JOURNAL ARTICLE

'Shadowy objects in test tubes': A biopolitical critique of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go.

  • Published In: Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research, 2023, v. 21, n. 1. P. 107 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: George, Dona 3 of 3

Abstract

This article analyzes Kazuo Ishiguro's novel *Never Let Me Go* through the Foucauldian concept of biopolitics, focusing on cloning and the power dynamics between clones and institutions such as Hailsham and recovery centres. It argues that these institutions function as Foucauldian panopticons, exercising surveillance and disciplinary power that render clones docile and powerless, while masking organ harvesting under euphemistic language. The novel depicts clones as commodified bodies exploited by an elite human society for biomedical purposes, raising ethical questions about human agency, bio-capitalism, and the dehumanizing effects of biotechnological advances. The article situates *Never Let Me Go* within dystopian and posthuman speculative fiction, highlighting its critique of institutional power, surveillance, and the commodification of life.

Additional Information

  • Source:Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research. 2023/01, Vol. 21, Issue 1, p107
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:1477-965X
  • DOI:10.1386/tear_00101_1
  • Accession Number:171851619
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Technoetic Arts: A Journal of Speculative Research is the property of Intellect Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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