Who am I? This is a question we frequently ask ourselves, which is not easy to answer. Human beings naturally try to answer the identity question and it is one of the essential processes of growing up. But if we imagine ourselves living in a world in which one’s whole life is predestined and it is impossible to escape from this destiny, it seems impossible to answer such a question.
The dystopian novel “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro is set at a boarding school in England at the end of the twentieth century. The protagonists in the novel, who are growing up at the boarding school Hailsham, face the above-described problem. They are brought up healthy and kept away from every danger possible, to live the life they are supposed to live. They finish school, move in groups to farms where they have to work, they become carers temporarily, until they end up becoming donors of their vital organs. Around the time they have done their third or fourth donation, their short life will be completed. This leads to a struggle of finding identity and to the question, what identity really is.
In this term paper, the question of how the characters deal with the predestination of their lives will be answered. It will be discussed, in which ways they try to build up an identity, even though they face some problems. The central thesis, therefore, is that the social groups the protagonists live in and identify themselves with, make an important contribution to the formation of their identity and the process of finding belonging.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. THE SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY
3. USE OF SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY
4. SOCIAL IDENTITY IN NEVER LET ME GO
4.1 SOCIALIZATION AT HAILSHAM
4.2 CATEGORIZATION AND SHIFTING GROUPS AT THE COTTAGES
4.3 REDEFINITION OF GROUPS AFTER THE COTTAGES
5. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This term paper explores how the characters in Kazuo Ishiguro’s "Never Let Me Go" navigate the predestination of their lives and construct an identity through social group affiliation. It investigates the central thesis that group membership and identification processes are crucial for the protagonists' sense of belonging and self-concept within a dystopian society.
- Application of Henri Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory to a literary context
- Analysis of group dynamics and categorization at Hailsham, the Cottages, and during the donation phase
- Examination of linguistic markers and terminology as tools for social structuring
- Exploration of identity instability in the face of predetermined life paths
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Socialization at Hailsham
The students at Hailsham grow up fully separated from the outside world, in a space with own traditions and rules. They are brought up under idyllic circumstances and are educated and kept healthy, to serve their later purpose of being successful donors.
As presented, individuals must have internalized their group membership to be subjectively identified with their relevant in-group. At Hailsham, the students live together in rooms of fifteen people, which already determines the groups created from the beginning of their lives (Ishiguro 33). They spend all day together without any contact to the outside world, except to the guardians. There are strict rules that keep the students away from the outside world, such as horrible stories that are told about the woods, about people being killed or ghosts living there (50). In daily morning assemblies, the guardians always talk about the importance of respecting the rules, of keeping the students healthy and about them being special (42). According to the Social Identity Theory, a feeling of superiority is the main aim of group differentiation. Thus, the guardians try to stress the importance of community spirit between the students and increase their feeling of superiority by telling them that they are special. Resulting from this indoctrination, the clones have internalized the characteristics of their group as part of their self-concept at an early age.
Summary of Chapters
1. INTRODUCTION: The chapter sets the research question regarding identity formation in a dystopian setting and outlines the theoretical framework based on Tajfel's Social Identity Theory.
2. THE SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY: This section details the psychological mechanisms of categorization, social comparison, and group identification that form the basis for understanding individual identity development.
3. USE OF SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY: The analysis explains how Ishiguro uses specialized vocabulary to define the parallel world of the clones and to veil their true societal purpose.
4. SOCIAL IDENTITY IN NEVER LET ME GO: This main chapter explores the identity formation of the protagonists across the three life stages of school, the Cottages, and their eventual service as carers and donors.
4.1 SOCIALIZATION AT HAILSHAM: Focuses on the early upbringing of students, the enforcement of rules, and how group differentiation creates a false sense of superiority and belonging.
4.2 CATEGORIZATION AND SHIFTING GROUPS AT THE COTTAGES: Discusses the collapse of the Hailsham world-view when students encounter 'Veterans' and the resulting attempts to seek positive distinctiveness through social mobility.
4.3 REDEFINITION OF GROUPS AFTER THE COTTAGES: Examines the final stage of identity development, characterized by the divide between donors and carers and the lingering influence of their past.
5. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes findings to confirm that while group membership influences the clones' self-concept, their identity remains inherently unstable due to their negative social status and lack of autonomy.
Keywords
Identity, Dystopia, Social Identity Theory, Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go, Group Dynamics, Socialization, Categorization, Predestination, Clones, Donors, Carers, Social Comparison, In-group, Out-group
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines how protagonists in "Never Let Me Go" construct their identities and find meaning within a society that has predestined their lives as organ donors.
Which theoretical framework is utilized?
The study relies on Henri Tajfel’s Social Identity Theory, specifically concepts like social categorization, intergroup comparison, and the pursuit of positive self-distinctiveness.
What is the primary research question?
The paper seeks to answer how characters deal with the predestination of their lives and in what ways their social group memberships contribute to their identity formation.
How is the analysis structured?
The study follows the characters through three distinct phases: their upbringing at the boarding school Hailsham, their transition to the Cottages, and their subsequent roles as carers and donors.
What role does language play in the novel?
Ishiguro employs a specific terminology to establish the norms of the clones' world, using terms like "donors," "carers," and "complete" to reflect both the altruistic facade and the cruel reality of the system.
Which key terminology defines the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as identity, social groups, predestination, in-group mentality, and social mobility.
Why does Ruth attempt to emulate the "Veterans" at the Cottages?
Ruth feels inferior due to her clone status; she adopts the behavior of the Veterans as an act of social mobility, hoping to achieve a higher status and be accepted into their group.
How does the role of a "carer" impact the protagonists' identity at the end?
The distinction between the roles of "carer" and "donor" introduces new group boundaries that impede mutual understanding, even between characters who have known each other their entire lives.
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- Julia Rabbe (Autor:in), 2018, Who am I? Modern Dystopia and Identity Struggles in Kazuo Ishiguro’s "Never Let Me Go", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/540170
