While works of fiction and fantasy present fantastical
characters in strange, impossible situations, readers always seem to find some relatability
that makes them feel connected to the book. “Never Let Me Go”, by Kazuo Ishiguro,
is a novel that takes place in an entirely different universe, where clones and
organ donation programs are commonplace, but still holds a lot of relatable
truths. The most prominent of these truths is how people react differently to
the loss of childhood. Ruth and Kathy have the starkest difference when it
comes to this subject; where Kathy fully embraces Hailsham as a defining part
of her life, Ruth tries to push these memories away. When Kathy brings up a
story involving the rhubarb patch at Hailsham, Ruth pretends to have no memory
of the story nor the consequences of walking across it. She replies to Kathy’s
story, “‘Why? What was wrong with that?’” to which Kathy replies, with
annoyance, “‘Ruth, don’t give me that. There’s no way you’ve forgotten. You
know that route was out of bounds’” (202). Throughout the novel, Kathy clearly holds
a tight connection to Hailsham and cherishes all the memories she had there. She
points out to one of her donors that as she gets older and her memory fades, she
never sees herself forgetting her most valued memories at Hailsham (286). In
her last moments as a carer, she says, “Once I’m able to have a quieter
life, in whatever centre they send me
to, I’ll have Hailsham with me, safely in my head, and that’ll be something no
one can take away” (286-287). She knows that even in her final days, her childhood
was her “peak” and something that she will give herself peace.
Another relatable aspect comes from this difference between
Ruth and Kathy in itself: the fact that some friendships are mostly held
together through similarities. After the two girls have the disagreement on the
rhubarb patch, things aren’t the same between them. Kathy notices that they
part without their “usual little touches on the arms and shoulders” (202), and days
later decides to start training to become a carer. Even when Kathy and Ruth
reunite later in life, they seem to get along the best when they’re in
agreement or sharing common stories from their past. The trip to see the boat solidifies this fact,
as Ruth grows increasingly uncomfortable when Tommy and Kathy “gang up on her”
in small, insignificant disagreements. While the fictional situation of carers
and donors is far out of reach for readers, these relatable situations are
necessary in keeping them invested in the story. Fantastical stories are fun to
read, but there needs to be some applicable substance to reality to keep the
story grounded and approachable.
The point that you make about relatability being such a large part of Never Let Me Go is very interesting, and not something that I noticed before reading this post. The way that Kathy narrates almost seems like her side of a conversation or interview, and the way that she recounts her memories allows the reader to become immersed in the various events. For example, when describing being expelled from Miss Geraldine’s secret guards, Kathy says, “It was like the split second before you step into a puddle, you realize it’s there, but there’s nothing you can do about it. I felt the hurt even before they went silent and stared at me” (Ishiguro 54). Almost every child has experienced the hardship of changing social groups or dealing with bullies, and by providing a personal account like this, Ishiguro is able to invoke a sense of relatability between Kathy and the reader. By adding these deeper elements to his characters, Ishiguro develops a sense of greater interest in Kathy and other characters, because readers can see elements of themselves in them. Also, because this relatability is established so early, readers are inclined to read on to find out what happens later in Kathy’s life. As she grows up and her problems become more complex, such as (unsuccessfully) trying to obtain a deferral, the audience will relate to her, as things often tend to seem more difficult as one gets older in real life as well.
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ReplyDeleteGreat post Jenny! I agree with your argument- one of the amazing things about Never Let Me Go is how the incorporation of several non-fictional themes and elements makes a story that is really pretty "out there" seem relatable. While you focused on comparing the characters and how they react to the loss of childhood, I would like to add how the theme of art plays a role in making Kathy more relatable. Clearly Kathy has a love for music, and potentially the most heartbreaking scene in the entire novel is when she caresses her pillow, imagining it to be a baby while listening to Never Let Me Go by Judy Bridgewater. She uses that song in that scene as a hypothetical canvas on which to paint her hopes and dreams, much like many of us do with music ourselves. It is presumed throughout the book that when Madame sees this, she relates to Kathy in this way and cries; however, at the end of the novel it is revealed that in fact, Madame had related to Kathy in a completely different way. Madame states, “When I watched you dancing that day, I saw something else. I saw a new world coming rapidly. More scientific, efficient, yes. More cures for the old sicknesses. Very good. But a harsh, cruel world. And I saw a little girl, her eyes tightly closed, holding to her breast the old kin d world, one that she knew in her heart could not remain” (Ishiguro, 272). Interpreting something in a different way is a key characteristic of art, and it only makes sense that the situation that surrounded the actual art is interpreted in a different way as well. This aspect of the novel helps the reader understand the points of view of people consumed by a world that is much different from our own, making them relatable characters who would behave a lot like us if we were in the same situation.
ReplyDeleteJenny, I agree with a lot of what you wrote in your post. The little relationships between Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy are definitely realistic, which allows the reader to actually relate to the characters, rather than simply observing the story. Because the premise of the story, with carers and donors and clones, is so far off from our own reality, it would be nearly impossible to truly relate to the novel unless that aspect of realism within the characters’ lives exists, and thankfully, it does. However, while their relationships are realistic, to me, they weren’t relatable. I found myself getting frustrated with Ruth and Kathy, feeling that they were both extremely mean and annoying. I couldn’t name one character in the story that I actually liked. Especially with regards to Tommy, Kathy and Ruth were just mean girls. They were never true friends to him, and to be honest it never really seemed like they even liked him. Especially during the scene with Tommy’s animals. Ruth is almost cruel to Tommy, saying, “It’s not the theory people will find funny, sweety gums. They might well buy the theory, right enough. But the idea that you’ll swing it by showing Madame your little animals … It’s not just me, sweety. Kathy here finds your animals a complete hoot” (194). Tommy was confiding in Ruth his theory about deferrals and Madame and art, and instead of seriously considering Tommy’s theory and encouraging his art, like a good girlfriend or friend would, she belittles him, his art, and his theory. And Kathy just goes along with it! To me, it seemed like she was intimidated by Ruth and didn’t want to go against what she was saying. However, in my opinion, this makes her a bad friend. Perhaps Kathy’s shortcomings and flaws, along with Tommy’s and Ruth’s, make them more realistic characters and make the novel more realistic, because there are no perfect characters in the story. That being said, I don’t believe there is a single likeable character in the story. While it may be realistic, I don’t find it relatable.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point that Never Let You Go lacks reliability, because Ishiguro is trying to provide a reliable story about mortality. In a modern-day society, in which we will do everything to avoid death, characters accepting their dystopian fate simply appears disappointing. However, I think the relatability of the characters lie deeper within the story. It is undoubtedly difficult to look past the dystopian society, but if you can do so, Ishiguro’s message is clearer.
ReplyDeleteThe relationships of each character shapes the relatability of the story, showing that the clones are just like every other human. Although the clones do not object to their fate, or beg for longer extensions, their human desires and relationships make them more identifiable. Likewise, they show the faults and human downfalls of each character which the readers are undoubtedly meant to relate to. For example, the fact that the clones search so desperately for their “originals” points out a desire to understand oneself. When Ruth unravels at the inability to find her original, it further supports this when she says, “We all know it. We’re modeled from trash. Junkies, prostitutes, winos, tramps. Convicts, maybe, just so long as they aren’t psychos” (166). Although this breakdown may not be relatable in a traditional sense, it can be comparable to anybody’s desire to know their own background and history. These relationships relate directly to one’s self-identity, which is something the clones appear to struggle with. This inherent desire to know her origin controls Ruth’s life, and it is likely that many readers can identify with something like this.
Although it is not obvious on surface level, Ishiguro uses his dystopia to reveal inherent human faults and desires and how they relate to their relationships. Their acceptance of mortality is something that every human must overcome, and their circumstances must be overlooked to fully understand the story.