THE POSTHUMANIST TRANSFORMATION OF IDENTITY AND MORALITY IN MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN AND KAZUO ISHIGURO’S NEVER LET ME GO
Abstract
Posthumanism is a theory that aims to understand human and posthuman creatures on Earth, contrary to the anthropocentric perspective that has been around for centuries. This theory defends that not only humans have the right to live on earth, but also nonhuman or beyond human beings have equal rights as much as humans. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go deal with identity confusion, moral problems, and the hazardous consequences of technological developments in the human-centred world of posthuman beings. In Frankenstein, the creature's depression as a result of being rejected by Victor Frankenstein, as well as his rejection from society and his search for identity, are analysed using a posthumanist perspective. Similarly, Never Let Me Go deals with a dystopian world where people are cloned to survive longer. This study explains how these selected novels affect identities and ethical questions/roles in societies. In this respect, the purpose of this article is to compare and contrast Frankenstein and Never Let Me Go to show how they criticize the negative effects of technological developments by taking posthumanism as a literary theory into consideration.
Ethical Statement
The study subject does not require ethics committee permission.
Supporting Institution
No.
Project Number
Yok.
References
- Braidotti, R. (2013). The posthuman. John Wiley & Sons.
- Foucault, M. (2005). The order of things: An archaeology of the human sciences. Routledge.
- Fukuyama, F. (2003). Our posthuman future: Consequences of the biotechnology revolution. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- Garreau, J. (2005). Radical evolution: the promise and peril of enhancing our minds, our bodies--and what it means to be human. Crown.
- Haraway, D. (1991). Simians, cyborgs, and women: The reinvention of nature. Routledge.
- Haraway, D. (2008). When species meet. In Franklin, A. (Ed.), The Routledge international handbook of more-than-human studies (1st ed. pp. 42-78), Routledge.
- Haraway, D. (2016). A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century. In Manifestly Haraway. University of Minnesota Press. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/warw/detail.action?docID=4392065
- Hayles, N. K. (1999). How we became posthuman: Virtual bodies in cybernetics, literature, and informatics. University of Chicago Press.
- Ishiguro, K. (2017). Never let me go: With GCSE and A level study guide. Faber & Faber.
- Shelley, M. (2012). Frankenstein. London: Penguin Classics.
- Simon, Z. B. (2019). The story of humanity and the challenge of posthumanity, History of the Human Sciences, 32(2), 101–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952695118779519
- Wolfe, C. (2010). What is posthumanism? (Vol. 8). University of Minnesota Press.
MARY SHELLEY’NİN FRANKENSTEIN VE KAZUO ISHIGURO’NUN BENİ ASLA BIRAKMA ROMANLARINDA KİMLİK VE AHLAKIN POSTHUMANIST DÖNÜŞÜMÜ
Abstract
Posthümanizm, yüzyıllardır var olan antroposentrik bakış açısının aksine, Dünya üzerindeki insan ve insanötesi varlıkları anlamaya yönelik bir teoridir. Bu teori, dünyada yalnızca insanların yaşama hakkına sahip olmadığını, aynı zamanda insan olmayan veya insan ötesindeki varlıkların da onlar kadar eşit haklara sahip olduğunu savunur. Mary Shelley'nin Frankenstein'ı ve Kazuo Ishiguro'nun Beni Asla Bırakma romanları, insan merkezli posthuman dünyasında kimlik karmaşası, ahlaki sorunlar ve teknolojik gelişmelerin tehlikeli sonuçlarıyla ilgilenir. Frankenstein'da, yaratığın Victor Frankenstein tarafından reddedilmesi sonucu yaşadığı depresyon, toplumdan dışlanma ve kimlik arayışı, posthümanist bir bakış açısıyla analiz edilir. Benzer şekilde, Beni Asla Bırakma romanı, insanların daha uzun süre hayatta kalmak için klonlardan yararlandığı distopik bir dünyayı ele alır. Bu çalışma, seçilen bu romanların kimlikleri ve toplumlardaki etik soruları/rolleri nasıl etkilediğini açıklar. Bu bağlamda, bu makalenin amacı Frankenstein ve Beni Asla Bırakma'yı karşılaştırıp zıtlaştırmak ve posthümanizm'i edebi bir teori olarak dikkate alarak teknolojik gelişmelerin olumsuz etkilerini nasıl eleştirdiklerini göstermektir.
Ethical Statement
Çalışma konusu etik kurul iznini gerektirmemektedir.
Supporting Institution
Yok.
Project Number
Yok.
References
- Braidotti, R. (2013). The posthuman. John Wiley & Sons.
- Foucault, M. (2005). The order of things: An archaeology of the human sciences. Routledge.
- Fukuyama, F. (2003). Our posthuman future: Consequences of the biotechnology revolution. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- Garreau, J. (2005). Radical evolution: the promise and peril of enhancing our minds, our bodies--and what it means to be human. Crown.
- Haraway, D. (1991). Simians, cyborgs, and women: The reinvention of nature. Routledge.
- Haraway, D. (2008). When species meet. In Franklin, A. (Ed.), The Routledge international handbook of more-than-human studies (1st ed. pp. 42-78), Routledge.
- Haraway, D. (2016). A cyborg manifesto: Science, technology, and socialist-feminism in the late twentieth century. In Manifestly Haraway. University of Minnesota Press. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/warw/detail.action?docID=4392065
- Hayles, N. K. (1999). How we became posthuman: Virtual bodies in cybernetics, literature, and informatics. University of Chicago Press.
- Ishiguro, K. (2017). Never let me go: With GCSE and A level study guide. Faber & Faber.
- Shelley, M. (2012). Frankenstein. London: Penguin Classics.
- Simon, Z. B. (2019). The story of humanity and the challenge of posthumanity, History of the Human Sciences, 32(2), 101–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/0952695118779519
- Wolfe, C. (2010). What is posthumanism? (Vol. 8). University of Minnesota Press.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Literary Studies (Other) |
| Journal Section | Research Articles |
| Authors | |
| Project Number | Yok. |
| Early Pub Date | October 28, 2025 |
| Publication Date | October 30, 2025 |
| Submission Date | September 10, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | October 21, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 5 Issue: 2 |
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