Voices from the Margin: Subaltern Existence in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go

Within the field of postcolonial studies, subaltern literary theory constitutes a foundational framework, foregrounding the voices and perspectives systematically marginalized and excluded by hegemonic power structures. Antonio Gramsci coined the term “subaltern” to describe groups that are socially, politically, and geographically subordinated from the colony or empire’s dominant power structures. The term has developed in literary and cultural theory to address the agency and portrayal of underprivileged populations. In Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, the author deftly crafts a story that tackles the terrifying ramifications of human cloning while also offering a thought-provoking analysis of marginalization and quest for identity. Ishiguro creates a bleak future in Never Let Me Go where clones are produced exclusively for organ donation. Despite being supposedly given care and instruction, these clones are essentially ignored and denied agency. The novel uncovers the institutional dehumanization that clones experience through the first-person narrative of Kathy H., a clone who describes her existence at Hailsham and her later work as a career. Kathy’s observations show how the restrictive systems that govern her environment, determine her life and sense of value, revealing the complex interplay between societal standards and personal identity. Through textual analysis this research paper analyzes the work within the framework of Subaltern theory, highlighting the systemic marginalization of clones and the novel’s critique of societal and ethical norms.