A Study Of Trauma In Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go

Kazuo Ishiguro is a renowned Japanese British writer,who won the Nobel prize in Literature in 2017.Never Let Me Go,published in 2005,is a science fiction about human cloning.The clones have to accept the tragic fate of donating their vital organs until death.Since the publication of this novel,it has attracted popular attention in the field of literary research.Under the guidance of Judith Herman's and La Capra Dominick's interpretations of trauma,this thesis analyzes the symptoms of the traumatized people,the causes of trauma and the working through of trauma.Based on the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder—hyperarousal,intrusion and constriction,this thesis first analyzes the character's behaviors and mental activities which parallel the traumatic symptoms,presenting how the traumatic events make the traumatized people suffer.Then,combining the background and social environment in this novel,this thesis explores the causes of trauma,in terms of deprivation of identity,separation and alienation as well as irrational use of the cloning technology.These,to a great extent,are institutional,inhuman and ethical.The clones can't escape their tragic fate,and thus can't recover from trauma completely.However,through reconstructing self and identity,representing the trauma and reconnecting the relationship,these clones can work through trauma and reduce suffering.This novel has not only high artistic value,but also great social significance.The development of technology brings great convenience to human beings,but it also causes many problems.It is the author's hope that society can pay more attention to the irrational use of technology and people can be more motivated to introspect what is wrong with this inhumane society.