Never Let Me Go and Frankenstein both belong to the science fiction genre, but are nearly completely different. Never Let Me Go, written by Kazuo Ishiguro in 2004, is set in the past, in post World War II Great Britain. Kathy, the narrator of the novel, is a clone, who has been created by means of science. On the other hand, Frankenstein, written by Mary Shelley in 1618, is set in 18th century Europe. Victor Frankenstein, whose tale is being narrated by Robert Walton, is a scientist who has created a creature, by means of his research. Despite their differences, both Never Let Me Go and Frankenstein possess similar conventions, including the convention of the sense of mystery and dread, or an impending doom. By definition, the genre of Gothic
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In A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines dystopia as a work of fiction that represents a future where “our present social, political, and technological order are projected into a disastrous future culmination” (417). The “disastrous future culmination” in Never Let Me Go is the ethical dilemma brought on by the manufacturing of clones to produce a supply of organs, in order to meet the demand of the general population. Ishiguro writes Never Let Me Go from the perspective of Kathy, who is a clone herself. It is shown that most of the clones go most of their childhood not knowing what their purpose is, but this purpose is finally revealed to them by Miss Lucy. She tells the children that “before you’re old, before you’re even middle-aged, you’ll start to donate your vital organs” (Never Let Me Go, 128). The clones don’t have any feelings of distress from this, since they do not know the full extent of the program, and as such, continue with their playing. However, as readers, we are clued into hints of an impending doom awaiting for Kathy and her classmates. Slowly, they’ll watch their friends die one by one, upon serving their purpose to society. What we are told by Kathy is that the clones go through rounds of donations, where after each round, they are taken care of by a carer, who is a clone, and sometimes could be a friend from childhood, such as Kathy caring for Ruth and Tommy. These donation cycles continue until the donor dies, usually before the fourth cycle. The ethical dilemma of Never Let Me Go revolves around the treatment of clones. Although the book is written in 2005, it is set in a post World War II Great Britain, where a government sponsored program of cloning for the purpose of organ donation was taking place. When Kathy and Tommy go to visit Madame, it is revealed by her and Miss Emily just how good Kathy and her peers had it at Hailsham. When compared to other clones, they were
In A Glossary of Literary Terms, Abrams defines dystopia as a work of fiction that represents a future where “our present social, political, and technological order are projected into a disastrous future culmination” (417). The “disastrous future culmination” in Never Let Me Go is the ethical dilemma brought on by the manufacturing of clones to produce a supply of organs, in order to meet the demand of the general population. Ishiguro writes Never Let Me Go from the perspective of Kathy, who is a clone herself. It is shown that most of the clones go most of their childhood not knowing what their purpose is, but this purpose is finally revealed to them by Miss Lucy. She tells the children that “before you’re old, before you’re even middle-aged, you’ll start to donate your vital organs” (Never Let Me Go, 128). The clones don’t have any feelings of distress from this, since they do not know the full extent of the program, and as such, continue with their playing. However, as readers, we are clued into hints of an impending doom awaiting for Kathy and her classmates. Slowly, they’ll watch their friends die one by one, upon serving their purpose to society. What we are told by Kathy is that the clones go through rounds of donations, where after each round, they are taken care of by a carer, who is a clone, and sometimes could be a friend from childhood, such as Kathy caring for Ruth and Tommy. These donation cycles continue until the donor dies, usually before the fourth cycle. The ethical dilemma of Never Let Me Go revolves around the treatment of clones. Although the book is written in 2005, it is set in a post World War II Great Britain, where a government sponsored program of cloning for the purpose of organ donation was taking place. When Kathy and Tommy go to visit Madame, it is revealed by her and Miss Emily just how good Kathy and her peers had it at Hailsham. When compared to other clones, they were