As we all know, the book ban has become a very debated topic within the United States. Over the summer, all of the books within the school were scanned through an app called Beanstack. The app flagged many books as containing concerning material. The people in charge of the book regulation clarify that the books removed from the school are not banned per se, but rather rejected from the system; all the same when you think about it. An anonymous Orange County employee curated a list of these rejected books, including the reasons why they were flagged to begin with. A common theme many of the books share is sex. Any mention of sexual content, whether it be explicit or implied, is enough for the state to worry. “Almost every single book I taught in AP Literature is on the rejected book list,” shared Mrs. Houvouras. Although the media specialists ultimately decide what stays and goes, they do so carefully. The consequences of providing students with rejected material include getting fired and/or arrested, facing up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, and the loss of their teaching certificate. Since teachers are not allowed to encourage students to read any of the rejected books, I decided, on their behalf, to read one and encourage others to read it as well.
Never Let Me Go, written by Kazuo Ishiguro, is a sci-fi/dystopian novel set in England during the late 1990s. (Alert, possible spoilers ahead) It follows the story of three students, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy, as they grow up at Hailsham— a secluded boarding school designed for peculiar students. The story continues after they leave Hailsham and go their separate ways. Now that they are back in each other’s lives, they cannot help but reminisce about their youth. As they recall their past, they start noticing all the odd occurrences that happened during their years at the school. Together they explore the mystery surrounding the real reason they grew up at Hailsham and why they’re remarkably different from others.
Ishiguro wrote a wonderfully moving book that focuses on human empathy and worth. The trio was brought up in a world similar to the dystopian book The Handmaid’s Tale. The students of Hailsham were seen not as humans but as objects of use to benefit the populace. However, the world’s harsh view of them would still be unknown for quite some time, and the future decided for them was something merely acknowledged. Instead, Ishiguro diverts your attention to the strange emphasis placed on the production of art and literature the students had to create, especially the quality of it. The subtle drops of information, such as this, were cleverly used in developing the story’s mystery and kept me hooked.
As the story progressed, their art grew and developed, similar to their relationships. By this point they were older; they started to realize that the possibility of having a future outside of what was decided for them would be nonexistent. It served as a reminder that their time with each other was limited, though it didn’t stop them from running into conflict. However, the drift in their connections allowed them to understand that in a world that feared but ultimately used them, they were all they had— even if they realized it too late.
Although the book can be interpreted in many different ways, to me, it delved into the importance and beauty of human relationships. As Kazuo Ishiguro explained, “We were trying to tell a story about love and friendship in the face of the bleak fact that we’re mortal.” I think Never Let Me Go accomplishes that very well.
