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Comparison of how Orwell in 1984 and Ishiguro in Never Let Me Go use failure and futility in human relationships as a theme in their dystopian novels

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Comparison of how Orwell in 1984 and Ishiguro in Never Let Me Go use failure and futility in human relationships as a theme in their dystopian novels
As humans, we judge ourselves by how others perceive us and seek to conform to a universally accepted code of ethics and laws. It is this inherent value that we possess, a conscience that make us different from animals and it is also what is missing to a large extent in Orwell’s “1984” and Ishiguro’s “Never Let Me Go”. The futility of relationships in these works is part of what makes the worlds in which they are based seem so bereft of hope and consequently, dystopia in nature.
In Orwell’s vision of humanity’s future, the only truly acceptable thing to ‘love’ is Big Brother. The Party …show more content…

The traditional structure of society in “Never Let Me Go” is altered, as there is clearly a subsection of humanity that the donors inhabit which is not apparent in our own lives. However, Ishiguro’s world is not so different from our own, Hailsham seems like it could easily be a twentieth century boarding school with the result that the events have a more profound effect on the reader. Orwell uses a slightly different technique as the structure of human life is reduced in “1984” rather than altered. It is carried out up to the point where, “No one dares trust a wife or a child or a friend”. Instead they turn to the only thing in their life that seems concrete, Big Brother. The Spies are the ultimate example of this because the Party has managed to sever the paternal bond, which should be stronger than almost anything else. The extent to which this is achieved is shown by Parson declaring he is, “proud” of his daughter for denouncing him as it proves that he, “brought her up in the right spirit.” It is as though the greatest achievement for a parent has become to create a tool for the party. Winston sums this up by saying, “The terrible thing the Party has done was to persuade you that mere impulses, mere feelings, were of no account, while at the same time robbing you of all power over the material world.” To protect and nurture your offspring is a natural instinct, but the Party has removed this and in doing so has reduced humanity. It is this that

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