last breath, while others, like Kathy, seem to suppress their emotions, masking their true feelings. This unreliable narration, coupled with Kathy's memories, adds complexity to the novel, reminding us of the fallibility of our perceptions.
In Never Let Me Go, the protagonist Tommy's reaction to losing his dream of a future with Kathy is an impassioned outburst, followed by a desperate attempt to shield others from the pain of his impending death by pushing Kathy away. On the other hand, Kathy copes with her losses by withdrawing into a silent state of grief and resignation.
But is Never Let Me Go truly a dystopian novel? Absolutely. It paints a bleak picture of late 1990s England, a society where the wealthy prolong their lives by exploiting clones for their organs. These clones are raised in institutions and taught to believe that their sole purpose in life is to donate their organs and die.
The question arises, why does Tommy have frequent outbursts in Never Let Me Go? The answer lies in his challenging circumstances. As a student at Hailsham, he is constantly tormented by his peers, leading to moments of anger and frustration. However, with the help and guidance of one of the school's Guardians, he learns to overcome these struggles and find a sense of peace and acceptance.
