Posthuman Agency and Question of Autonomy in Never Let Me Go

Abstract

Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let MeGo offers a poignant exploration of post-human identity through its portrayal of clones, beings who are biologically human yet socially marginalised and existentially constrained. This paper explores how post-humanism questions traditional ideas about identity, what it means to be human, and the idea of personal freedom. It discusses the lives of cloned individuals who exist in a space between perceived freedom and predetermined futures. Even though they lack control over their destinies, their experiences influence their self-perception and understanding of the world.Through the lens of post-human theory, this study examines how Ishiguro critiques the ethical dimensions of human action and the institutional frameworks that regulate autonomy and identity. Although the clones reflect many human qualities, their lives push us to rethink what it truly means to be human. Their existence highlights a world struggling to come to terms with the ethical consequences of biotechnological progress. Never Let Me Go becomes more than just a story, it is a quiet reflection on how easily personal freedom can slip away and how delicate the idea of human value becomes in a world shaped by post-human realities.