Boat: Symbolism in Never Let Me Go Essay

Most people have dreams of becoming astronauts, doctors or painters but Hailsham students grow up knowing that they wont get to live a normal life. They will donate electronic organs until they die. Kazuo Ishiguros novel Never Let Me Go is about a dystopian society in Great Britain. It breeds clvirtuosod children for organ donations. Ishiguro uses a unique style of storytelling in which the protagonist Kathy narrates her memories of childhood at Hailsham to Adulthood and becoming a c arer. bandage describing the unique incidents, Kathy simultaneously narrates details about donations, donors and relationship, but manages to keep a sense of mystery throughout the story. In the 19th Chapter, the lecturer understands that the characters are organ donors and will inevitably die soon. Kathy, Tommy and Ruth take a road trip to see an abandoned sauce gravy boat after which the three have an mad talk and face their fears. The boat is a powerful symbol that represents Hailsham, the lives o f the donors, their past and future. To understand the symbolism in the novel, this essay will focus on the themes of death, ignorance, public opinion system and free will. Hailshams students are ignorant, and taught to ignore their fears.The boat represents a broken life, a life in which you are only permitted to dream, whereas your future is decided. The boat symbolizes the mystery of origin of the donors. Students at Hailsham are trained not to be inquisitive. Their lessons are planned and the main issue of organ donation was never forceful enough. They are distant to feelings and brainwashed told but not told (74). Ishiguros style of writing was casual when discussing donations and life after Hailsham. Hailsham an institution run by nonpublic funding is very similar to the boat. Tommy compares the boat to Hailsham which is now closed. Maybe this is what Hailsham looks wish now (205). It is segregated, stands alone in the marshlands just like Hailsham Hailsham protects the st udents from outside world which believes that the clones are not human beings, on the whole around the country, at this very moment, there are students being reared in deplorable condition, conditions Hailsham students could hardly imagine (238) just like the boat protects the sailor from the oceanic forces. A human belief system is a product to complement their respective comfort zone.Even though the girls knew that the sequestered guard is not real, they believed in Ruthand played along, just for the sake of excitement. Ruths lying or Tommys belief in deferrals and the emotions he went through when he unders to a faultd that deferral was just a myth If the rumor was never true, then why did you take all our stuff out? Didnt the Gallery exist either? (237). This is symbolized by the boat The abandoned broken boat represents a broken life, hopelessness broken by the forces it is subjected to. All the donors are very obsessed to find their possible. you could tell people were fasc inated obsessed, in some cases- and so it (subject of possible) kept coming up usually in solemn arguments (127). Kathys character in the story is emotionally reserved. She finds it difficult to make decisions, and she does not speak openly about what she rattling feels. This characteristic helps her not to think about the short life and the bleak future. She lives life with some short lived happiness. Kathy has a very original personality different Ruths, who tries to impress and act like the veterans do. Ishiguro does not discuss Ruths death immediately after the 19th chapter but rather lets the reader focus on Kathys and Tommys sufferings. Ruths death is emotional and it would overshadow Kathys and Tommys struggle. Like the donors the boat went through a lot of struggle perhaps even saved lives, yet the origin of the boat is a mystery, just like the donors who probably saved lives but no one cares about them, their origin is a mystery.The boat was once a life saver and guardian but now it is wrecked and is of no use. The donors too will face the same fate of the boat they will save lives and die alone. Perhaps thats why it is very popular object among the donors. The boat is a powerful symbol in the novel because even though it represents protection, and survival, if broken and abandoned it becomes a symbol of loneliness, no one cares about it, its origins becomes a mystery- even unnecessary and the forces it has faced in the ocean become meaningless. The boat represents the lives of Kathy, Ruth and Tommy. It is also Hailsham their protector in the sea it is Tommys hope for survival- his unequivocal belief in the deferral system it represents Kathys search for a possible, the boats origin is also a mystery. The boat projects their future that no matter how hard they try and dream- their fate is sealed. They are helpless once exposed to the ocean. They are going to die, left abandoned like the boat. No one is going to care about them.