Key Terminology for "Never Let Me Go"
Before diving into Kazuo Ishiguro's thought-provoking world, familiarize yourself with these key terms. From "carers" to "completing," this terminology can help you follow the narrative.
Also, as you read, consider: how does this language “mask” or “obscure” the disturbing reality beneath its surface?
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Carers - Former students who provide support to donors during and between donations, helping them recover and stay calm through the process.
Donors - The primary role of the clones after they leave the Cottages, donating their vital organs one by one until they "complete."
Completing - A euphemism for death that occurs after a donor has given multiple organs, typically after the third or fourth donation.
Guardians - The adults who oversee the students' education and development at Hailsham, functioning as a combination of teachers and caretakers.
Students - What the clones are called during their time at Hailsham and other educational facilities, maintaining the illusion of normalcy.
Collections - Personal items students gather and keep in their collection boxes at Hailsham, forming part of their identity and self-expression.
Exchanges - Regular events at Hailsham where students trade tokens for items brought in from the outside world to add to their collections.
Possibles - Humans from whom the clones might have been copied; students search for their "possibles" to glimpse their potential futures.
Deferrals - The rumored postponement of donation obligations for Hailsham couples who can prove they're truly in love.
Gallery - The mysterious collection of student artwork maintained by Madame, rumored to reveal something about their souls.
Hailsham - The exclusive boarding school where the main characters grow up, later revealed to be part of a progressive experiment.
The Cottages - The transitional housing where students go after Hailsham to adjust to greater freedom before beginning donations.
Recovery centers - Facilities where donors recover between donations and receive care from their carers.
Tokens - Currency used at Hailsham for students to purchase items at the Exchanges.
Norfolk - Referred to as "the lost corner of England," a mythical place where lost things can be found.
Veterans - Students at the Cottages who arrived before the Hailsham group and have more experience with the outside world.
Dream future - Fantasies students have about potential careers they might have had (like Ruth's office worker aspiration).
The Sales - Special Exchange events at Hailsham where unique items are offered.
Originals - The humans that clones are modeled after; implied to be people on society's margins.
Donation program - The systematic process of organ harvesting that is the ultimate purpose of the clones' existence.
