In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go, the author develops a powerful insight into how one’s upbringing can be influential in the formation of his or her identity. In Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro carefully creates a dystopian society where there are inherent divisions in society. He iterates the idea of the Hailsham students as belonging to a lower social class. As the novel progresses, this wedge between the “normals” and the clones influences the development of the clones’ identity and their inability to escape their fates. Many critics have argued the oppressive forces surrounding the Hailsham students have caused mental and emotional consequences, which have led to an outsider status. However, these critics fail to mention the lasting
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Ishiguro has created this effect in order to paint the injustices that oppressed groups such as colonized peoples face. This psychological concept describes how members of an oppressed group “internalize oppressive prejudices and biases” (Liebow 713), which is what Kathy and her fellow classmates have done. This internalized oppression is the result of the “oppressive social climate” (Liebow 713) created by the encapsulating nature of Hailsham. This provides a lot of insight into the struggles with identity that many of the students face. Evidently, the students internalize society’s belief that they belong to a lower social class. Furthermore, this oppression caused the students to feel uneasy when they learned that Madam was afraid of them. In this case, Madam was the oppressor, a figurehead of Hailsham, the place that indoctrinated all the students. The students unknowingly became the oppressed group in this situation. Kathy described the feeling as “a cold moment” that made her see herself as “troubling and strange” (Ishiguro 33). This personal account shows how Madam’s disgust towards Kathy and the other students has decreased their self-esteem. It also degraded her by causing her to feel lacking in some way, demonstrating that Kathy had internalized the negative perception Madam had. With Madame’s simple glance, Kathy responded by degrading her own self, acting as both the oppressor and the
Ishiguro has created this effect in order to paint the injustices that oppressed groups such as colonized peoples face. This psychological concept describes how members of an oppressed group “internalize oppressive prejudices and biases” (Liebow 713), which is what Kathy and her fellow classmates have done. This internalized oppression is the result of the “oppressive social climate” (Liebow 713) created by the encapsulating nature of Hailsham. This provides a lot of insight into the struggles with identity that many of the students face. Evidently, the students internalize society’s belief that they belong to a lower social class. Furthermore, this oppression caused the students to feel uneasy when they learned that Madam was afraid of them. In this case, Madam was the oppressor, a figurehead of Hailsham, the place that indoctrinated all the students. The students unknowingly became the oppressed group in this situation. Kathy described the feeling as “a cold moment” that made her see herself as “troubling and strange” (Ishiguro 33). This personal account shows how Madam’s disgust towards Kathy and the other students has decreased their self-esteem. It also degraded her by causing her to feel lacking in some way, demonstrating that Kathy had internalized the negative perception Madam had. With Madame’s simple glance, Kathy responded by degrading her own self, acting as both the oppressor and the