Never Let Me Go Comparative Essay

Kazuo Ishiguro’s critically acclaimed 2005 Novel Never Let Me Go was influenced by cloning and stem cell research in the late 20th century. Many ethical discussions were raised, and Ishiguro displayed his perspective from his about clones that demonstrate the human experience to the core. The story was adapted into a film by the same name in 2010, directed by Mark Romanek. The novel explores plot, setting, character, literary techniques and themes by telling the story of cloned organ donors, forced to die for the good of humanity, all of which are well represented in the film adaptation.

The Plot and Setting in Never Let Me Go greatly differs from novel to film, chiefly in the first scene. The first narrated line is Kathy introducing herself

as a carer, and the narrator, informing the audience that the story is going to be about her. However, the main difference in the film comes before this, when text appears on the screen, stating that a technological advancement had been made, allowing people to live longer. Throughout the novel, Ishiguro makes a point of revealing information slowly, as if the reader already knew, just like how the children at Hailsham were told. By introducing the concept of a medical advancement, the audience is not able to unravel the mystery of Hailsham. One of the main differences in the plot was a scene in the first part of the text, in which Madame walks in on Kathy dancing to Never Let Me Go, and begins to sob. This scene was referenced repeatedly throughout the novel, and contributes to some of the main themes. This scene was left out of the film, cutting away Madame’s character and reducing the significance of the Judy Bridgewater tape after Kathy and Tommy see her again. The setting in the novel is portrayed with very little explanation, because the whole story takes place in Kathy’s memory. Kathy states multiple times in the novel that her memory is flawed, and therefore the setting of the book suffers. In the film, for the vague setting to be portrayed in the same way, the whole movie would just be Kathy talking about her time at Hailsham. Although the plot and setting do contrast with each other, the film reflects other components of the text, and creates an accurate setting with context.

The relationship between Kathy, Ruth and Tommy is the main focus of both the novel and the film, especially in chapter 19. While at Hailsham and the cottages, Ruth and Tommy are a couple. In the novel, Ruth often tries to use her relationship with Tommy to make Kathy jealous. These scenes can be compared to a scene at the film, before Kathy decides to leave the cottages, when Ruth tells Kathy that Tommy is hers. Throughout the story, their relationship is held against Kathy, making the change in Ruth’s character all the more poignant, when she confesses to having kept them apart. Ruth’s character change becomes obvious when Kathy interrupts her story, and she doesn’t react. In the film, this doesn’t happen, and instead she comes off as somewhat shy around Tommy, and later weakened by donation. However, she shows that she is still stubborn and headstrong by saying things like “How could he possibly know what she would have felt?” and “I think I was a pretty decent carer”, showing the reader that she feels misunderstood, and still malicious towards Kathy, for being a carer as long as she has. Because of Ruth’s behaviour earlier in the scene, Ishiguro shows that Ruth’s confession is only provoked by impending death. Although the character relationships translate well to the silver screen, Ruth’s character change cannot be as well shown.
them with questions about why they are the way that they are. For Kathy, Ruth and Tommy, their only insight into their
Both Ishiguro and Romanek utilise a variety of literary techniques like narration and themes throughout Never Let Me Go, notably during the Norfolk scenes.

Through the course of the novel, our protagonists struggle with what it means to an individual, and what it means to be human. Many people tie their identity back to their culture and family, and without that, it leaves background is their original. Kathy narrates, “Nevertheless, we all of us, to varying degrees, believed that when you saw the person you were copied from, you'd get some insight into who you were deep down”, showing the audience that even down to earth Kathy wants to know who her possible is, so she can find out who she is. Most of Kathy’s narration is not present in the film, so the audience cannot understand what it means to have found Ruth’s possible. In the book, Ruth continues to watch and follow her possible, while clinging on to the increasingly doubtful idea that she is her original, whereas in the film, Ruth’s possible turns around and gives her a look of disdain and disgust, proving that she couldn’t be modelled off her. In both forms, when Ruth realises that she couldn’t have been cloned from an office worker, she over-reacts, “We all know it. We’re modeled from trash.” Without knowing what they are, these clones are left with just who they want to be, however delusional it may be. Because of the novel’s narration, Kathy, Ruth and Tommy’s motives and emotions become clearer, making it a more

efficient story-telling technique.

Both media create a compelling story of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy’s love, loss, and maturation, while hurtling towards inevitability, highlighted in these three scenes. The plot and setting are not accurately reproduced from the book, but the character relationships and cinematic techniques create background for the film. Although Romanek has created a convincing adaptation of the novel, the charm and melancholy of the novel just cannot completely translate into film.