The novel is a challenging read, not so much for the style of writing it contains but due to the ethical and moral issues it presents and the truly emotional narrative that plays out within the text. Readers are more than likely going to find themselves getting attached to Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth and struggling to comprehend the world they’re growing up in.
Character Analysis
The central character in ‘Never Let Me Go’ is Kathy. She’s the narrator of the novel and the person whose perspective tints everything one learns about the world. She spends the novel trying to understand her youth and make sense of the role she’s playing now and will play in the future.
She delivers a narrative that’s simple but filled with feelings of nostalgia and melancholy. She is an introspective person and this bleeds into Ishiguro’s depiction of her through her narrative. This is particularly effective when she speaks about her role as a carer later in the novel. She has a deep understanding of human emotions and an ability to connect to people — two things that those who implemented the clone program would prefer not to acknowledge about her and all those like her.
Other characters seen in the novel are depicted through Kathy’s understanding of them. These include her two closest friends, Tommy and Ruth. Tommy is someone who evolves throughout the novel. At times, he’s temperamental and vulnerable (particularly as it concerns his art, which he’s teased about). He and Kathy always care for one another, but it’s not too late in the book that the extent of their feelings is revealed.
Ruth is another complicated character who, it could be argued, is the hardest to understand in the book. She has a profound sense of insecurity and a deep desire for acceptance and normalcy. She tries to accomplish this by demonstrating her knowledge about the clones’ situation but is often incorrect or makes assumptions she can’t back up.
Ishiguro’s Style and Writing Techniques
Ishiguro is known for his understated writing style. His prose is often deceptively simple and devoid of the lyrical flourishes seen in other writers’ work. Kathy’s narrative voice is calm and level throughout the novel, but she is not without more reflective and introspective moments.
This creates a subdued and intimate tone, allowing readers to connect to the various characters in a meaningful way. Much of the novel plays out through memories, as well. This means that there are times in which nostalgia influences the events being described and moments in which readers may not be able to trust Kathy’s depiction of events.
She proves herself to be an unreliable narrator in certain points of the book, but this is something that makes the story all the more compelling. Readers are left in the dark about certain issues and allowed to understand them at the same time that the characters do. The narration and Ishiguro’s overall style often leave elements ambiguous and open to interpretation. This allows readers to engage with the text and form their own opinions of the story and its themes.
Philosophical Content
One of the more memorable elements of the novel is how the characters’ personal lives create commentary on the plot’s moral and ethical issues. The entire book is centered around the issue of cloning and how, in a worst-case-scenario, these clones could be used.
The clones are utilized for organ harvesting against their will and are created for this sole purpose. This leads to a broader discussion on the ethics of sacrificing a few for the greater good and the dehumanization that can come with scientific advancements.
The novel forces readers to consider what they would feel if they were in the clones’ position or what their stance on the entire issue of cloning is. Ishiguro also explores the topic of free will throughout the novel. He asks whether true agency is even possible under the constrained circumstances the clones grow up in. Readers are also likely going to be inspired to consider what the characters’ acceptance of their fate means. Is it complicity or purely a coping mechanism?
Never Let Me Go: Ishiguro's Commentary on Cloning
Book Title: Never Let Me Go
Book Description: 'Never Let Me Go' challenges readers to comprehend a world in which cloning is legal and utilized for the sole purpose of creating a source of viable organs.
Book Author: Kazuo Ishiguro
Book Edition: First Edition
Book Format: Hardcover
Publisher - Organization: Knopf
Date published: September 5, 2005
ISBN: 978-0-375-40251-0
Number Of Pages: 288
- Story
- Characters
- Setting
- Dialogue
- Conclusion
- Lasting Effect on Reader
Never Let Me Go Review
‘Never Let Me Go’ is a stunning and highly memorable book that’s certainly one of the best novels of the early 20th century. It focuses on a dystopian future in which clones are created for the single purpose of organ harvesting.
Pros
- Incredibly memorable story
- Beautiful prose
- Deeply relevant
Cons
- Likely to leave readers with questions
- Frustrating characters
