this is it

The ethical debate surrounding biological engineering to duplicate human DNA in order to produce a genetic replicate has found its way into discussion through several media outlets, including medical journals, film and literature. Questions of who we are as both individuals and as a human species are raised in hopes of addressing the controversial dilemma surrounding this biological manipulation. Several films and novels have wrestled with the issue through the narration of fictional characters who find themselves in the eye of the storm, as the products of genetic cloning. “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro addresses the bioethical debate in a less direct manner, looking at the issue in a fictional context. Through the eyes of Kathy H., we are guided through her experiences as a clone growing up in an institution meant to rear the students in humane environments. Ishiguro’s novel was not written as a means to argue the ethics of cloning, however, his novel “Never Let Me Go” serves as a reference for the bioethical debate. Kathy H.’s narration can help answer the questions of how biologically engineered beings should be treated in relation to their classification as humans or non-humans, as Ishiguro attempts to define humanity through the eyes of a Kathy H., a clone with experiences much like that of any other ordinary human. Through the analysis of Ishiguro’s novel and several articles discussing the connections between bioethics and Ishiguro’s approach to the issue, I will attempt to interpret an answer to the often unconsidered, yet entirely relevant question: what does it mean to be human?

“Never Let Me Go” is set in the backdrop of an alternate society between the 1960’s and the 1990’s, where scientific and medical advancement have expanded the human lifespan to surpass 100 years. The story does not intend to give the novel a futuristic feel, in fact the novel centers on the experience of the narrator and her fellow clones rather than