Never Let Me Go is a reflection on the lives of three people that searches for meaning and purpose by examining their memories within extraordinary situations. Kathy looks back on her life and the lives of her friends Ruth and Tommy in an attempt to understand more about their lives as clones whose only purpose seems to be to donate their organs and then die. The novel asks whether the love, the friendship, and the experiences of these clones provided them with purpose and meaning throughout their lives.

The clones’ search for a meaningful life takes place on very narrow terms. They are taught about donations and completion from a young age but always in vague, difficult-to-understand terms. The result is that the cloned children grow up with an internalized view of society working exactly as it does. The clones lack the critical capacity to view society in any other way, so any searching for meaning is based on the acceptance of donations and completion. No clone ever fights back against the system itself. They accept the purpose that is imposed on them, and the most they seek is a deferral.