Never Let Me Go vs. Unwind: Two Tales of Organ Donation

        Unwind, a dystopian novel by Neal Shusterman, tells the story of two boys and a girl, all from different backgrounds and upbringings that somehow became unwinds, children whose bodies will be taken apart and given to adults and kids who need them. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, on the other hand, is narrated by protagonist Kathy, who reminisces about her journey from Hailsham, the school she attended as a child, to a carer and eventually an organ donor. Despite the difference in the time periods in which these stories occur, one in the future and the other during the late 19th century, they share many similarities regarding the themes they cover, such as organ donations by the young, the importance of talent in society and the question of whether or not an individual's life is truly their own.

        These novels both address the topic of organ donations or transplants from people who have barely yet begun their lives. In Unwind, there are three ways that one can become a donor: the child, ages 13 to 18, can be selected based on some failing or another, their parents can sign a document forcing them to be unwound, or like the character Lev, they are told from birth that they will be an unwind. This is comparable to the kids in Never Let Me Go who are gradually told that their lives will be cut short. Both societies seem to think that these children, sacrificing themselves for others, is saving more lives than taking them. This is one of the main reasons Lev sees being unwound as a noble task; he was told his fate from the time he could communicate, making it easier for him to process and rationalize it. Lev says that "It's no use trying to explain what tithing is all about. How giving one's self is the ultimate blessing. They'd never understand or care." (42) Just like the students at Hailsham, these kids were raised knowing their sole purpose in life is to donate their bodies. By using people still in the prime of their lives, it puts an emphasis on the idea of not only being a living organ donor but a child, someone who has yet to experience what the world has to offer.

        One notable part of these stories is the significance of talent, and how this affects the donation process. At Hailsham, the student's artwork is treasured, praised even, as it could eventually allow the guardians to see into their hearts; this could help temporarily delay the donation process and give the teens more time to live. Tommy explains, "[Miss Emily] told Roy that things like pictures, poetry, all that kind of stuff, she said they revealed what you were like inside. She said they revealed your soul." (175) The guardians use art to prove that the Hailsham students have hearts just like everybody else, making it extremely important to produce intricate pieces. The students may not know it, but their status as a human is determined through each poem they write and painting they create. Likewise, unwinds with musical talents like Risa's are valued, as at the harvest camps they are often sent to play music above the chop shops to calm the children before they are unwound; this, in turn, prolongs their life and the time they have before being harvested. In addition, if a child was gifted enough at something, it could prevent them from being unwound altogether. Those who are valued members of society and have talents in any subject or sport that could provide advancements or improve the world, have an automatically better shot at surviving.

        For children nowadays, controlling one's own life is not a foreign concept. However, the students at Hailsham and the unwinds have no say in how they get to live their lives or if they get to live them at all. Kathy and her friends are gradually told over time that they will eventually donate their organs and then complete, making their sole purpose to sacrifice themselves. Unwinds like Conor, have their fate chosen for them by their parents who don't want them anymore. Risa, as well as other students, were selected for making a mistake, in her case, one wrong note while playing in a piano concert. Finally, Lev was chosen to be unwound upon his birth and was taught that this is a high honor and was thus, celebrated for his sacrifice. Despite this, none of these children are given the opportunity to choose their own life; their fate was thrust upon them. Risa tells Conor, "That's not your fault, though. You didn't ask to be born, and you didn't ask to be unwound, either." (95) The control over these children's lives has been placed into the hands of those deemed more mature, making the kids helpless to the whims of others. So in essence, their lives are not even their own to live, and their opinions irrelevant, even in matters of life or death.

        The journey of these children may different, yet all of them are forced to face the realization that their bodies will be taken from them, along with the lives that they have barely lived. Through topics such as organ donations by the young, the importance of talent in society and the question of whether or not an individual's life is truly their own, these two novels are deeply interwoven. Both these societies deem these donations legal, yet, it is essentially up to the reader to decide whether this morally or ethically good. Is it fair to take one life in order to save another? Ultimately, both works force readers to take a closer look at the world in which they live, while assessing the value and meaning of human life, be it their own or the lives of those around them.