On Unreliable Narration Of Kathy In Never Let Me Go

As a master of memory writing,Kazuo Ishiguro is skilled in portraying the fate of characters in special times through individual fragmentary memories.In Never Let Me Go,Kazuo Ishiguro focuses on human cloning,a product of highly developed biotechnology.Through Kathy's first-person narration,the novel presents a vision of life where clones bear a mission of donating organs for human beings.Its story is unfolded in the way of recollection.In the novel,Kathy's memory is sometimes clear and sometimes vague,with obvious unreliability.Based on rhetorical narratology,the thesis analyzes the unreliable narration of Kathy in terms of the novel's narrator,the three axes and narrative progression.It focuses on the dynamic rhetorical communication among different narrative levels and reveals the realistic significance behind the novel.To begin with,unreliable narrator Kathy possesses two identities.As a narrator,she tells the past in the way of recollection,which has many uncertainties,therefore conveying unreliable information.As a character,Kathy presents an image of a submissive subject due to her constant acceptance of the discipline of Hailsham system.Exploring the relationships between the two identities,this thesis discovers that the ethical predicaments suffered by Kathy are an important reason for her unreliable narration.Secondly,while Kathy is reporting,interpreting,and evaluating,she inadvertently reveals the unreliability of her narrative,which also better uncovers the inner world of the protagonist in the face of ethical dilemmas,and at the same time deepens the readers' understanding of the unreliable narrator.Finally,the instabilities among Kathy and other characters in the novel,as well as the gaps between the narrator and the reader continuously drive forward the development of the narrative procession.They also greatly promote rhetorical communication at all narrative levels,which reflects the artistic charm of unreliable narration.Kazuo Ishiguro manipulates memory narration in Never Let Me Go,hoping that the novel can connect individuals' plights with the fate of human beings in a special era.The narrative strategy of unreliable narration provides more space for the reader to grasp the inner motivation of the characters in the novel.Meanwhile,it also reflects the author's concern for the common situation of human beings who live in the “abyss” of the real world.