An Analysis of Man-machine Community from the Posthuman Perspective-- Never Let Me Go as an example

Abstract

Kazuo Ishiguro, a Japanese-British writer, has a rich variety of themes and content in his works, especially focusing on social phenomena. In his classic novel Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro reflects on the post-human problem of making "human" by genetic technology, and responds to this problem by constructing a "human-machine community" between humans and clones. Never Let Me Go is narrated from the perspective of the clone Kathy. By describing Kathy's schooling in Hailsham, training in the Agricultural Society, and serving as a carer across the country, the story vividly outlines the daily life of humans and clones. In addition, through humans' protection of clones, the "human-like" emotional connection between clones, and the desire of clones to find their own "human prototype", the work shows the "human-like" characteristics of clones from three levels of human form, human feelings, and humanity, in order to seek to build a real "human-machine community". Therefore, this paper puts the work Never Let Me Go in the perspective of post-humans, and interprets it with the help of the community theory. The article will analyze the common characteristics of clones and humans in appearance, emotion, and nature, so as to reveal the essence of the "community" between humans and clones. At the same time, this article calls on people to correctly understand a series of problems faced by the "posthuman" era, and to maintain their humanistic concerns under the impact of modern technology.