Dystopian texts often present an exaggerated vision of the world that is vastly different to reality, mostly as the consequence of certain human responses and actions in the past or current society, thus adding to the shocking aspects of the text. Literature of the dystopia genre also challenge preconceptions about the world and the human identity, thus provoking further contemplation about what it means to be human. Kazuo Ishiguro's dystopian novel Never Let Me Go (2005) demonstrates that dystopian texts are capable of shocking readers through revealing that present actions of humans possess the potential to playing a significant role in the future progresses of society. In his novel, Ishiguro raises various ethical issues regarding cloning
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Since the first successful kidney transplant in 1954 followed by other successful organ transplants in the later half of the 20th century, organ transplants have become more readily available, and the need for such procedures have also increased. However, as the 20th century came to a close and a new century was just beginning, the numbers of willing organ donors drastically decreased, stirring up various debates about the possibilities of organ farming and harvesting. In Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro discusses this ethical issue through his exaggerated, however not implausible, portrayal of a society that is exceedingly invested and reliant on the clones created in the laboratory for their organs to be available for transplants for 'real' humans. Through systematically harvesting organs from cloned 'organ farms', 'the organ becomes a concrete measure of time that is being withdrawn from the clones' 'full' adult lives and given instead to selected 'normals' whose lives would otherwise end' (Eatough, M 2011), thus illustrating a society that has become desensitised to the act of extending someone's life at the expense of another's. The word 'donor' is also euphemistically used for the clone undergoing the organ 'donating' process, with the implications of the clones voluntarily taking part in the program, when in fact, they were solely created for that purpose and never had any say about it--as another guardian, Miss Lucy, states, 'before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do… You were brought into the world with a purpose' (Ishiguro 2005, p. 80). Through depicting a society where clones are brought into existence solely for the
Since the first successful kidney transplant in 1954 followed by other successful organ transplants in the later half of the 20th century, organ transplants have become more readily available, and the need for such procedures have also increased. However, as the 20th century came to a close and a new century was just beginning, the numbers of willing organ donors drastically decreased, stirring up various debates about the possibilities of organ farming and harvesting. In Never Let Me Go, Ishiguro discusses this ethical issue through his exaggerated, however not implausible, portrayal of a society that is exceedingly invested and reliant on the clones created in the laboratory for their organs to be available for transplants for 'real' humans. Through systematically harvesting organs from cloned 'organ farms', 'the organ becomes a concrete measure of time that is being withdrawn from the clones' 'full' adult lives and given instead to selected 'normals' whose lives would otherwise end' (Eatough, M 2011), thus illustrating a society that has become desensitised to the act of extending someone's life at the expense of another's. The word 'donor' is also euphemistically used for the clone undergoing the organ 'donating' process, with the implications of the clones voluntarily taking part in the program, when in fact, they were solely created for that purpose and never had any say about it--as another guardian, Miss Lucy, states, 'before you're old, before you're even middle-aged, you'll start to donate your vital organs. That's what each of you was created to do… You were brought into the world with a purpose' (Ishiguro 2005, p. 80). Through depicting a society where clones are brought into existence solely for the