Never Let Me Go turned out to be such a haunting novel, thought-provoking in so many ways. If you’ve not read it, but like a book firmly grounded in character development, I highly recommend it. Beware of coming spoilers though!
What defines humanity — and are clones to be considered human beings with souls? If we ever made human clones, what rights should they have? What kind of lives should they have? Could we ever justify producing them just for “spare parts”?
I guess there are films like Blade Runner which raise the question of how to deal with robots that developed feelings, but I think the issues with human clones, are in a way even more thought-provoking.
One of the saddest things, for me, in this novel, was the idea that the clones kept thinking that to demonstrate love, might win them recognition and save them from coming into the service of providing “spare parts”, and that the origin of rumours about this could not be identified, nor could this rumour be stopped from recurring repeatedly in their community. A hint perhaps that to love is the highest demonstration of humanity?
I look forward to reading more Ishiguro. Probably The Remains of the Day next time.
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Whispered Reflections 