Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go
This article analyzes Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005) through the lens of spatial theories by Henri Lefebvre, Michel Foucault, and Gaston Bachelard, focusing on the protagonist Kathy’s growth within spatial and societal constraints. By tracing Kathy’s journey from childhood at Ha...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
2025
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| Online Access: | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25965/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25965/1/Gema_25_1_14.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848816493928644608 |
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| author | Zhixing Nie, Hardev Kaur, ManiMangai Mani, |
| author_facet | Zhixing Nie, Hardev Kaur, ManiMangai Mani, |
| author_sort | Zhixing Nie, |
| building | UKM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This article analyzes Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005) through the lens of spatial theories
by Henri Lefebvre, Michel Foucault, and Gaston Bachelard, focusing on the protagonist Kathy’s
growth within spatial and societal constraints. By tracing Kathy’s journey from childhood at
Hailsham to disillusioned adulthood, the study examines how her interactions with geographical,
social, and psychological spaces shape her evolving self-awareness and identity. The novel’s
depiction of clones, confined within institutions like Hailsham and the cottages, serves as a
metaphor for marginalized groups, highlighting their struggles for self-assertion in oppressive
systems. Spatial analysis reveals how physical spaces (e.g., Hailsham, donation centres) reflect
societal control, while social spaces (e.g., Kathy’s relationships with Tommy and Ruth) influence
her understanding of her role. Psychological spaces, including memories and dreams, further
illuminate her growth. Ultimately, this article argues that Kathy’s journey symbolizes the
resilience and agency of marginalized communities. By navigating and resisting spatial constraints,
she embodies the possibility of personal growth amidst oppression. Ishiguro advocates for
recognizing the humanity and dignity of those rendered invisible by societal structures. This study
contributes to the scholarship on spatiality in literature by offering new perspectives on the
intersections of personal growth, confinement, and identity in Never Let Me Go. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T01:06:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:generic.eprints.org:25965 |
| institution | Universiti Kebangasaan Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T01:06:45Z |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publisher | Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | oai:generic.eprints.org:259652025-10-07T08:06:08Z http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25965/ Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go Zhixing Nie, Hardev Kaur, ManiMangai Mani, This article analyzes Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005) through the lens of spatial theories by Henri Lefebvre, Michel Foucault, and Gaston Bachelard, focusing on the protagonist Kathy’s growth within spatial and societal constraints. By tracing Kathy’s journey from childhood at Hailsham to disillusioned adulthood, the study examines how her interactions with geographical, social, and psychological spaces shape her evolving self-awareness and identity. The novel’s depiction of clones, confined within institutions like Hailsham and the cottages, serves as a metaphor for marginalized groups, highlighting their struggles for self-assertion in oppressive systems. Spatial analysis reveals how physical spaces (e.g., Hailsham, donation centres) reflect societal control, while social spaces (e.g., Kathy’s relationships with Tommy and Ruth) influence her understanding of her role. Psychological spaces, including memories and dreams, further illuminate her growth. Ultimately, this article argues that Kathy’s journey symbolizes the resilience and agency of marginalized communities. By navigating and resisting spatial constraints, she embodies the possibility of personal growth amidst oppression. Ishiguro advocates for recognizing the humanity and dignity of those rendered invisible by societal structures. This study contributes to the scholarship on spatiality in literature by offering new perspectives on the intersections of personal growth, confinement, and identity in Never Let Me Go. Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia 2025 Article PeerReviewed application/pdf en http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25965/1/Gema_25_1_14.pdf Zhixing Nie, and Hardev Kaur, and ManiMangai Mani, (2025) Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. GEMA: Online Journal of Language Studies, 25 (1). pp. 251-268. ISSN 1675-8021 https://ejournal.ukm.my/gema/issue/view/1803 |
| spellingShingle | Zhixing Nie, Hardev Kaur, ManiMangai Mani, Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go |
| title | Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go |
| title_full | Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go |
| title_fullStr | Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go |
| title_full_unstemmed | Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go |
| title_short | Personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go |
| title_sort | personal growth and confinement: a spatial study of kazuo ishiguro's never let me go |
| url | http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25965/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25965/ http://journalarticle.ukm.my/25965/1/Gema_25_1_14.pdf |