Never Let Me Go Psychology

Finding purpose is something every human has to do, but not all find a purpose that they are actually content living for. In Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro shines a light on this very topic. These students aren’t prodigies or even loved by anyone, but they live to serve a purpose bestowed unto them by their “Guardians” and they do so without question. This purpose leads to inevitable death, so the question arises why would anyone with a sane mind agree to a life such as this? The answer lies in psychology and that is precisely what the message from this novel emphasizes. Kazuo Ishiguro uses the concept of ideal psychological development and contrasts that with the development of children who have been heavily conditioned. By no means are

Whether it be Ruth’s authoritarian like presence among her peers, or Kathy unable to state her feelings and lack of self-value both can be seen as results of the state of their mental health. Ruth’s conversation with Kathy pertaining to Tommy clearly depicts how the environment and sub-society within Hailsham affect their mental health negatively: “ You must know what I mean. Tommy doesn’t like girls who’ve been with . . . well, you know, with this person and that” (Ishiguro 201).Kathy has been raised in an environment where things of a sexual nature aren’t taught and this eventually leads to the natural want for intimacy that is seen in a rather negative view by Ruth. Kathy does not stand up for herself because in the sub-society within Hailsham Ruth is ranking at the top of the social hierarchy, or in other words because of the way she has been conditioned Kathy is either numb or too scared to retaliate. In Carol Aneshensel and Clea Sucoff’s article about mental health their statement about the social disorder is relatable to the life of these Hailsham students, “Social disorder, in turn, promotes psychological and physical withdraw from the community” (295). The article would then go on to explain how race and ethnicity play a major factor in your societal and environmental presence. The students of Hailsham may or may not be the typical African American or minority, but the fact that they are treated as such has the great impact on their psychological