What sort of emotional and moral responses did reading the novel provoke in you as you read?
After finishing the book all I want to do is scream. I am so heartbroken for these characters and their situation. As I read the novel I kept thinking of informed consent and how the students were not given such an opportunity, they were never able to consent to what would later be done to their bodies. These kids did not get a choice, and I think that is one of the scariest things in this novel. That said, I think that the last bit of the novel poses a very interesting question. Specifically, is it better to let these individuals have a good, comfortable, and happy childhood or to fully inform them of their futures? While Miss Lucy actively pursued the latter, the school itself was designed for the former. At the same time, I wonder the ways in which the two could be combined so that the students actively knew what was coming while also enjoying the time they had together at Hailstorm. Personally, I think that by knowing these individuals would have a better opportunity to mentally prepare themselves for what was to come.
I fully agree with you, Nicole. Especially in the current political climate where bodily autonomy and informed consent are up for discussion because for some godforsaken reason lawmakers across the globe believe those to be a privilege and not a right. Having said this, I would argue in this context that knowing would do these kids no good. They can't escape, they can't change the course of their lives, and seeing as information in this book doesn't really lead to tangible action, does it serve any other purpose than clouding over their short, delusional yet happy lives?
I do not know where I stand in terms of letting the children know their fate. On one hand, morally I very much feel that the children should know. I think it should be their right to know what will happen to them since everyone else but them knows. But on the other hand, I agree with Minahil that knowing their fate might merely just be a cloud over their shoulders. I see where you are coming from in terms of mentally preparing yourself, but personally, I feel rather than coming to terms with their fates many children might suffer extreme anxiety, poor self-identity and provide less quality of life as Minahil explained they can not change their fates. I know in terms of people, we know we will die, but I think knowing the gruesome details and knowing that is your only purpose to others would simply be too much to handle.
Hello Nicole!
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. I feel like there is definitely a fine line between the children enjoying their lives versus living in fear for their future. Im not sure what course of action would have been best here. Obviously if I was in this book I would have been screaming from rooftops that these children deserve a choice as much as anyone else. Like you mentioned about consent, these children are clearly unable to give it and too brainwashed to understand that they should be able to give it.
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts. I feel like there is definitely a fine line between the children enjoying their lives versus living in fear for their future. Im not sure what course of action would have been best here. Obviously if I was in this book I would have been screaming from rooftops that these children deserve a choice as much as anyone else. Like you mentioned about consent, these children are clearly unable to give it and too brainwashed to understand that they should be able to give it.
Hi Nicole,
I agree with your response. It is unbelievable that throughout the entire process these children have no control over their lives and what happens to their bodies. They have no privacy, freedom and bodily autonomy. They do not get the opportunity to experience a childhood filled with hope for the future.
I agree with your response. It is unbelievable that throughout the entire process these children have no control over their lives and what happens to their bodies. They have no privacy, freedom and bodily autonomy. They do not get the opportunity to experience a childhood filled with hope for the future.
Hi Nicole,
I think you have touched on a really interesting and complicated topic here. I agree with you that had they known, there would be that opportunity to mentally and emotionally prepare for the inevitable. At the same time, I can see where some might say, "ignorance is bliss" as a reason for keeping the students in the dark. I do think that overlap you refer to is fleeting but present in the novel. When some students joke about "unzipping" themselves, I think that bleeds together the ignorance of what is to come with the acceptance of what the students cannot control.
I think you have touched on a really interesting and complicated topic here. I agree with you that had they known, there would be that opportunity to mentally and emotionally prepare for the inevitable. At the same time, I can see where some might say, "ignorance is bliss" as a reason for keeping the students in the dark. I do think that overlap you refer to is fleeting but present in the novel. When some students joke about "unzipping" themselves, I think that bleeds together the ignorance of what is to come with the acceptance of what the students cannot control.
This book provoked intense emotional responses as I read it, primarily with the fact that the children in Hailsham where not seen as human beings but rather objects. This is despite the fact that they possessed all qualities considered to be humanlike. The children had real emotions and powerful relationships with each other. At Hailsham, they were trained on human qualities. It made me upset when Kathy asked on page 259: "Why train us, encourage us, make us produce all of that? If we're just going to give donations away, then die..." This made me feel defeated on the children's part as they were given false hope. On page 60 Kathy H says “Didn’t we all dream from time to time about one guardian or other bending the rules and doing something special for us? A spontaneous hug, a secret letter, a gift?”. This quote shows that they were fundamentally human and craved human experiences as simple as getting a hug and also had dreams. The book also made me feel pity and a lot of empathy towards the children as they did not get to enjoy a normal childhood and did not enjoy the agency of their own lives. Their life paths are predetermined for them long before they even know it. Their destiny is set out for them without their knowledge. It invoked a lot of sorrow too as the novel gave the impression that the children's lives were considered less important and less deserving than the lives they were saving with their organs. The painful death they suffer at the end left a lump in my throat. Death itself is such an emotional human experience, however the death of the children is not considered to be death as we know it. Ishiguro used the euphemistic term "complete" instead of death when the children had donated enough organs that their body could not function anymore. I think taking away this human experience of death is morally wrong as again it proves that the children were not considered to be humans in the first place. Despite how cloning and organ harvesting would be considered right by its believers, it does not take away the fact that it is morally wrong as it deprives them of fundamental human experiences. As there was no way out for them, they all had to 'complete'.
Hello Mucha! I completely agree with your points and wanted to highlight your point on Ishiguro using the word complete instead of death, I had not given it much thought until you mentioned it. I similarly had a visceral reaction to little care society gave to these clones. As Miss Emily explained Hailshman was one of the pioneers and only centers that tried to give them more dedicated care. I found awful how they themselves have to be carers and donors. It makes me question how selfish our society really is. This book brought lots of questions of mortality and how far would we go to post pone it. It also put me in a constant state of questioning my own humanity and what makes us human. I started self-analyzing a little and realized almost all my interest and life are intertwined with art, or humanities, or the idea of pursuing love and connection. It made me feel a little like the clones.
Hi Sara! Thank you for your reply :)
I agree with you that our society can be selfish and that this book brought lots of questions on mortality. No one really wants to die which thus leads them to finding other means to prolong the process, even if its at the expense of someone else. For me, I personally find that it's a dangerous game of playing the role of God.
I appreciate your self analysis, I think it also goes to show that the clones are humans as they have the qualities we have!
I agree with you that our society can be selfish and that this book brought lots of questions on mortality. No one really wants to die which thus leads them to finding other means to prolong the process, even if its at the expense of someone else. For me, I personally find that it's a dangerous game of playing the role of God.
I appreciate your self analysis, I think it also goes to show that the clones are humans as they have the qualities we have!
Hey Mucha!
Wow I really loved reading your thoughts. I especially like how you incorporated quotes from the novel. I too must agree that when Kathy spoke of wanting a Guardian to show them special affection, it broke my heart a little. These children clearly craved a mother or fathers touch and warmth just as any child would. It blows my mind that any individual doubted they had souls when they so clearly wanted to be loved.
Wow I really loved reading your thoughts. I especially like how you incorporated quotes from the novel. I too must agree that when Kathy spoke of wanting a Guardian to show them special affection, it broke my heart a little. These children clearly craved a mother or fathers touch and warmth just as any child would. It blows my mind that any individual doubted they had souls when they so clearly wanted to be loved.
Hi Muchaneta,
I think you did a really good job in your response. I think the quote that you used to explain their humanity did a very good job because it did not demonstrate Kathy herself acting in a humanly way, but longing for others human connection. I feel like the aspect of wanting others to perform actions with connective and emotional responses (such as a hug) almost demonstrates their humanity more as it demonstrates an understanding of relationships/ others. I also like your response to their death at the end. I agree that defining the death of the children as "complete" further takes away from them being considered human. They were not even so much as, given the option of death, they were just to do what they were created to do, and once they were no longer of use they were just "complete".
I think you did a really good job in your response. I think the quote that you used to explain their humanity did a very good job because it did not demonstrate Kathy herself acting in a humanly way, but longing for others human connection. I feel like the aspect of wanting others to perform actions with connective and emotional responses (such as a hug) almost demonstrates their humanity more as it demonstrates an understanding of relationships/ others. I also like your response to their death at the end. I agree that defining the death of the children as "complete" further takes away from them being considered human. They were not even so much as, given the option of death, they were just to do what they were created to do, and once they were no longer of use they were just "complete".
Hi Mucha! I had a very similar reaction to the ending, and agree that for the society to name "death" as "complete" instead, it dehumanizes the experience. It makes the experience sounds like an objective experiment rather than the breeding of students into tools to harvest organs. It makes it sound like a mission, and when the children "die," the mission is "complete."
Hi Muchaneta,
I too felt very emotional reading this book. I think nearly everyone in the class felt the pain and unfairness of the situation. Your points make me question why in fact it was so vital for them to have normal childhood's and develop real emotions if those emotions and experiences are never meant to evolve? As you mentioned, Kathy speaks to the dreams and hopes all the children had of the guardians - I am questioning why the guardians ever fostered such questions in the first place.
I really like the way you focussed on the word "complete", because it really encompasses the fact that the clones were not human in the eyes of their guardians. The clones were physically the least complete they had ever been and yet are designated with the term "complete". I also think this word clarifies that the children's emotional or mental state was really of no importance to the guardians at Hailsham, only their physical bodies for the purposes of donations.
I too felt very emotional reading this book. I think nearly everyone in the class felt the pain and unfairness of the situation. Your points make me question why in fact it was so vital for them to have normal childhood's and develop real emotions if those emotions and experiences are never meant to evolve? As you mentioned, Kathy speaks to the dreams and hopes all the children had of the guardians - I am questioning why the guardians ever fostered such questions in the first place.
I really like the way you focussed on the word "complete", because it really encompasses the fact that the clones were not human in the eyes of their guardians. The clones were physically the least complete they had ever been and yet are designated with the term "complete". I also think this word clarifies that the children's emotional or mental state was really of no importance to the guardians at Hailsham, only their physical bodies for the purposes of donations.
I cried of anger. Like Nicole mentioned I also wondered about the consent part, but I was more focused on their freedom. I wanted a happy ending, I wanted them to have a life they would enjoy. An enjoyable childhood is not enough. These people deserved to live a happy normal life and they were stripped away from that right right from 'birth' or right form their tube tests I guess... It's sad and full of anger. I love to hate this book and I hate to love it. It's complicated and intriguing. Sometimes I wished I could get in there and drive the car away from whatever it was and get them out of the 'fate' that was decided for them. I wanted to give them the choice they never thought they had. If they were given a choice they would also have to consent to get their organs taken out, but unfortunately this was not the case. I also wanted to scream at the book, but it was like 10 PM and my family was asleep and I don't think anyone would've been happy with me if I had a full on Tommy fit... That's how angry I was. PS: I'm still that angry.
Hi y'all. So I asked this question mostly out of curiosity. Of all the heartbreak and sorrow of the books we read this semester, I cried like a baby reading this book. I could never pinpoint why my emotions reading this book were so intense. I still cannot.
This book certainly made me feel off. I can't exactly pinpoint what I was feeling but I know sad and disgusted at the thought of creating innocent people to be donors against their will was definitely one. It is also always difficult to read a novel with no happy ending. It also made me a little scared to think about how this very well could be a reality someday, I just hope that there is enough humanity and morality to be able to recognize how wrong this is to be able to stop it from ever becoming a reality.
Hi Emily,
I agree with you. It is a terrifying thought to think that this could one day be our reality. In my opinion, that is why this book is so vital. I believe Ishiguro is ahead of his time with this novel, where he touches on very frightening yet possible issues and shows us the effects before we have to encounter them in real life.
I agree with you. It is a terrifying thought to think that this could one day be our reality. In my opinion, that is why this book is so vital. I believe Ishiguro is ahead of his time with this novel, where he touches on very frightening yet possible issues and shows us the effects before we have to encounter them in real life.
Hi Emily! I agree, it is terrifying that this could be our future, but I'm thankful that cloning is a big discussion within the medical community. As far as I'm aware, any person whose is cloned from another person is seen as human within the medical science community and the ethics and morals behind this practice is heavily discussed. Knowing this brings me some sort of comfort that it won't ever come to this :)
For me personally, this novel was one of the hardest to read. I was left heartbroken for these children and the situations they face. These children were never given any chance to give consent-they never had a choice. They had no say over their own bodies and I think that was one of the hardest parts for me to accept. These children were simply 'designed' to be thrown away as though they didn't matter. These children were so full of personality and potential and never had a chance to express themselves fully.
It was hard to think about how these children are viewed as objects instead of the Beings that they are.
It was hard to think about how these children are viewed as objects instead of the Beings that they are.
I also hated how the children were seen as objects to hold organs or whatever was needed until it was needed. They clearly were they're own persons and deserved to be treated as such.
The novel evokes feelings of sadness and disappointment. The novel really tugs at your heart because it is written about an issue that is currently happening in the world, the sale of organs on the black market.
Miss Lucy tells the children that they would never be to become film stars or work in a supermarket because their futures were already decided. That moment was heart breaking, Kathy and the other children have no control over any aspect of their lives. Children are normally encouraged by the adults around them to pursue the things they dream of.
Miss Lucy tells them they will never travel to any countries and that they were only created to donate their vital organs. The children have no freedom and they also have no hope.
Miss Lucy tells the children that they would never be to become film stars or work in a supermarket because their futures were already decided. That moment was heart breaking, Kathy and the other children have no control over any aspect of their lives. Children are normally encouraged by the adults around them to pursue the things they dream of.
Miss Lucy tells them they will never travel to any countries and that they were only created to donate their vital organs. The children have no freedom and they also have no hope.
The moral and emotional responses were constant throughout the novel. As Ishiguro explained in the interview, the overall themes of loss and understanding of the human existence is central to the book. Where Kathy, Ruth and Tommy would speak of “Unzipping” themselves, it was troubling to me in a moral and ethical sense, less so from a scientific perspective.
I found the emotion of sadness to be present throughout reading Never Let Me Go, but anger and disappointment flooded my thoughts as well. I was angry at multiple points, when the students were time and time again betrayed by their “guardians”. Furthermore, I felt disappointment and betrayal because this novel stepped away from the hero archetype I’ve become so accustomed to. Yet, despite all these emotions I believe Ighiguro did well in portraying modern day ethical questions concerning medical advancements - despite it being written 20 years ago. Finally, I found throughout the novel I was in awe of Ishiguro because he skillfully crafted the novel dancing along the line of uncertainty, ensuring each reader begs the question, where scientific and medical advancements are concerned, how far is too far?
I found the emotion of sadness to be present throughout reading Never Let Me Go, but anger and disappointment flooded my thoughts as well. I was angry at multiple points, when the students were time and time again betrayed by their “guardians”. Furthermore, I felt disappointment and betrayal because this novel stepped away from the hero archetype I’ve become so accustomed to. Yet, despite all these emotions I believe Ighiguro did well in portraying modern day ethical questions concerning medical advancements - despite it being written 20 years ago. Finally, I found throughout the novel I was in awe of Ishiguro because he skillfully crafted the novel dancing along the line of uncertainty, ensuring each reader begs the question, where scientific and medical advancements are concerned, how far is too far?
Hey Mary! I too agree that Ishiguro portrayed modern day medical advancement ethics accurately for being written nearly twenty years ago! And I also agree that his writing is very skillful in that it makes you think about the ethics and morals behind medical advancements!
Emotionally, this novel projected anger. Anger that these kids did not get a choice in what would be done to their bodies. They were cloned and raised to be donor babies from the start, when in fact not even then would they be a 100% clone of the person whose DNA they were taken from. These clones were people who had their own emotions, memories and this alone makes them their own person with their own bodily autonomy, a right that was taken from them. The practice was and is morally and ethically wrong on so many levels and I cannot say that enough. Even so, as mentioned by others, they were not going to be informed of what was going to happen to them, and they couldn't even consent to it. This alone goes against any medical practice due to a lack of informed consent, but they weren't even seen as human, but rather "clones" and therefore weren't even given the opportunity.
I really had a hard time reading this book if I am being honest. I think it is a very important read and that it really opens ones mind to all the issues we may face with genetic mutations etc, but stomaching the idea of raising a child for organ harvest really disturbed me. Not only were they raised immorally but the were segregated from the rest of society to simply be taught that their purpose in life is to donate your organs.