"Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro: Questions and Answers

A Question and Answer Activity

How long did it take you to figure out the special meaning of “donor”, “carer” and “completed”? Why do you think the novel is set in the 1990’s?

It took midway the second act in order to understand such terms yet they have become clear only following the third and final act especially when Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy have to be donors for their originals. The act when Ruth has to make her donations becomes evident what they were made for. The act when Kathy became a carer following Ruth’s final donation makes it sure what carer does and how a complete donation means. The 1990s was known for the stem cell experimentation and even animal cloning glory decade. This only highlights the time as a firm backdrop for the novel (page 7, 13).

Why do you think that Ishiguro has Kathy address the reader as if they were future donors? How does that affect your reading of the novel?

Making the readers part of the story or as expendable clones allow us to be intimate with the situation of Kathy and the other characters. It makes any reader see things from the perspective of Kathy, a clone cultured and developed only to be organ-harvested for her original. This method gives a strong impression on the reader to empathize with the protagonist thus rendering the novel more human and very appealing to the human senses of reason, existence, and survival (page 13).

How do you imagine Hailsham to be different from other private boarding schools? Why does its curriculum attempt to enrich the students? How might it be different from other “schools” for future donors?

First, it was the pioneer thus there were many trial-and-error methodologies employed to pursue its objectives of securing the clones’ health and conditions. Second, it was an attempt to experiment on the concept of human soul and spirit. The hope of giving them a taste of humanity through the arts was however a failed endeavor rendering the entire operations futile. Third, the first operation of the school was idealistic and hopeful especially since it wants to make the clones develop into not only mere expendable ones. Finally, it was a sad note to see that although the clones were made to perform and develop arts, the hidden agenda behind it was the hope to fostering a sense of humanity in them instead of mere human spare parts as compared with other clone facilities (page 81).

How are Tommy’s personality traits somewhat different from the other main characters?

Tommy has a strong urge to question the essence things. He was not merely satisfied in being in the side-lines (page 15). This is evident in his attempt to convince the Madame that he was truly in love with Kathy. When he goes to rescue of Kathy and Ruth, this proves that he has a sense of reason, judgment, and higher purpose since other children seem apathetic and detached. In must be known that he had to undergo made negative incidents in his early life and much criticism making him restless and only a solace from Miss Lucy’s comment yet his character is quite generally unpredictable in the entire novel (page 81).

How well does Madame interact with the children?

She is not much of a good person neither a help. She is quite detached from the children as if mechanically linked to them merely to monitor and observer their progress and health. An instance when the kids decided to test her emotions or feelings showed her disgust with the clones. Authoritative and demanding, her character in the novel is one which shows the dark side to automaton like figure heads who run facilities never regarding the man power as humans but mere cattle or test subjects (page 259).

Why are poetry, drawing, and creative practices so important at Hailsham?

This is rooted upon the main purpose of the very existence of the children in Hailsham. The idea that they are mere clones created to provide the necessary body parts for their original human blueprints is the reason why they are not allowed to learn other than making them feel okay about their very existence. Using the various teachings in the arts allows them to be in top health and condition guaranteeing their purpose. Should they learn survival and life skills, logic and reasoning, philosophy or even religion, the risks of them getting out and seeking for a higher purpose will jeopardize the entire operations (page 260 - 262).

Is the point of the novel to show that human cloning is morally repellent? Explain?

Personally speaking, human cloning may not be bad considering that if the motive behind the cloning was for preservation of humanity as mirrored in many novels and movies. What makes the subject novel repellent is the idea that human cloning was created to prolong the lives of the original humans; the clones acting as mere life spare parts of the human counterparts. This then becomes a moral and ethical argument for the legality of the body part donations claiming the lives of clones. The point that human life is terminal and that there is a reason why cells have lifespan must be accepted. If the clones are used as duplicates of the originals so as indirectly prolong the life of the former, then there must be something worthwhile about the scheme (Chapter 22, paragraph 6).

Do you think that there is sense in which the main characters transcend their fates?

There are relatively clear incidents when the main characters have gone beyond the bend. Take the case of Tommy who has defended the weak among the bullies when he was in fact a victim of similar circumstance before. The part when Tommy tried to improve his art to convince the Madame that he is truly in love is a leap forward as well. The struggles to be accepted as ordinary humans are also commendable as proof wanting more than mere clones and human spare parts (Chapter 19, paragraph 61).

Why don’t the characters try to escape instead of clinging to the hope of a deferral?

It must be understood that children usually believe everything they are told. The possibility of leaving for a better place is out of the picture considering that they have no place to go and the stakes waiting for them are also bleak. This is the case when people have little to no understanding of legal rights and even a concept of nationality or real identity. Another possible reason is the concept that perhaps the children have accepted their fate and that there is nothing more to explore beyond the borders and horizon (page 266).

Are these characters human beings? Are they persons?

Yes they are human beings and people. The truth, that nobody has proven whether the spirit is present in merging of the egg and sperm cells or only during the birth of a baby from a mother’s womb is a strong point of argument. What then constitutes a man is not only his birth certificate or his birth from a biological mother. If the only requirement for someone to be considered a human would be the basis of conception via ordinary fertilization following an intercourse between a man and a woman, this is still flawed since the concept of the spirit is not addressed. Since no one can answer the problem about when the spirit unites with the human body, then a surrogate child or clone can still be considered a human being or a person (page 60).