Failure and futility Themes in “1984” and “Never Let Me Go” Essay

Comparison of how Orwell in 1984 and Ishiguro in never permit Me Go use failure and futility in human relationships as a theme in their dystopian cleansAs humans, we judge ourselves by how others perceive us and seek to conform to a universally accepted code of ethics and laws. It is this natural value that we possess, a conscience that make us antithetical from animals and it is also what is missing to a large effect in Orwells 1984 and Ishiguros Never let Me Go. The futility of relationships in these flora is certainm of what makes the human somas in which they ar base face so bereft of expect and consequently, dystopia in nature. In Orwells vision of kindlinesss future, the only truly acceptable affair to love is Big Brother. The Party restricts all other love so as to break d hold the ties betwixt family, friends and lovers whilst transferring this loyalty to the Party itself as a form of control. The Party is said to exhaust, cut the link up between child and p bent, and between man and man, and between man and women. This does non skillful show the breakd ingest of relationships, just the decrement of the self. The Party is removing the essential links that allow humanity to be to a greater extent than a collective of individuals and preferably uses this to its own ends, although what these atomic number 18, beyond a desire for control, we never truly discover.It is partially this lack of knowledge of the Partys overall goals that makes the situation semen along so desperate, it is as though love is existence withdraw without write up or justification, making the whole process seem devoid of try for as on that point is no specific element against which to rebel. A similar lack of knowledge also plagues the children of Hailsham in Never Let Me Go. Their future is non clear explained instead it is an undercurrent to their education that caters them nimble for, but non truly conscious of, their want. As throw off Lucy s ays, the students lose been, told and not told. The situation is much the homogeneous for the reader, we learn with the children about their function. thence we support empathise with the characters the reader feels a part of the story. Setting it in the 1990s also adds to this sense as it is easy to associate with our own lives.It is for this reason that cloning is a key feature of dystopic fiction from the new-fangled twentieth and early twenty first centuries as it does not seem a distant concept but a real possibility. several(prenominal) may see keeping the children in the dark over their fate as a kindness, so far in m both paths it seems a further cruelty that they atomic number 18 allowed to hope when this will avail them nothing. Miss Lucy goes on to tellthe children that they had been, created, that they were, brought into this world for a purpose with futures, decided. This is an indication of what is to conform to for the students, gaining more gist the furt her the reader progresses through the novel, it is in reflecting upon events that the confessedly horror is revealed. It is also a symbol of their relationships with the outside world. They tushnot become part of a familiarity we would recognise, for this is not their purpose and so they argon unploughed apart from it. The world of the children seems l wizly and isolated for this reason, especially so as it is told to them, and us, as fact by someone in a stake of authority.This version of their future seems inevitable and so every hope Ishiguro builds in the minds of the reader in the rest of the novel seems almost foolish, as we bring been told that Kathy and her companions piss only one path to follow. Orwell uses similar devices in 1984. We are told in the first chapter after Winston writes in his diary that The Thought natural law would get him and yet through the novel, largely thanks to his relationship with Julia, we come to feel that there may be a chance for him. H owever, as in Never Let Me Go, this is crushed. Both Orwell and Ishiguro give their characters and their audiences hope and despite all else that is wrong in their worlds, they have an intrinsic human emotion to hold on to, but when both stories conclude, this feeling is shown to have been futile and misleading. The handed- stack structure of beau monde in Never Let Me Go is altered, as there is clearly a subsection of humanity that the donors inhabit which is not apparent in our own lives. However, Ishiguros world is not so different from our own, Hailsham seems like it could easily be a twentieth century boarding school with the result that the events have a more pro lay down effect on the reader.Orwell uses a slightly different technique as the structure of human animation is reduced in 1984 rather than altered. It is carried out up to the point where, No one dares cuss a wife or a child or a friend. Instead they turn to the only thing in their life that seems concrete, Big Brother. The Spies are the ultimate example of this because the Party has managed to sever the agnate bond, which should be stronger than almost anything else. The extent to which this is achieved is shown by Parson declaring he is, tall of his daughter for denouncing him as it lifts that he, brought her up in the right spirit. It is as though the greatest achievement for a parent has become to create a tool for theparty. Winston sums this up by saying, The terrible thing the Party has make was to persuade you that mere impulses, mere feelings, were of no account, while at the same time robbing you of all power over the material world. To protect and farm your offspring is a natural instinct, but the Party has removed this and in doing so has reduced humanity.It is this that makes the breakdown in the family so crucial to Orwells dystopic belles-lettres, if the feelings had been punished there is hope for salvation but by removing them, there is no hope for a future where the family is once again a pivotal element within a persons life. When Orwell was musical composition there was a strong feeling of despair amongst modernist authors and artists relating to the fracturing of society and the reduction of traditions role in peoples lives. This is clearly shown in 1984 through characters such as Parson. Orwells reduction of traditional structures is shocking but also hard to relate to, as it seems so extreme. It corporation be said that Ishiguros alteration may not have the same immediate impact, however this slight apathy is caused by the situation presented being all too possible.On reflection this serves to makes it more disturbing many groups in society are marginalised and so it is not difficult to imagine a situation where there are clones amongst us yet not with us who are enured as an small race. Ishiguro demonstrates this through the use of the word, completion when the donors die. This is much like a euphemism for death, something else that i s treated as taboo, but completion has far more sinister connotations. It suggests the donors have fulfilled their purpose, particularly as the word completion is commonly associated with a positive outcome. This can be interpreted as Ishiguro, as a post-modern author, suggesting that a society relying on such a conglomerate structure, is capable of dehumanising and exploiting the death of fellow humans.This is unlike Orwell in 1984 who bemoans the fracturing of traditional structures, however both show how the breakdown in relationships and marginalisation of certain groups can remove some essence of humanity and it is through this that the authors present their works as dystopic. Winston identifies this loss when he says The Proles are human beings We are not human because in comparison to Party members, They were not loyal to a party or a country or an idea, they were loyal to one another. Winston himself recognises what it is to be human and sees how he is in some way lacking. He goes on to tellJulia that they will inevitably be captured and this will leave them both, utterly alone and, utterly without power of any kind. The suggestion here is that the connection they share is what gives them power but that the Party can overcome this. Despite acknowledging what is necessary to be human and finding his own source of strength, Winston still sees himself as ultimately powerless. Rather than this moment being an epiphany, as you would expect from a traditional hero, Winston is filled with hopelessness and in turn shows his love for Julia as being ultimately futile as it cannot lead to any salvation at all.Julias cool acceptance of this only makes it seem more inevitable as she states, Everybody always confesses. You cant help it. They torture you. The short sentences make each logical argument a fact rather than a possible future. However we are also given a small glimmer of hope when Winston says to Julia that the, real betrayal would be if they could, m ake me stop loving you and Julia responds that, They cant do that. This gives the reader hope that maybe they can best the Party. They may forfeit their lives in doing so but by staying loyal they could prove that love is more powerful than the control of the Party. However this is crushed at the end when they both betray each other. Having demonstrated how important social relationships are to the nature of humanity, Orwell then shows how easily such relationships can be demolished. This perhaps more than any other feature of 1984 makes it dystopic literature as, what is an inherent belief in many that love can overcome any challenge, is destroyed and with it the image of humanity.In Never Let Me Go we are led to accept that what Kathy and Tommy share could be their salvation as we believe that the system can be overcome by love. This is shaped by countless stories with which all are familiar where love bests evil. Both Orwell and Ishiguro tactical manoeuvre on our expectation t hat a resolution will be found in order to shock the reader to a greater extent when it is shown that hope is lost. This happens in Never Let Me Go as the society presented places small value on these emotions. Miss Emily understands they have, hoped carefully that deferrals might exist, but has to explain to them it was only ever, A wishful rumour. It is this element that shows the dystopic nature of the novel as, up to this point we feel Kathy must achieve some kind of success to fulfil her role as principle character, but it doesnt happen.The use of the word, hoped, is also key as this is essentiallywhat the story is about, it reminds the audience that for Kathy and Tommy, their love represents hope of future happiness and leading lives with a meaning beyond being someone elses spare parts. Both 1984 and Never Let Me Go demonstrate how fundamental relationships are to human lives. They are what shape us, what allow us to interact with a greater society and what gives us hope.Howe ver in both novels relationships are broken down and shown to be futile, in neither do the protagonists find a way to escape their fate through love and nor do they get any real comfort from it as they are always fighting against systems that do not accredit a value to such emotions. It is when these relationships are last proved to offer little to those involved that faith in a redeeming future is lost in and as such it is when the novels are shown to be dystopic. This is clearly a fundamental element of the authors dystopian literature as love tends to be what humankind clings to as the last touch of hope in a dire situation and even this is removed from these works.