An Analysis Of Never Let Me Go From The Perspective Of Existentialism

Kazuo Ishiguro is an eminent Japanese-born British writer. Intending to pursuethe universal value of literary works, Ishiguro has been engaged in exploring andwriting international theme in his novels by showing his concern about people’sexistential predicaments and spiritual world in distinct cultural backgrounds. NeverLet Me Go is Ishiguro’s latest work which was published in2005and nominated forMan Booker Prize in the same year. Additionally, Time lists this novel in its “Time100Best English Novels from1923to2005”. In this novel, Ishiguro takes theexistential state and living modes of clone people as a metaphor to question theexistential value and significance of ordinary people, especially the marginalizedgroup in the society. This thesis adopts some major propositions of Sartre’sexistentialism like “free choices and situations”“active involvement in reality” and“self-transcendence” to make a deep analysis of the clone group’s existentialpredicaments and psychological state in this novel. By doing so, the author intends toprovide some guidance for people living in modern society to better know themselvesand to tackle the inevitable spiritual plights and traumas in their lives more calmlyand smoothly.This thesis is composed of three parts: the introduction, the body and theconclusion.In the introduction part, the author introduces Ishiguro’s major literaryachievements and his writing style, the plot of Never Let Me Go as well as the currentresearches on this novel both at home and abroad.The body of this thesis is divided into four chapters.The first chapter introduces the major propositions of Sartre’s existentialism,namely, the absurdity of the world, existence precedes essence, free choices and thefive predicaments people may encounter when making free choices, the responsibilityand self-transcendence thereafter.The second chapter analyzes the two biggest predicaments the main charactersface, namely, the alienated interpersonal relationship and the inescapable death. The clones’ right to make free choices is always limited by the two predicaments. Theylong for warmth and comfort from others, but what they get is people’s indifferenceand contempt. They desire to live as long as ordinary people, but the predetermineddeath haunts them just like a huge phantom that they can never get rid of.The third chapter interprets the three main characters’ psychological state amidstthese predicaments. In confrontation with other people’s contempt and theirpredestined future of completion, they are tortured by inexplicable loneliness andagitation.The fourth chapter discusses clones’ transcendence beyond the predicaments.They achieve their transcendence mainly through two approaches, the practicaltranscendence and the spiritual transcendence respectively. Although living amongthese predicaments, they didn’t yield to them or corrupt; instead, they actively getinvolved in reality and bravely fight against their predestined future. Ultimately, theytranscend these predicaments as well as themselves.Based on the above analyses, the author comes to the conclusion: in Never Let MeGo, Ishiguro shows his concern about people’s existential predicaments and spiritualworld in the materialistic modern society through depicting the life journey of clonepeople. We ordinary people should also behave like these clones to calmly andoptimistically accept the outer and inner predicaments that objectively exist in ourlives so that we can make free choices and tap the infinite potential hidden in ourfinite lives to the best of our ability. Life means a string of predicaments that we cannever get rid of, but it is our struggle against these predicaments that reveals the valueand significance of our existence.