Never Let Me Go is a dystopian novel by Kazuo Ishiguro that is set in an alternate history version of England in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The novel is narrated by a young woman named Kathy H., who reflects on her life and relationships while working as a carer at a secluded residential facility called the Cottages.
The setting of Never Let Me Go is characterized by a society that is deeply divided and stratified, with a small group of privileged individuals living in relative luxury while a larger group of "donors" and "carers" are relegated to a life of servitude and isolation. The novel takes place in a series of locations that are all connected to the fictional Hailsham boarding school, which serves as a breeding ground for future donors.
Hailsham is located in a rural area of England, and is described as being a picturesque and idyllic place, with rolling hills, gardens, and a lake. However, the beauty of the school's surroundings is overshadowed by the dark and oppressive atmosphere that pervades the institution. The students at Hailsham are constantly monitored and controlled, and are taught to accept their predetermined roles as donors with a sense of resignation and fatalism.
After leaving Hailsham, Kathy and her friends Ruth and Tommy are sent to work at the Cottages, a residential facility for donors who are preparing for their donations. The Cottages are located in a remote and isolated area, and the donors are cut off from the outside world, with no access to the Internet or other forms of communication. The Cottages are described as being bleak and sterile, and the donors are treated with a cold and clinical detachment by the staff.
Throughout the novel, the setting serves as a powerful metaphor for the dehumanizing and oppressive nature of the society depicted in the novel. The beauty and serenity of Hailsham and the Cottages is marred by the underlying brutality and exploitation that is at the heart of the donor system, and the isolation and confinement of the donors serves to highlight the sense of powerlessness and hopelessness that they feel.
In conclusion, the setting of Never Let Me Go is a crucial element of the novel's overall themes and atmosphere. The novel's bleak and oppressive setting serves to underscore the dehumanizing nature of the society depicted in the novel, and helps to convey the sense of despair and hopelessness felt by the characters.
