Water in Never Let Me Go Makayla Powell College

Every living being on Earth requires water to survive. Not only is water essential on a biological level, it also is one of the oldest and most fundamental symbols of literature. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro is no exception to this common trope and displays countless examples of water as a symbol throughout the novel. Water has a myriad of symbolic meanings within literature but the main theme that water symbolizes in Never Let Me Go is change. Although it can also be said water represents rebirth or renewal in the story as well, it is a destructive kind that does not offer the hope of life, but the despair of death. This can be seen through 4 different forms of water: rain, flooding, the sea, and the river, all emerging during scenes of shifting perspectives or new circumstances within the story.

One of the first times water is used as a symbol in Never Let Me Go is in the form of rain. There are various mentions of it being rainy or just having rained, but the first time rain plays a significant role in the setting is when Kathy confronts Ruth about her lie pertaining to the pencil pouch that she subtly claimed was given to her by Miss Geraldine, which Kathy knew was a lie. This interaction changed the course of Ruth and...