Symbolism In Karen Joy Fowler's Never Let Me Go

When individuals encounter a significant loss, additional changes to their environmental setting may take an even larger toll on them, leading to feelings of resentment and ultimately causing them to long for how things once were. Through the lives of Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy in Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro explores the journey that they embark on to becoming donors, their ever-changing surroundings, and the adversity they face along the way. In Karen Joy Fowler’s We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, Rosemary has a few different dwellings, each one becoming increasingly smaller to represent the loss she is experiencing at each moment. From the grand farmhouse to a smaller house after leaving Fern, to an even smaller house after Lowell leaves, the theme of emptiness and loss is portrayed. While Ishiguro and Fowler both explore interactions between humans and artificially produced entities, Fowler portrays a strong, though temporary connection to the various settings that the characters are exposed to due to the effective usage of symbolism and motifs. Consequently, the constant …show more content…
For example, the art galleries in Never Let Me Go demonstrate how the characters have dreamt of various possibilities for their future that will never come to fruition. The reality for these clones is that they won’t go beyond becoming a carer and a donor. Additionally, Hailsham represents the connection that the characters have to each other, as well as the memories that they share. After both Tommy and Ruth die, Kathy has a realization that the memories and experiences she once shared with these individuals will never wane. Although Ishiguro does display symbolism throughout the novel, they are often a representation of the character’s feelings of emptiness and longing for purpose and display a desire for things to be how they once