A Landscape Lullaby? : The Function of (Post-) Pastoral Elements in Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go

Abstract: Published in 2005, Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go presents a vision of a society where clones are raised to donate their vital organs. Because of the dystopian elements in the narration, one might expect a setting in a futuristic environment. Instead, the story takes place mainly in pastoral visions of the English countryside. This distinct setting creates a stark contrast to the characters’ harsh reality, which is gradually revealed throughout the narrative. In this article, I argue that the novel complicates the pastoral and offers new perspectives on the relationship of humans and nature by incorporating post-pastoral elements. In order to investigate the contrast between the dystopian reality and its peaceful setting, the pastoral initially provides a useful lens. The concept is an “ancient cultural tool” often found in literature, which is used to express humanity’s relationship to the land and natural surroundings (Gifford, “Post-Pastoral” 15; “Reading Strategies” 45).... https://www.uni-muenster.de/Ejournals/index.php/satura/article/view/3146

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: A Landscape Lullaby? ; volume:1 ; day:20 ; month:12 ; year:2018 ; Satura ; 1 (20.12.2018)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Musial, Lisa

Further information

• DOI: 10.17879/satura-2018-3146
• URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:6:3-satura-2018-31215
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:30 AM CEST