在石黑一雄小說《別讓我走》(Never Let Me Go) 中所虛構的英國社會裡，儘管小說人物的形象與一般人大體上無異，命運卻極為不同，他們遭受不人道的待遇。這一群透過人工基因複製而生產之人造物，他們別無選擇，只能生存在權力結構的底層和社會的邊緣。就生存目的而言，小說主角被人類視為不過是身體的器官備胎，而非一個完整的人，自然沒有必要給予這些「器官」文明化教育、或者培養其藝術氣質，而被當作用完即棄的物品。然而，有一小部分人不認同大眾的看法，這一股微小的聲音認為複製人應該享有更人道的待遇，於是創立了海爾森，以教育並激發他們的創造力，使他們變得更有教養，他們想藉此證明這一群「學生」也有靈魂，不比人類卑劣。
本論文以石黑一雄這部小說為研究對象，從三方面探究小說人物如何建構身份認同：（一）對差異的認知、（二）海爾森之意義、（三）面對不同價值矛盾下的認同衝突。首先，我將從小說中的敘事觀點來觀察主角們認同建構的過程，探究他們如何在劃界(mark out)的過程中透過辨別自我與他人的差異，建立自我認同，以及學習如何定位自己，詮釋他我之間的關係。再者，我欲檢視這些沒有傳統家庭與父母的海爾森學生，將海爾森視為提供意義的中心時，如何建構其身份認同。這些學生將情感依附於海爾森，依賴它所提供的知識來建構一套關於外界和自我之間的知識系譜。海爾森所教授的內容，一半刻意強化「學生」的創意能力與價值，另一半是為了協助學生離開海爾森之後的社會適應，使發展到一定認知能力的學生，學習一套只被允許一知半解，且規條間彼此衝突的社會規範。學生離開海爾森之後，面對的是另一套更為強大且全面的社會規範時，兩套互相牴觸的價值觀在心中拉扯，因此在認同上的碰撞與衝擊帶給小說人物莫大的痛苦。

Although the clone characters in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go (2005) share identical genes with human beings, they are not treated equally as “normal” human beings. Men are created by God, but these protagonists are “artificially reproduced” by men. The way they enter the world has become the reason or excuse for their being treated differently from human beings. In Never Let Me Go, the characters share a specific purpose of life: to provide organs for the “originals.” To fulfill their purpose, they are inevitably objectified inhumanely as soulless beings or spare organs, which are not considered to have the necessity of having an identity. Nor are they considered to be entitled to any civilized education since men want no transgression or revolution against themselves. The characters are utilized and then casted aside after being exploited thoroughly. The founders of Hailsham where the students are kept, and which represents a voice different from those of the public, do not regard the clones as machines but living beings that deserve to be treated in a relatively humane way. Even so, the clones encounter identity problems as they grow up and learn more and more about themselves.
This thesis explores the protagonists’ identity construction in Never Let Me Go from three dimensions. Chapter 1 observes the characters’ construction of identity through the process of marking out the differences. By recognizing the differences between themselves and men, the students gradually learn their position in the communities. Chapter 2 examines the meaning of Hailsham and how the students’ attachment to Hailsham affects the students’ establishment of identity because they take Hailsham as the center of meanings. Chapter 3 analyzes the conflicting value systems of Hailsham and of society that are internalized in the students which inevitably result into unresolved identity problems.

論文審定書 ………………………………………………………………………..i
誌謝..............................................................................................................ii
摘要..............................................................................................................iii
Abstract........................................................................................................iv
Introduction………………………………………………………………..….…..1

Chapter 1
Identity Construction of the Students………………………………………….…19

Chapter 2
The Meaning of Hailsham to the Homeless Strangers…………………………....43

Chapter 3
Confronting the Frontiers between Hailsham and the Society…………………....63

Conclusion………………………………………………………………………...87

Works Cited…………………………………………………….…………………93

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