Fabricating Stability: A Study of Ontological Security in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go

Abstract

The research study analyses Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go through the lens of social psychology. The paper employs qualitative methods to explore the concept of ontological security, as introduced by R.D. Laing, and its broader implications in sociology, as discussed by Anthony Giddens. This theoretical framework examines how contemporary individuals develop and maintain ontological security within the constructed social setting. In addition, the study highlights the significance of Hailsham as a symbolic representation of a fabricated safe zone for its inhabitants. The institution’s invisible structures encourage students to comply and perceive themselves as emotionally stable. Art and sports activities in the institution emphasize the intimate emotional security and desire for identity and belonging in the artificially constructed space of a dystopian society. Therefore, this stabilized practice, routine, and ritual within the institution make students believe it is a safe place, thus avoiding rebellion. Therefore, this research sheds light on the importance of ontological security in understanding modern subjectivity, governance, and security. It provides future interdisciplinary applications, especially within literature, film studies, and social psychology.