Never Let Me Go Annotation

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go, while the genetic makeup of the model does have some bearing on the life of the clone, it is severely limited by the increased importance of individual experience in the development of identity and personality. In order to be perfectly identical clones in all aspects, mental and physical, every facet of the clone’s life must mirror that of the model precisely. While identical genetics play a very important role in not only determining physical appearance but also intelligence, as well as any predisposition for developing certain diseases and disorder, any effect genetics has on the mental development of a clone, the clone’s differing experiences throughout his or her formative years overpower it. Experience

The central ethical conflicts of the Clara’s case are several infringements committed regarding human rights in human experimentation. According to the American Psychological Association Code of Ethics [APA] (2010) experiments such as Clara would have violated several sections from standard 8: 8.01 (obtaining institutional approval), 8.02 (participants’ informed consent), 8.04 (client/patient, student, and subordinate respect to continue in research), 8.07 (deception in research), and 8.09 (humane care). Section 8.01 indicates that researchers must obtain approval prior

This section of Chalmers’ book makes the reader ponder the morality of medical experiments like abortions, stem cell research, and infanticide in the world today and questions whether we have learned from Nazi medical experiments in the past.

What was once thought to be the content of fiction novels and comic books is now being fully explored and realized in the cutting edge world of modern science. Scientists now possess the necessary capabilities and technology to make the process of human cloning a reality. While this is a controversial and rather sensitive topic, cloning is an innovative practice that has the potential to vastly improve the lives of unlimited amounts of people. Although cloning may prove to be a useful remedy for many of today’s issues, there are those in the scientific and medical fields who remain vehemently opposed to its practice. It is for this reason that lawmakers, scientists, and doctors around the world are currently locked in a fierce standoff

As research and technology progress forward in time, the ethical considerations that must be taken along with, not only method of study but social ramifications continues to grow exponentially. At the time when cells were taken unknowingly from Mrs. Lacks, there were not strict regulatory guidelines as to how consent should be required along with many other now ill-practice methods of medicine seen at the time. Despite agreeing that the

In the novel, “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” by Rebecca Skloot, the collection and use of human tissue sampling is a controversy that is repeatedly referred to throughout the entirety of the book, especially in the Afterword. In the the Afterword, the author summarizes each side of this debate and their reasonings. After analyzing both sides, it is evident that people should be given legal ownership and control over their tissues. For one, it is their body and they have the right to know where their tissues are going and what is going to be done to them. Tissue rights activists assert that “donors should have the right to say, for example, that they don’t want their tissues used for research on nuclear weapons, abortion, racial differences, intelligence, or

In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot asserts that an individual should own the right their own human tissue after it has been removed. Furthermore, several other accounts similar to Henrietta’s situation emphasize the importance of informed consent. Although in some cases, consent forms were signed, these were not informed decisions. As doctors in all of the cases presented have failed to disclose to their patients the value of their bodies. Even though this occurrence may hinder future scientific research, it is possible that the possession of someone’s DNA could ruin the rest of their lives, as it identifies what diseases that they may acquire. Therefore, to ensure the protection of our rights, it is moralistic that individuals

In a world with over billions of people, it’s astounding to think that biologically, we are all so different, yet so alike. As generations pass, our biological design evolves and new health risks arise, which require new cures to be discovered. Researchers for decades have turned to human tissue samples for some insight and profit on the biological vulnerabilities that have surfaced through out human history. The author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot raises the subject of human tissue samples through her piece on the first immortal cells discovered and the advances it caused in the field of medical science. Unfortunately, the human body is designed in a way where while our biological make up is similar yet sometimes incompatible with one another’s. Catherine Walby, the author of “Biomedicine, Tissue Transfer and Intercorporeality”, discusses the unique identity each individuals tissues hold and the biological limitations not only physically, but psychologically when it comes to organ transplants or other bodily exchanges. Her article expresses the individuality in each individuals tissues and how it’s more than just a biological exchange. To preserve the personhood of human tissues, consent laws then come in to play. David Wendler’s article, “Consent for Research With Biological Samples: One-Time General Consent Versus a Gift Model”, explores the legality of different forms of consent

Science, medicine, and psychology are powerful tools capable of increasing human understanding of the world, curing diseases, or assisting individuals in living more fulfilling lives. The potential for good is drastic; however, a potential for hurt exists as well. Although history is full of stories documenting the positives of research, events of scientific research hurting individuals still haunt history. These events, including the Holocaust and the Tuskegee experiments, demonstrate instances where scientific research on human beings is clearly unethical and damaging. Due to horrific events such as these, the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research published the Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research, or Belmont Report, in 1979.

Ishiguro positions the reader to sympathise with the clones by revealing the humanity that the clones possess, before he mentions their true identity. Similarly, in Gattaca, Niccols positions the viewer to sympathise for Vincent by employing analepsis to reveal his difficult childhood. Vincent, with his small stature and deliberate unruly appearance is shown to be inferior to his brother, who is tall, muscular and well groomed. As Vincent’s family is shown to ridicule Vincent due to his “INVALID” status, it evokes sympathy from the audience for the protagonist and causes them to consider why the “INVALIDs” should not be discriminated against. Similarly, the humanity of the clones is revealed during their childhood and subsequent relationships, such as when as children the clones would indulge in games created by their imagination. When the young Kathy H “accepted the invisible reins” that Ruth “was holding out”, it creates a deliberate parallel between clones and the imaginative play of normal children. Much like how the viewer is positioned to sympathise for Vincent, these parallels between clones and human characteristics allow the reader to sympathise for the clones when they are discriminated against for wanting to live a normal life. The authors of both of these texts challenge their audience to contemplate

The film GATTACA and the short story, “Nine Lives,” exemplifies the ethics of altering human life at the genetic level, through techniques of genetic engineering. Throughout GATTACA, the ability to create improved, even superior forms of human life as a positive development through eugenics is shown as well as arousing questions about the moral implications of such engineering. The main protagonist in GATTACA, Vincent Freeman, battles with the discrimination of being an “invalid” in a world of “valids” and comes to realize that he is not an inferior being in the midst of an altered humanity. In “Nine Lives,” a lone survivor of the ten genetically engineered clones of John Chow struggle come to understand itself in relation to unaltered humanity and its individuality for the first time in its life. A dystopian society is produced when unaltered humans and genetically engineered beings coexist and interact with one another due to nefarious social practices such filtering menial jobs only to “invalids” in GATTACA and the emphasis in the value of clones and their worth to society as collective work group rather than focusing on each individual’s contribution to society. The film GATTACA exhibits the adverse nature of eugenics while “Nine Lives” stresses the importance of individualism instead of collectivism and fend off the need to be reliant on others to feel welcomed in society.

Ishiguro’s critique of empathetic engagement in relation to a humanising education modulates into questioning the concept of empathy itself. In Never Let Me Go, the aporia presented in the clones’ understanding of their role in the world in comparison to the authorities ultimately frustrates opportunities for empathy. Madame’s witnessing of the young Kathy dancing with a pillow to the Judy Bridgewater song, Never Let Me Go, has been interpreted by Marvin Mirsky as providing a ‘replica’ of a baby, which is both a compensation for her own motherless state and her future infertility (2006, pp. 628-30). Madame’s empathy for Kathy is seen in Kathy’s realisation that Madame is watching the scene “...and the odd thing was she was crying. It might have even been one of her sobs that had come through the

In Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro the major themes in this book is hope, and free will. Hope plays as a symbol and feeling of freedom for the characters. Their curiosity is what causes their confidence to one day be free, but then is let down when having to face the truth that their life is set for them and that they must accept it. Free will is shown that clones are unable to change their fates as organ donors, but their lack of free will affects many other elements of their lives as well. For example, Ruth never achieves her dream of working in an office, and Kathy gets precious little time with Tommy. Ishiguro is ambiguous about where this lack of free will comes from because Ruth never tries to work in an

Throughout history there are many examples of humans conducting experiments on other humans. Over the years human experimentation has greatly advanced the knowledge of human physiology and psychology, leading to better treatments for ailments both physical and mental as well as a better overall understanding of the human constitution. Despite all of the good which human experimentation has done for the human race there have been times when experimenters have taken human experimentation past the bounds of morality. This unethical human experimentation is most often caused when the experimenters are, in some way, able to justify their experiments.

Most people dream to have a great future, fall in love, get married, have a family, but most importantly have a wonderful life. What if your life had been planned out for you and the sole purpose of your existence was to donate your vital organs? Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Never Let Me Go is a tragic love story between two human clones that fall in love before they know what love truly is. The clones are raised until adulthood in Hailsham, a boarding school for clones, to later become organ donors. They are trained to become nurses or “carers” to take care of “donors” as they recover after organs have been removed. The clones are involuntary forced to donate all their vital organs until death or until they “complete.” Kathy H. and Tommy are two clones whose love journey began when they were children within the walls of Hailsham. The two friends became close and confided in each other about everything. In time their friendship became into something more; however, Kathy and Tommy would find themselves in a love triangle. Before they moved to the cottages, where they learned to live among normal humans, Ruth, who was Kathy and Tommy’s friend, dated Tommy, but Tommy and Kathy loved each other. Their love would face many obstacles, but their love always found its way back to each other. In the end, with hope to buy their love some time, they find Madame to obtain a deferral but are faced with the devastating truth and would be forced to face their fate.