Like many of Ishiguro’s novels, Never Let Me Go focuses on one individual lost and adrift in their own existence. His characters navigate a world in which they are immensely familiar but in which they are so diligently oppressed they can hardly begin to understand what has happened to them. The unwavering conformity of the clones towards the hegemony that persecutes them and their hopelessness in changing their fates is shown through a number of representations created by Ishiguro. The book as a whole asks to what extent can an individual be asked to sacrifice their own lives towards a cause and the narration itself symbolises this. Kathy. H as a narrator highlights the humanity of the clones but also their passivity to the binds placed upon them by the oligarchy at hand. The narrative highlights the aspirations of the clones to lead separate lives whilst also supporting this through exposing other symbols such as the theories of possibles and referrals. Ishiguro leads the reader into believing that there is the possibility of another fate for his characters but then proves this hope to be pointless through other symbols placed in the story such as the art galleries.

The first chapter begins with the protagonist stating how she “knows carers” and that “If you’re one of them, I can understand how you might get resentful”. The use of the pronouns “you’re” and “you” suggest that the protagonist is recounting her memories to another person, or even a group of people. The focus of the pronoun in reference to being a carer also suggests that Kathy is talking to other clones.  Ishiguro prevents Kathy using literary language, with her apparent unawareness of her use of cliche’s such as “I know for a fact” and the idiomatic “a complete waste of space”, creating a familiar narrative voice through its lack of formality. Sentences begin with “anyway” and “actually” and this provides a spontaneity to Kathy’s story but also a sense of restriction as it is almost as if she doesn’t know which aspects of her story take priority. She says very little in such a repressed way, any revelations that emerge take on a vital impact so as a result her fears and insecurities are explored more effectively than if she simply revealed them all freely. The prose style of the narrator is also clipped with impeccable manners, as shown at the start when she is describing her qualities as a carer but she’s “not trying to boast”. It’s as if she is afraid of speaking out, or of saying something unfair which could potentially embarrass others. It’s this clipped formal voice which is the cause of the reader only finding out that Kathy is a clone in chapter 7, when Miss Lucy scolds the dreaming of her students and reminds them of their purpose. Kathy is told “before you’re even middle-aged, you’ll start to donate your vital organs”. The use of “middle-aged” in Miss Lucy’s explanation is very much significant as we are made aware of the distinct lack of time that the clones actually have. The donation system is a symbol used by Ishiguro to represent the mortality of Kathy and the other characters like her. This symbol contributes to the wider exploration of the novel, this being how people deal with impermanence when facing a death which is before they expected.

Ishiguro creates characters who are frustratingly passive to the injustice they face and are reluctant to question the system which they serve, even when it oppresses them in so many different ways. “What I’m not sure about, is if our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save”. This quote from Kathy displays her awareness of her alienation as she is aware of the system itself and questions why she, and others like her, have been predestined to suffer. Through the theory of possibles, she has hope that there is a way of escaping this alienation. She describes how “one big idea behind finding your model was that when you did, you’d glimpse your future”. The use of “future” in this way outlines the hope that Kathy once had, although through the narration this hope is presented to the reader in small parts. What is clear however is that the theory is a symbol of the clones’ yearning for a different, better existence in the face of a society where their fates are designed around the lives of others. This in turn brings about another symbolic role of the possibles, this being the questioning of the society and system in which the clones live. The programme of organ donation runs without trouble as a result of a lack of rebellion on behalf of the clones and ultimately their conformity to the hegemony. The questioning of the system through hope of finding truth in the theory itself represents the beginning of a rebellion however this is then dashed by another meta symbol prevalent within the novel, this being the art galleries.

There are two art galleries within the novel of Never Let Me Go, both being a symbol of failed rebellion against the system. “The Portway Studios” in Norfolk is the first example of this, where the characters realise that Ruth’s potential model cannot be her clone. Kathy describes how “the more we heard her and looked at her, the less she seemed like Ruth” and in this description we are very aware of Ishiguro’s use of time. The use of “more” suggests that, as time has gone on, the truth has been made more clear and this is a message which is prevalent throughout the novel. In an interview with a leading book publisher, the author explained how he wished to explore the “natural life span of human beings” and he does this through creating characters who’s lives are significantly shortened. He makes them go through all the major crises’ and questions one would face in a normal life, all compacted in the space of thirty or so years. Although, throughout all of this, psychologically they are still youthful and this is outlined through Ishiguro’s use of narrative. We see the major events which take place within the lives of the clones ,and the persecution they receive, being embraced with an almost childlike acceptance. The significance of the lesson told in Miss Lucy’s classroom becomes more evident to the narrator as she gets older. 
During their time at Hailsham creativity was encouraged, with the students creating pieces with the hope of them being put in Madame’s gallery. To find that it no longer exists crushes the hopes of Tommy and Kathy of having a deferral to them becoming donors, a theory which would allow them to escape the system for a limited time period and allow them to be together. Tommy explains how art produced by students could help Madame to “decide for herself what’s a good match and what’s a stupid crush” although his proves to be unfounded as yet again, we see an art gallery destroying the aspirations of the clones. Tommy talks here in a type of worship towards Madame in the sense that he truly believes that her word is law, as it is she who ultimately needs to “decide” upon the legitimacy of their love. It doesn’t matter whether or not he and Kathy believe in their love as it all comes down to Madame, someone presented as an all-knowing figure. This evokes sadness for the character as even in something as human as a relationship, his low rank in society requires him to gain validation for it. In this way Madame and Miss Emily represent a type of parent to the clones, symbolising the comforting lies about the true nature of the world that parents tell their children. Ishiguro described in an interview with the Guardian that “To some extent at least you have to shield children from what you know and drip-feed information to them”

Theories of deferring and possibles are possibilities of different lives, a source of hope in the face of a tyrannical leadership, and Ishiguro lures the reader into having hope for a way out for his characters but then crushes this completely. We in turn feel immense pity for Kathy as piece by piece the world as she knows it is crumbling around her, leading to the questioning of her own existence. Hailsham represents innocence and most importantly an unquestioned Godlike wisdom, a wisdom which is proved to be flawed. To Ishiguro it also symbolises the need of mankind to trust in something and the fear that the thing he places most trust in will turn out to have been lying all along. His message is more contextual in the sense that he makes us, the reader, examine and analyse the complacency which is evident in our own lives by providing an example of complete unwavering conformity. The use of an unreliable narrator in Kathy. H contributes to this also by allowing the reader to gain access to the mind of a character who is completely submissive to her injustice. This submissiveness, not only of Kathy H. but also by the other clones is highlighted by the art galleries, as they bring an end to any further dissent.

In conclusion, there are a wide array of symbols within Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel “Never Let Me Go” which unlock a number of meanings. Ultimately, these meanings revolve around the clones alienation and their failure in escaping this alienation and building new lives outside the society they live in and the oppressive hegemony which governs it. The theory of possibles brings about a low level of rebellion within the clones, although this proves to be too low, showing their complacency to their oppression. The art galleries crush any form of uprising from their predestined positions within society by making them come face to face with reality and thus become symbolic of their hopelessness in escaping their fates. They can’t escape their fates because society makes it inevitably so through their lack of normality in purpose, as highlighted through the title itself.

Source used : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SmuYqKeTTs (11 April 2008)