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Never let me go The novel never let me go is written by Kazuo Ishiguro with the aim of reflecting on various themes but all related to the main themes which are love, life, care and death. It is based on a science fiction genre that reflects on the relationship between life and death as well as love and care. The story used clones who serve as donors to the real human society. The human clones are created, raised to an adult age then made to embark on their purpose in life which is to donate body organs to the real human society until they die, a stage that is termed as ‘complete’.
The story uses both reality and fiction to portray the four major themes which are love, life, care and death. ‘Never let me go’ is a title that suits the novel as the story rotates around love, care and death which are themes related to the idea of refusing to lose something go as a result of cherish or importance. The title is drawn from a cassette tape with the label ‘Songs After Dark’ sang by Judy Bridgewater (Kazuo, 59). Kathy had the cassette while in Hailsham which got lost while still in the school.
However Tommy and Ruth come to find another cassette with the same songs ten years later while on their way to Norfolk and decide to take it to Kathy. This can be seen in a statement by Tommy, The album’s called Songs After Dark and it’s by Judy Bridge-water. Whatever I’ve got today isn’t the actual cassette but close to the one in Hailsham” (Kazuo, 59). This indicates that no matter where Kathy goes, the song follows her reminding her of her purpose in life.The story begins in Hailsham at a fiction boarding in England.
This is the place where the clones are raised and taught the basic skills I life before moving to the outside world just like the way ordinary people go to school before graduating and joining the independent stage commonly referred to as adulthood. Tommy, Ruth and Kathy develop a relationship based on friendship. They finally leave the facility and get into their normal independent lives. After ten years, they meet again and continue staying close to each other. The memories of Hailsham cold not let go of Tommy as he kept telling Kathy of the life they had back in the boarding facility.
This is evident in the statement made by Tommy to Kathy “You know, Kath, when I used to play football back at Hailsham. I had this secret thing I did. When I scored a goal, Id turn round like this”–he raised both arms up in triumph–“and Id run back to my mates. The memories I value most, I dont see them ever fading” (Kazuo, 261).After Tommy and Ruth reach their complete stage, Kathy is left with two years in her career before she states her donation process. She realizes that this was a process that kept growing over year and thus she may never be separated from her purpose of living despite her efforts in trying to live a normal life.
this is portrayed through her statement, just once, was couple of weeks after I heard Tommy had completed and I have only two years left” (Kazuo, 262). This aspect also portrays the idea behind the title ‘Never let me go’.Work CitedKazuo Ishiguro. Never Let Me Go: London. Faber & Faber. 2009. Print
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