Experience Versus Genetics: The Question of Identity in Ishiguro, Descartes, and Modern Science Anonymous 11th Grade

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go, while the genetic makeup of the model does have some bearing on the life of the clone, it is severely limited by the increased importance of individual experience in the development of identity and personality. In order to be perfectly identical clones in all aspects, mental and physical, every facet of the clone’s life must mirror that of the model precisely. Philosopher Rene Descartes asserts that the mind, the place where independent thought takes place, is what determines existence-- by that logic, the mind is more important to the self than the body. While identical genetics play a very important role in not only determining physical appearance but also any predisposition for developing certain diseases and disorder, any effect genetics has on the mental development of a clone is overpowered by the clone’s differing experiences throughout his or her formative year, as experience shapes the deep, intrinsic core of a person’s identity. Moreover, the formative years, as well as adolescence and young adulthood, are the basis for individuality; any difference in experience drives the identity of the clone away from congruence with that of the model. In brief, though genetics can...