The Organ, the Clone and the Biopolitical

University*of*Amsterdam* Faculty*of*Humanities* rMA*Cultural*Analysis

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The*Organ,*the*Clone*and*the*Biopolitical

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* * * * * * * * * * * * * Juul*Willems* 6365787* Supervisor:*Dr.*Jules*Sturm* Second*Reader:*Prof.*Dr.*Mireille*Rosello* 15M06M2015

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Table*of*Contents*

* Introduction………..………..5* * Chapter*1.*The*Figure*of*the*Clone………..11* * !! clone*as*copy……….12* !! clone*as*child……….15* !! clone*as*organ*donor………..18* * Chapter*2.*Community*and*Immunity………..25* !! the*organ*as*gift………...26* !! architectural*immunity………...30* * Chapter*3.*Narrative*and*Metaphor………...43* !! possible,*deferral,*completion………...45* !! narrative*prosthesis………...50* * Conclusion……….57* * Bibliography……….61* *

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5*

Introduction

! ! ! If!you!could!save!someone’s!life,!would!you!do!it?!Yes,!or!No.! ! When*I*turned*eighteen,*I*registered*myself*as*an*organ*donor.*When*I*die,*my*organs*can*be*used*for* donation,*for*people*who*are*in*need*of*a*new*kidney,*liver*or*heart.*Everyone*in*the*Netherlands,* when*turning*eighteen,*receives*an*invitation*to*answer*this*question:*whether*one*does*or*does*not* want*to*become*an*organ*donor*after*they*die.*Tragically,*a*lot*of*people*do*not*register*their*answer* when*they*are*in*this*early*stage*of*their*lives.* * * * * * * * The*provocative*question*above*is*part*of*the*promotion*campaign*for*organ*donation*in*the* Netherlands1_{.*This*campaign*asks*people*to*register*their*donor!codicil,*to*answer*the*above*cited*} question*with*a*yes*or*a*no.*The*campaign*tries*to*incite*people*to*make*a*“good”*decision*about* organ*donation,*as*there*is*a*lack*of*organs*that*can*be*used*for*donation*in*the*Netherlands.*The* campaign*is*initiated*by*the*Ministry*of*Health,*Welfare*and*Sport*together*with*organizations*such*as* the*Heart*Foundation*and*the*Kidney*Foundation,*and*has*business*partners*such*as*YouTube*and* Google.*In*summary,*the*campaign*is*a*collaboration*between*the*government*and*medical* organizations,*supported*by*different*commercial*companies.*The*promotional*material*of*the* campaign*consists,*among*other*material,*of*posters*that*are*distributed*around*different*spaces*in* the*Netherlands:*spaces*related*to*wellMbeing,*like*pharmacies*and*general*practitioner*offices,*but* also*more*visible*spaces*like*bus*shelters,*banners*placed*on*the*street,*and*advertisements*on*the* internet.*Probably*everyone*in*the*Netherlands*has*encountered*a*poster*during*donor*week,*the* week*annually*organized*in*the*Netherlands*that*focuses*on*the*importance*of*organ*donation.* * Below*I*insert*three*posters*that*are*part*of*the*campaign*for*organ*donation*(see*image*1).* What*these*posters*have*in*common*is*that*they*depict*body!parts.*They*show*parts*of*bodies,* without*giving*an*overview*of*the*body*to*which*the*part*belongs.*On*top*of*these*body*parts,* confronting*questions*are*posed:*“Do*you*join*us*during*donor*week?”*“Would*you*rather*be*healthy* than*ill?”*and*the*already*cited*question*“If*you*could*save*someone’s*life,*would*you*do*it?”2_.*As*the* posters*indicate,*all*the*questions*can*only*be*answered*with*a*Yes*or*a*No.*The*text*on*the*posters* tries*to*move*the*viewer*towards*donating*one’s*own*organs.*The*posters*pose*rhetorical*questions,* as*there*is*little*room*for*answering*these*questions*with*a*No;*a*no*would*affect*the*health*of* population*in*a*negative*way.*This*is*strengthened*by*the*positioning*of*the*text*on*the*posters*in* 1_{I*will*not*deal*with*this*campaign*in*detail*here.*It*merely*serves*as*an*illustration.*For*more*information*on*the*campaign,*} see*http://www.jaofnee.nl 2_{This*is*my*translation*of*the*text*on*the*posters.}

relation*to*the*images.*The*image*with*the*two*hands*is*very*clear:*Yes*is*positioned*on*the*“open”* hand,*lying*there*as*a*gift.*No*is*positioned*on*the*back*of*a*hand:*it*is*a*defensive*No.*On*the*other* images,*the*message*is*more*subtle.*The*Yes*in*both*images*is*situated*in*a*“neutral”*zone,*on*the* “neutral”*skin*of*the*body,*whereas*the*No’s*are*positioned*on*more*complex*places.*The*place*under* the*belly*button*is*for*example*the*place*of*the*cesarean.*What*the*images*seem*to*suggest,*then,*is* that*a*Yes*would*be*a*gift*and*“neutral”*choice,*whereas*a*No*would*be*a*defensive*and*complex* choice.*** * * * * * * * * * * * * Image*1.*Posters*that*are*part*of*the*campaign*http://www.jaofnee.nl** * What*does*it*mean*to*be*composed*of*body*parts*or*organs?*And*what*does*it*mean*when* medical*and*governmental*organizations*work*together*to*ask*us*these*questions?*The*campaign*can* be*seen*in*the*light*of*biopolitics.*Michel*Foucault*introduced*his*thoughts*on*this*form*of*politics*or* power*in*the*lectures*he*gave*at*the*Collège*de*France*in*1975*and*’76,*bundled*in*the*book*Society!

7* Must!Be!Defended.*Biopolitics,*as*he*states,*occupies*itself*with*man@as@species*(243).*This*form*of* politics*begins*to*emerge*at*the*end*of*the*eighteenth*century.*Foucault*addresses*an*important* aspect*of*biopolitics:*it*“takes*the*form*of*campaigns*to*teach*hygiene*and*to*medicalize*the* population.*So,*problems*of*reproduction,*the*birth*rate,*and*the*problem*of*mortality*rate*too”*(244).* The*donor*week*campaign,*indeed,*medicalizes*the*population*and*is*occupied*with*mortality*rates.*As* such,*biopolitics*deals*not*with*the*individual,*but*with*“the*population*as*political*problem,*as*a* problem*that*is*at*once*scientific*and*political,*as*a*biological*problem*and*as*power’s*problem”3* (Foucault*245).*** * * * * * * * * * * In*this*thesis,*I*take*the*following*question*as*a*starting*point:*what*happens*when*the* biopolitical*implications*of*the*donor*week*campaign*are*taken*to*its*extreme?*The*film*Never!Let!Me! Go(2010)4_{,!directed*by*Mark*Romanek,*enables*me*to*ask*this*question.*This*film*is*the*object*of*my*} thesis*and*provides*me*with*an*extreme*biopolitical*community.*Never!Let!Me!Go*tells*the*story*of* three*students,*three*clones*to*be*precise,*growing*up*at*a*boarding*school*called*Hailsham.*These* students*are*brought*up*to*become*perfectly*healthy*organ*donors.*When*they*reach*adulthood,*they* start*donating*their*vital*organs.*After*three*or*four*donations,*their*lives*will*be*completed5_.*This*film* is*an*extreme*version*of*a*society*in*which*some*bodies*are*seen*as*bodies*composed*of*useful*parts,* and*other*bodies*as*bodies*in*need*of*these*useful*parts.*The*students*do*not*decide*voluntarily*to* donate*their*organs*after*death.*They*are*“born”*into*a*system*in*which*their*only*purpose*is*to* donate*their*organs*M*not*after*death,*but*already*during*their*lifetime.* * * * * What*I*analyze*in*this*thesis,*is*what*happens*when*a*society*addresses*bodies*as*bodies* composed*of*useful*parts,*and*what*material*and*immaterial*aspects*make*such*a*society*function.*Put* differently,*on*what*levels*does*biopolitics*infiltrate*when*it*is*taken*to*its*extreme?*With*the*choice* for*my*object,*I*do*not*warn*against*biopolitical*apparatuses.*My*analysis*of*the*film*is*an*invitation*to* reflect*on*the*social*effects*of*asking*certain*questions*about*bodies,*and*failing*to*ask*others.*What* kind*of*society*remains,*when*bodies*are*only*addressed*as*bodies*composed*of*parts?** * * To*formulate*an*answer*to*this*question,*I*circle*around*three*key*concepts*in*this*thesis:*the* clone,*the*organ*and*biopolitics.*The*clone*is*often*theorized*as*reflecting*on*the*status*of*the*original* and*thus*on*the*question*of*identity,*individuality*and*selfhood*(Ferreira*21).*Examples*are*Jean* Baudrillard’s*theory*on*simulacra,*Walter*Benjamin’s*notion*of*the*aura*and*Jacques*Derrida’s*“The* Double*Session”.*I*depart*from*the*conception*of*the*clone*as*copy.*However,*I*will*arrive*at*a*different* conception*of*the*clone,*presented*in*Never!Let!Me!Go.*My*analysis*of*the*film*is*not*necessarily*about* 3_{Although*I*do*not*deal*with*it*here,*Foucault’s*theory*also*has*implications*for*the*embodiment*of*social*norms*in*the*} individual.*According*to*Foucault,*Biopower,*or*“the*normalizing*society”,*brings*together*disciplinary*techniques,* addressing*individual*bodies*and*regulatory*techniques,*addressing*the*population. 4_{based*on*Kazuo*Ishiguro’s*novel*Never!Let!Me!Go!(2005).*I*will*not*deal*with*the*novel*in*this*thesis.} 5_{I*give*a*more*elaborate*summary*of*the*film’s*narrative*in*the*first*chapter.}

the*coming*into*being*of*the*clone,*in*human*imagination*or*creation,*but*about*how*the*image*of*the* clone*can*be*used*as*narrative!prosthesis,!or*material!metaphor,!as*theorized*by*David*T*Mitchell*and* Sharon*L.*Snyder.*How*can*the*image*of*the*clone*be*displaced*to*other*images,*such*as*the*child*and* the*organ*donor?*What*do*these*combinations*of*images*highlight*and*how*do*they*relate*to* biopolitics?** * * * * * * * * * * * Then,*there*is*the*organ.*In*the*idea*of*biopolitics,*the*human*is*constructed*not*as*an* individual,*but*as*man@as@species.*What*I*wonder*about*is*what*happens*to*the*status*of*the*organ,*a* body*part,*when*politics*addresses*man@as@species.*To*reflect*on*the*status*of*the*organ,*I*will*start* with*Roberto*Esposito’s*dialectic*of*communitas!and*immunitas!and*draw*from*JeanMLuc*Nancy’s* L’Intrus,*where*he*discusses*his*own*heart*transplantation.*In*taking*up*these*concepts,*I*want*to* address*the*way*the*organ*is*used*as*a*gift*in*the*biopolitical*community*of*Hailsham.*After*that,*I*will* make*the*move*towards*Rosalyn*Diprose’s*conception*of*corporeal!generosity*to*investigate*how*the* organ*is*part*of*a*special*economy*that*is*at*play*at*Hailsham.** For*my*third*concept,*biopolitics,I*take*Nikolas*Rose’s*“The*Politics*of*Life*Itself”*as*a*starting* point.*Building*on*the*thought*of*Foucault,*Rose*states*that*politics*nowadays* * addresses*the*vital*processes*of*human*existence:*the*size*and*quality*of*the*population;* reproduction*and*human*sexuality;*conjugal,*parental*and*familial*relations;*health*and* disease;*birth*and*death.*Biopolitics*was*inextricably*bound*up*with*the*rise*of*the*life* sciences,*the*human*sciences,*clinical*medicine.*It*has*given*birth*to*techniques,*technologies,* experts*and*apparatuses*for*the*care*and*administration*of*the*life*of*each*and*all,*from*town* planning*to*health*services.*(1)** * As*this*citation*shows,*biopolitics*is*a*form*of*politics*that*is*occupied*not*with*individuals,*but*with*the* wellMbeing*of*the*population,*or*as*Foucault*states,*with*man@as@species.*Moreover,*biopolitics*is*not*a* form*of*politics*imposed*on*citizens*by*the*government,*but*a*form*of*politics*that*subtly*infiltrates*on* different*levels*of*society:*technologies,*techniques,*experts,*apparatuses.* * My*analysis*of*the*biopolitical*system*in*Never!Let!Me!Go!is*divided*into*three*chapters.*I*start* with*an*introductory*chapter*that*focuses*on*the*figure*of*the*clone,*how*it*comes*to*view*and*how*it* is*related*to*biopolitics.*What*is*so*special*about*the*figure*of*the*clone*that*it*is*made*central*in*this* story?*And*what*aspects*of*biopolitics*does*the*clone*highlight?*In*the*second*chapter*I*analyze*how* the*biopolitical*system*at*Hailsham*is*based*on*the*workings*of*community*and*immunity.*I*depart* from*the*body*as*a*marker*for!immunitas*and*the*role*of*the*organ*in*the*bodies*of*the*students.*After* this,*I*add*an*architectural*dimension*to*Esposito’s*theory,*mainly*borrowing*from*Foucault’s*ideas*on* the*distribution*of*bodies*in*space.*I*focus*on*the*way*the*materiality*of*spaces*influences*the*workings* of*community*or*immunity.*In*the*third*and*last*chapter*of*this*thesis,*I*focus*on*the*immaterial*

9* aspects*that*shape*the*lives*of*the*students*living*at*Hailsham:*the*narratives*imposed*on*them*by* their*teachers*and*the*importance*of*the*creation*of*their*own*narratives.*Finally,*I*analyze*how*the* embodiment*of*the*students,*clones*who*become*more*and*more*impaired*during*their*lives,* functions*as*a*visual*narrative!prosthesis,*adding*a*visual*perspective*to*Mitchell*and*Snyder’s*concept. * To*summarize,*this*thesis*addresses*how*biopolitics*infiltrates*in*the*material*aspects*(bodies* in*space)*and*the*immaterial*aspects*(narrative*and*metaphor)*that*shape*a*biopolitical*society.* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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The*Figure*of*the*Clone

! ! The!breakthrough!in!medical!science!came!in!1952.!Doctors!could!now!cure!the!previously!incurable.!By! 1967,!life!expectancy!passed!100!years.!(00:01:27)* * This*is*the*message*that*Never!Let!Me!Go!starts*with.*The*film*tells*the*story*of*Kathy,*Ruth*and* Tommy,*three*children*that*are*growing*up*at*Hailsham,*a*boarding*school*in*the*countryside*of* England*in*the*1970’s.*As*the*story*develops,*the*viewer*finds*out*that*these*children*are*different,*or* special.*They*have*been*modeled*after*humans,*and*once*they*reach*adulthood,*they*start*donating* their*vital*organs.*After*their*years*at*Hailsham,*at*the*age*of*eighteen,*Kathy,*Ruth*and*Tommy*move* to*the*cottages,*some*small*houses*with*huge*stables,*surrounded*by*fields*and*forests.*Here*they*live* together*with*other*students*from*different*boarding*schools*in*Great*Britain.*They*are*passing*the* time*and*start*preparing*themselves*for*their*faith*M*for*their*first*donation.*The*students*can*also* choose*a*different*path*that*defers*their*first*donation.*They*can*work*as*"carers":*taking*care*of*other* donors*during*their*donation*track.*Kathy*is*the*only*one*who*chooses*this*path.*After*three*or* sometimes*four*donations,*the*students*eventually*die.*** * * * * * Hence,*the*medical*breakthrough*the*film*addresses*is*that*human*beings*have*created*other* beings,*modeled*after*themselves,*that*can*provide*functioning*organs*for*humans*in*need*of*these* organs.*With*this*breakthrough,*life*expectancy*has*exceeded*100*years.*Although*the*term*clone*is* never*mentioned*in*Never!Let!Me!Go,*it*is*hinted*at*constantly*in*the*way*the*characters*describe*their* lives*and*in*the*way*they*are*talked*at*and*talked*about*by*their*teachers;*they*are*created*for*a* purpose,*they*have*been*modeled*on*someone;*somewhere*out*there*is*their*possible*or*original.*For* example,*miss*Lucy,*one*of*the*student’s*teachers*in*the*film*states:*“Before*you*are*old,*before*you* are*even*middleMaged,*you*will*start*to*donate*your*vital*organs.*That’s*what*you*are*created*to*do”.* (00:22:37).*The*students*are*created*for*a*certain*purpose.** * * * * * In*this*chapter*I*will*discuss*the*coming*into*view*of*the*clone*in*Never!Let!Me!Go*and*the* biopolitical*implications*of*its*appearance.*As*I*briefly*mentioned*in*the*introduction,*what*I*mean*with* biopolitical*can*best*be*described*by*Nikolas*Rose*in*“The*Politics*of*Life*Itself”.*He*states*that*politics* nowadays*“addresses*the*vital*processes*of*human*existence”*(1).*According*to*him,*the*coming*to* being*of*biopolitics*is*linked*to*the*rise*of*the*life*sciences,*the*human*sciences*and*clinical*medicine.** All*these*sciences*have*created*technologies*and*apparatuses*that*regulate*the*care*and* administration*of*life*of*each*and*all*(1).*The*quote*with*which*I*started*this*chapter*clearly*resonates* with*the*explanation*of*biopolitics*by*Rose.*As*it*states,*a*medical*breakthrough*has*ensured*that*the*

lifeMexpectancy*of*human*beings*can*be*stretched*to*over*a*hundred*years.*This*medical*breakthrough* interrogates*the*vital*processes*of*human*existence*and*occupies*itself*with!man@as@species.*As*such,*it* is*part*of*the*mechanisms*of*biopolitics,*described*by*Michel*Foucault*in*his*Society!Must!Be!Defended:** * And*their*[the*mechanisms*of*biopolitics]*purpose*is*not*to*modify*any*given*phenomenon*as* such,*or*to*modify*a*given*individual*insofar*as*he*is*an*individual,*but,*essentially,*to*intervene* at*the*level*at*which*these*general*phenomena*are*determined,*to*intervene*at*the*level*of* their*generality.*The*mortality*rate*has*to*be*modified*or*lowered;*life*expectancy*has*to*be* increased;*the*birth*rate*has*to*be*stimulated.*(246)* The*medical*breakthrough*is*a*biopolitical*mechanism*through*which*life*expectancy*can*be*increased.* Through*analyzing*the*coming*to*view*of*the*clone*and*its*relation*to*biopolitics,*I*will*arrive*at*a*first* glimpse*of*why*the*figure*of*the*clone*is*used*in*this*story!about*bodies*used*as*bodies*composed*of* parts.*Is*this*because*the*clone,*being*an*exact*copy*of*a*human*being,*is*literally*the*mirror*image*(a* narcissistic*replicating*mirror*(Ferreira*22))*of*the*human*and*thus*the*ideal*figure*to*confront*the* human*with*its*excluding*principles?** * * * * * * * Before*jumping*to*conclusions,*I*will*start*with*the*question:*How*does*the*clone*come*into* view*in*this*film?*The*first*appearance*that*comes*to*mind*is*the*clone!as!copy.!The*characters* describe*the*people*they*have*been*modeled*on*as*“originals”.*To*speak*of*an*original,*the*original*has* to*be*copied,*otherwise*it*would*not*be*necessary*to*describe*this*person*as*original6.*Secondly,*the* clone*appears*as*an!innocent!child,*growing*up*at*Hailsham,*a*boarding*school*in*the*countryside*of* England.*Here,*education*will*determine*its*life.*The*teachers*take*their*jobs*very*seriously*and*raise* their*students*with*care;*they*try*to*form*them*as*perfectly*healthy*children.*These*children*are*white* canvases*on*which*their*teachers*can*paint*their*ideal*organ*donors.*After*the*students*leave* Hailsham,*they*start*preparing*themselves*for*their*donation*track.*At*the*completion*centers,*they* eventually*lose*their*organs.*Hence,*the*last*appearance*of*the*clone*I*will*discuss*in*this*chapter*is*the* clone!as!organ!donor.* clone*as*copy* “They!have!found!your!original!”*(00:38:00)* Kathy*is*very*excited*when*Ruth*tells*her*that*they*have*found*her*original.*When*living*at*the* cottages,*the*place*the*students*go*to*after*leaving*Hailsham,*two*students*tell*Ruth*that*they*have* seen*her*possible7_{*M*the*original*from*which*she*has*been*cloned*M*in*a*travelling*agency*when*visiting*a*} small*town*in*the*neighborhood.*In*the*conversation*between*Kathy*and*Ruth*the*word*possible*is* 6_{I*am*paraphrasing*Judith*Butler*and*her*article*“Imitation*and*Gender*Insubordination”.} 7_{I*elaborate*on*the*use*of*the*term*possible*in*chapter*3.}

13* mentioned*for*the*first*time.*Kathy*speaks*about*it*as*Ruth’s*original.*Although,*as*a*viewer,*one* experiences*some*discomforting*moments*before,*in*which*one*senses*that*something*is*different* with*these*characters,*now*the*presumptions*are*confirmed:*these*students*have*been*copied*from* other*people.*As*I*already*indicated,*earlier*in*the*film*the*students*are*told*that*they*are*created*for*a* certain*purpose.*Together*with*the*information*that*they*are*modeled*on*an*original*and*the*fact*that* the*viewer*never*sees*or*hears*them*mentioning*their*parents,*it*is*at*this*moment*that*the*word* clone*comes*to*mind:*an*exact*genetic*copy*of*an*original.* * * * * * As*the*film*continues,*you*see*Ruth,*Tommy*and*Kathy,*together*with*Chrissie*and*Rodney,*the* students*who*initiated*the*search,*looking*for*the*woman*that*could*be*Ruth’s’*original.*When*they* arrive*at*the*place*where*the*possible*is*working,*they*all*start*looking*through*the*window,*their*faces* pushed*against*it.*In*the*office*they*see*people*walking*around,*chatting*with*each*other,*sitting* behind*desks.*Then,*the*camera*focuses*on*a*woman,*sitting*with*her*back*to*the*window.*Ruth* stammers:*“God,*that*must*be*her”*(00:43:20).*The*window*is*the*only*thing*that*stands*in*Ruth’s*way* to*find*her*possible*origin.*In*the*short*moment*before*the*woman*turns*around*and*faces*Ruth,*the* window*is*the*surface*on*which*Ruth*can*project*her*origin*story.*As*Jean*Baudrillard*makes*clear*in*his* chapter*“Clone*Story”*in*Simulacra!and!Simulation,*a*theme*that*is*coming*back*in*the*idea*of*the* double,*and*in*consequence,*in*the*idea*of*cloning,*is*the*projection*that*is*taking*place*on*the*double* or*the*clone*of*a*potential*other*life*that*one*could*have*lived*(36).* * * * * In*the*film,*the*clones*fantasize*about*the*lives*of*their*possibles,*the*lives*they*could*have* lived.*When*Ruth*hears*about*her*possible*working*in*a*travel*agency,*she*is*really*excited.*Her*possible* is*a*decent*woman*with*a*decent*job:*a*life*she*would*have*been*happy*with.*Sadly*enough,*when*the* woman*turns*around,*it*immediately*becomes*clear*that*she*can*never*be*Ruth’s*possible;*there*is*no* remarkable*resemblance*between*the*two.*All*five*of*them*quickly*remove*themselves*from*the* window.*The*window*in*this*scene*is*the*only*thing*that*stands*between*the*students’*world*and*the* “real*world”.*The*students*can*never*reach*this*other*place.*The*window*makes*the*possible*life*the* students,*and*especially*Ruth,*could*have*lived*visible;*it*makes*it*transparent.*Yet,*at*the*same*time,* the*glass*of*the*window*stops*the*students*from*getting*into*the*office*and*really*experiencing*the* environment*there.*Hence,*the*glass*of*the*window*is*the*material*that*makes*visible,*but*is*also*the* material*that*creates*an*obstacle*between*the*students*and*the*“real”*world.** * * * In*the*following*scene*Ruth*talks*to*Kathy*and*Tommy*at*the*beach*in*the*same*village.*She*is* quite*upset*about*what*just*happened.*Because*the*narrative*she*believed*in*for*a*short*time*–*the* time*between*the*students*telling*her*about*her*possible*and*finding*out*that*the*woman*is*not*her* possible*M*is*shattered*to*pieces,*she*immediately*comes*up*with*another*story.*She*tells*Kathy*and* Tommy*that*they*all*have*to*be*modeled*on*trash,*by*which*she*means*junkies,*prostitutes,*winos,* tramps:*“Look*in*the*gutter,*that’s*where*we*came*from”*(00:44:00).**The*narrative*Ruth*invents*here*

shows*the*poignant*reality*of*the*lives*of*the*students.*They*have*to*be*modeled*on*people*who*live*in* the*margins*of*society,*because*they*themselves*are*removed*from*the*public*eye.*They*have*to*be* modeled*on*trash,*because*once*they*have*donated*their*organs,*once*they*have*been*used,*they*can* be*thrown*away.* * * * * * * * * * * The*trip*to*the*travel*agency*is*not*the*only*moment*when*the*characters*start*looking*for* their*original.*Kathy,*for*example,*browses*through*porn*magazines*to*see*if*a*familiar*face*will*appear.* Tommy*surprises*her*when*he*walks*into*the*stable*where*she*is*busy*with*her*search.*Later*on*in*the* film,*Kathy*explains*to*Tommy*why*she*was*browsing*through*porn*magazines.*She*sometimes*had* strong*sexual*urges*and*therefore*she*thought*she*had*to*be*modeled*on*a*porn*star.*Hence,*for*the* students,*the*search*for*their*origin*not*only*serves*as*a*fantasy*of*a*life*one*could*have*lived,*but* serves*also*as*way*to*explain*their*urges*and*behavior.*The*student’s*quest*for*their*originals,* however,*never*pays*off:*the*confrontation*between*original*and*copy*never*takes*place.*During*the* whole*film,*the*original*remains*a*ghost*haunting*the*characters.*In*consequence,*the*viewer*only* meets*the*copy,*never*the*original.*For*the*viewer,*the*clones*themselves*become*the*originals;*the* viewer*only*experiences*their*perspective.** * The*absence*of*the*original*in*Never!Let!Me!Go!poses*the*question*what*the*status*of*the* original*actually*is*in*a*world*in*which*clones*are*created.*In*“Clone*Story”,*Jean*Baudrillard*elaborates* on*what*the*coming*into*existence*of*the*clone*changes*about*the*dichotomy*between*original*and* copy.*According*to*him,*clones*are*simulacra,*copies*without*an*original,*because*they*are*endlessly* reproducible:*“’the*generation’*of*identical*beings,!without*any*possible*return*to*an*original*being”* (69).*For*Judith*Butler*in*“Imitation*and*Gender*Insubordination”,*the*status*of*the*original*in*relation* to*the*copy*is*something*that*is*coming*back*not*only*in*the*coming*into*existence*of*the*clone,*but*in* certain*social*constructs*as*well.*In*this*article,*she*deals*with*the*way*the*original*and*copy*are* constructed*in*the*discourse*around*sexuality.*According*to*her,*heterosexuality*is*an*impossible* imitation*of*itself,*a*performative*act*that*constitutes*itself*as*original:** * If*heterosexuality*is*an*impossible*imitation*of*itself,*an*imitation*that*performatively* constitutes*itself*as*original,*then*the*imitative*parody*of*“heterosexuality”*–*when*and*where* it*exists*in*gay*cultures*–*is*always*and*only*an*imitation*of*an*imitation,*a*copy*of*a*copy,*for* which*there*is*no*original.*Put*in*yet*a*different*way,*the*parodic*or*imitative*effect*of*gay* identities*works*neither*to*copy*nor*to*emulate*heterosexuality,*but*rather,*to*expose* heterosexuality*as*an*incessant*and*panicked*imitation*of*its*own*naturalized*idealization.* (724)* * * When*following*Butler’s*logic,*the*position*of*homosexuality*in*relation*to*heterosexuality*can*be* compared*to*the*position*of*the*clone*in*relation*to*that*of*the*original.*The*clone*is*a*copy*of*a*copy,*

15* an*endless*repetition*of*the*human,*that*naturalizes*the*human*as*the*original,*yet*at*the*same*time* exposing*this*naturalized*idealization.*The*figure*of*the*clone*produces*the*effects*of*human* originality,*yet*at*the*same*time*exposing*human*originality*as*something*illusory.** * * The*clone*is*built*upon*the*genes*of*the*original8_{.*These*genes*can*be*endlessly*copied*and*} eventually,*the*original*disappears*from*the*scene.*In*this*process,*the*human*is*seen*as*information* that*only*has*to*be*decoded*and*built*up*again.*When*the*original*disappears*from*the*scene,*the* dichotomy*between*original*and*copy*becomes*reversed:* * If*the*cloned*person*can*be*described*as*a*simulacrum,*a*copy*of*a*copy*that*has*lost*sight*of* an*original,*then*this*copy*can*be*said*to*subvert*the*authority*and*legitimacy*of*the*original.*In* that*sense,*the*whole*notion*of*human*cloning*as*a*narcissistic*project*is*undermined*by* precisely*the*emergence*of*this*potentially*threatening*figure*that*will*in*fact*make*of*one’s* very*image*the*model*for*a*repetition*matrix.*(Ferreira*32)* * During*the*whole*film,*the*copies*in*Never!Let!Me!Go!remain*obsessed*with*their*original.*In*their* search,*the*students*highlight*the*illusory*aspect*of*the*original:*the*original*never*appears,*it*remains* an*illusory*ghost*haunting*the*characters.*For*the*viewer,*though,*the*students*themselves*are*the* originals*haunted*by*their*doubles.*They*are*the*only*characters*the*viewer*encounters.*According*to* Baudrillard,*the*clone*is*the*figure*that*subverts*the*dichotomy*between*original*and*copy,*because*it* is*a*figure*that*in*the*end*does*not*need*a*“real”*origin*anymore.*It*can*be*cloned*from*another*copy.* In*the*film,*however,*this*idea*of*cloning*is*questioned.*The*children*at*Hailsham*are*all*different*in* their*looks*and*personalities*and*seem*to*be*in*desperate*need*of*an*origin*story*that*will*elucidate* their*personality.*The*fact*that*they*are*copied*from*someone*and*can*be*endlessly*reproduced*does* not*mean*that*they*do*not*long*for*an*understanding*of*their*past.*Baudrillard*does*not*make*a* distinction*between*the*idea*of*cloning*and*the*possible*lived*identity*of*the*clone.*My*analysis*of*the* clone!as!copy!in*Never!Let!Me!Go!shows*that,*although*the*idea*of*cloning*subverts*the*authority*of* the*original,*the*possible*lived*identity*of*the*clone,*needs*the*authority*of*the*original*to*make*sense* of*its*life.** * clone*as*child* As*I*have*demonstrated,*the*clone*does*not*appear*as*the*copy*Baudrillard*discusses,*the*copy*that* loses*sight*of*its*original.*The*clone*appears*as*a*child*with*its*own*looks*and*personality,*always*in* search*of*its*origin.*It*appears*as*a*child*that*has*to*be*educated*and*formed*by*the*teachers*at* 8 _{Clones*are*organisms*that*are*exact*genetic*copies.*Every*single*bit*of*their*DNA*is*identical.*See*} http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/cloning/whatiscloning/

Hailsham.*What*interests*me*here*is*why*these*children*have*different*looks*and*personalities*and*are* not*copied*from*the*same*gene,*when*in*the*end,*they*are*only*used*as*organ*donors.*Why*are*these* clones*staged*as*innocent*children*with*individual*personalities?** * * * * According*to*Lee*Edelman*in*his*text*“The*Future*Is*Kid*Stuff:*Queer*Theory,*Disidentification,* and*the*Death*Drive”,*the*figure*of*the*child*“shapes*the*logic*within*which*the*political*itself*must*be* thought”*(2).*What*Edelman*addresses*here,*is*that*in*politics*today*every*decision*is*based*on*the* consideration*of*what*it*would*mean*for*children,*and*what*it*would*mean*for*the*future*of*these* children*to*make*a*decision.*The*figure*of*the*child*is*used*for*“the*logic*of*a*narrative*wherein*history* unfolds*as*the*future*envisioned*for*a*Child*who*must*never*grow*up”*(21).*Following*the*logic* Edelman*describes*and*which*he*criticizes,*the*child*should*grow*up*undisturbed*by*encounters,*or* even*by*the*threat*of*possible*encounters*with*an*“otherness”.*Politics*today*focuses*on*the* protection*of*(the*figure*of)*the*child*against*these*possible*encounters.*Edelman*calls*this*form*of* politics*“reproductive*futurism”.*The*child*is*the*marker*for*the*fixation*on*heteronormativity.* Edelman*proposes*a*counter*politics,*“a*queer*politics*which*refuses*to*organize*its*hope*for*happiness* around*the*figure*of*the*child*or*other*tropes*for*reproductivity*and*survival*is*already*alienated*from* the*present”*(Ahmed*162).** * The*figure*of*the*clone*in*Never!Let!Me!Go*can*be*a*potential*critique*on*the*way*Edelman* sees*the*child.*The*film*shifts*the*perspective*on*the*child*from*a*figure*who*stands*for*heterosexual* reproduction,*to*a*figure*that*stands*for*reproduction*in*the*laboratory.*In*Never!Let!Me!Go,!the*figure* of*the*child*and*the*figure*of*the*clone*come*together*in*the*characters*of*Kathy,*Ruth*and*Tommy*and* the*other*students*at*Hailsham.*What*is*interesting*here*is*that*these*two*figures*are*each*others'* antithesis:*the*child*as*the*figure*of*a*reproductive*future*and*the*clone*as*the*figure*that*exactly* overthrows*this*logic;*the*figure*that*was*never*born*out*of*a*woman’s*womb.*The*clone*is* reproductive*in*another*way,*reproductive*on*the*level*of*the*DNAMmolecule.*It*is*endlessly* reproducible,*but*is*not*a*product*of*heterosexual*reproduction.** * * * * This*does*not*mean*that*heterosexual*relationships*do*not*play*a*part*in*the*lives*of*the* students.*At*Hailsham,*the*students*get*lessons*on*intercourse*when*they*are*quite*young*(00:13:51)* and*further*on*in*the*film*we*see*Ruth*and*Tommy*having*sex.*However,*the*clones*cannot*sexually* reproduce.*The*figure*of*the*child*in*the*film*does*not*stand*for*the*future,*for*a*reproductive* futurism.*The*children*are*instruments*to*extend*the*lives*of*others.*They,*themselves,*have*no*future.* At*the*same*time,*the*figure*of*the*child*and*the*figure*of*the*clone*have*something*in*common.*They* both*point*out*the*creative*process,*or*the*process*of*formation*that*underlie*both*figures.*The*child* seen*as*an*innocent*being*can*be*formed*by*education.*The*clone*as*well,*literally*formed*by*humans,* is*innocent,*in*the*sense*that*it*is*a*white*canvas*on*which*the*human*can*paint*its*ideal*figure.* * Although,*in*the*film,*the*figure*of*the*child*does*not*stand*for*a*“reproductive*futurism”,*it*

17* does*shape*the*political*domain*in*which*the*teachers*at*Hailsham*move.*The*teachers*try*to*form*and* educate*their*students*as*well*as*they*can*and*protect*their*lives*so*that*they*do*not*suffer*at*any* time,*before*they*will*suffer*in*the*end.*The*students*never*encounter*something*“other”.*An*example* of*this*protectiveness*is*the*way*the*health*of*the*students*is*monitored.*At*the*beginning*of*the*film,* when*the*viewer*sees*what*happens*at*Hailsham*for*the*first*time,*Miss*Emily,*the*headmistress*of*the* school,*gives*an*opening*speech*to*start*the*day.*She*states*the*following,*after*wishing*her*students*a* good*morning:* * It*has*come*to*my*attention*that*three*burned*cigarettes*were*discovered,*hidden*behind*a* pot*in*the*flower*garden.*I*do*know*that*on*occasions,*students*have*seen*some*of*the* caretakers*and*delivery*men*smoking*cigarettes.*But*I*must*emphasize,*once*again,*that*it*is* much,*much*worse*for*a*student*of*Hailsham*to*smoke*cigarettes*than*anyone*else.*Students* of*Hailsham*are*special.*Keeping*yourselves*well,*keeping*yourselves*healthy*inside,*is*of* paramount*importance.*Have*I*made*myself*clear?*(00:44:20)* * * * * * * What*draws*my*attention*to*this*quote*is*the*emphasis*on*the*special*character*of*the*students*and* the*connection*of*this*specialness*to*staying*healthy.*Because*the*students*are*special,*they*have*to* stay*healthy.*Elaborating*on*Nikolas*Rose’s*understanding*of*biopolitics,*miss*Emily*and*the*other* teachers*at*Hailsham*carry*out*an*ethopolitics:*“the*politics*of*life*itself*and*how*it*should*be*lived”* (18).**What*Rose*means*with*the*concept*of*ethopolitics!is*that*different*technologies*and*apparatuses* in*society*make*people*judge*themselves*and*act*upon*themselves*to*make*themselves*better*than* they*are:*“Every*citizen*must*now*become*an*active*partner*in*the*drive*for*health,*accepting*their* responsibility*for*securing*their*own*wellMbeing”*(Rose*6).*When*looking*at*Miss*Emily’s*speech,* Hailsham*is*such*an*apparatus.*By*focusing*on*the*specialness*of*the*students,*the*teachers*ensure* that*once*the*students*find*themselves*in*a*situation*in*which*their*health*is*in*possible*danger,*they* will*think*about*their*specialness,*and*act*upon*themselves*to*stay*healthy.** * * * Hailsham*is*a*small*biopolitical*community,*where*the*students*cannot*become*ill,*as*their* organs*would*be*useless*then.*So*it*is*not*a*matter*of*choice*for*the*students*to*stay*healthy,*it*is*a* matter*of*“paramount*importance”,*as*Miss*Emily*states.*The*teachers*try*to*give*the*students*the* impression*that*they*have*to*act*upon*themselves*because*they*are*special,*so*that*they*will*take*up* this*logic*and*think*it*is*their*own*merit*that*they*are*keeping*well.*The*health*of*the*students*at* Hailsham*is*directly*influencing*the*health*of*the*population*in*Great*Britain.*As*Rose*states,*a* biopolitical*system*is*concerned*with*the*vital*processes*of*human*existence.*The*health*of*the* students*of*Hailsham*is*of*vital*importance*for*the*community*in*Great*Britain*in*general.*Life*and* death*are*determined*by*the*organ*donation*of*the*students.* * * * * * An*important*aspect*of*this*form*of*politics*(ethopolitics)*is*pastoral!power.*The*teachers*at*

Hailsham*are*pastors*that*are*concerned*with*the*welfare*of*the*flock*as*a*whole.*This*pastoral!power,* according*to*Rose,*can*best*be*described*as*relational.*Pastoral*power*works*through*the*relation* between*“the*affects*and*ethics*of*the*guider*and*the*affects*and*ethics*of*the*guided”*(Rose*9).*In*this* fragment,*Miss*Emily*is*the*guider;*the*children*living*at*Hailsham*are*the*guided.*In*their*shared* encounter,*the*ethics*and*affects*of*the*guider*are*clear:*miss*Emily*wants*to*make*sure*her*students* stay*healthy;*she*wants*to*protect*her*children.*But*what*ethics*and*affects*do*the*children*bring*to* this*encounter?*Because*they*are*“innocent”*and*only*know*the*protected*environment*of*Hailsham,* their*ethics*are*based*on*what*they*have*seen*there.*They*immediately*will*follow*the*ethics*of*their* teachers.*Perhaps,*what*is*so*shocking*about*the*film*is*that*the*students*never*question*or*reflect*on* the*decisions*made*by*their*teachers*(even*not*when*they*are*mature*and*living*at*the*cottages).* Thus,*the*pastoral*encounter*between*the*guider*and*the*guided*seems*unequal*here.*However,*this*is* perhaps*exactly*what*living*in*a*biopolitical*system*means;*there*is*no*other*way*than*to*follow*the* “ethics*and*affects”*of*the*guiders*and*stay*a*perfectly*healthy*human*being.** * What*can*be*concluded*from*the*appearance*of*the*figure*of*the*child*in*Never!Let!Me!Go*is* that*it*creates*a*paradox.*On*the*one*hand*it*stands*for*innocence,*a*reproductive*present*and* Hailsham*as*the*place*where*the*students*are*protected*against*encounters*with*otherness.*Their* teachers*carry*out*an*ethopolitics,*inspired*by*the*innocent*child*that*shapes*the*ethical*domain*in* which*the*students*live.*On*the*other*hand,*the*child*in*this*film*is*a*clone,*an*other,*a*figure*that* overthrows*reproductive*futurism*and*the*ideal*of*the*perfect*whole*child*that*awaits*a*bright*future.* My*analysis*of*the!clone!as!innocent!child*shows*the*biopolitical*implication*of*the*whole*project*of* Hailsham.*In*the*narrative*of*the*film,*though,*Hailsham’s*project*is*never*questioned.*The*film*in*itself* does*not*reflect*on*biopolitics*and*the*use*of*bodies*in*such*a*system.*The*story*does*not*come*across* as*critical.*However,*what*I*attempt*to*demonstrate*is*that*my*analysis*of*this*film*does*provide*a* critical*note*towards*biopolitics*and*the*way*it*addresses*bodies*in*a*very*specific*and,*in*my*opinion,* limited*way,*where*it*focuses*on*the*health*of*a*body*and*the*way*it*can*provide*functioning*organs.** * clone*as*organ*donor* Although*the*characters*in*Never!Let!Me!Go*are*presented*as*whole*beings,*as*white*canvases*that*can* be*painted*by*their*teachers,*when*their*lives*continue,*they*start*donating*their*vital*organs*and* literally*lose*their*wholeness.*In*the*film*there*is*a*contrast*created*between*the*embodiment*of*the* characters,*bodies*that*lose*organs,*and*the*way*these*bodies*are*educated,*as*perfectly*behaving,* wellMformed*individuals,*all*with*their*own*personalities9_{.*Only*a*few*moments*in*the*film*show*some*} (literal)*ruptures*in*this*image*of*the*students*as*perfect*and*whole*beings.*At*these*moments,*the* 9_{I*elaborate*on*the*contrast*between*embodied*and*overarching*narrative*in*chapter*3}

19* identity*of*the*students*does*not*coincide*with*their*integrity*anymore.*As*Jenny*Slatman*explains:** * Whereas*identity*refers*to*who*or*what*a*person*is,*integrity*refers*to*the*unity*and*wholeness* of*this*person.*Being*somebody,*being*a*unique*individual,*presupposes*a*wholeness*or*unity*–* an*integrum.*(74) The*identity*of*the*students*is*determined*by*staying*healthy.*However,*suddenly*their*bodies*become* impaired.*A*scene*that*illustrates*this*contrast*is*the*scene*with*which*the*film*starts:*it*is*a*preview*of* what*follows.*You*see*Kathy*looking*through*a*window*into*a*surgery*room*in*which*Tommy*is*lying* with*a*huge*scar*on*his*flank.*Later*on*in*the*film*only*two*of*these*moments*reappear.*One*scene*in* which*Tommy*is*painting*in*his*room*in*one*of*the*completion*centers*and*is*filmed*from*behind*and* another*scene*in*which*Ruth*is*“completing”:*her*last*organ*is*removed,*after*which*she*dies.*Again* you*see*bodies*M*either*with*a*removed*organ,*or*with*scars*M*that*lose*their*bodily*integrity.*Sutures* are*holding*their*bodies*together,*otherwise*they*will*fall*apart.* * * * * * What*these*scenes*have*in*common*is*the*presentation*of*the*bodies*of*the*donors*as*bodies* that*can*be*looked*at*in*detail.*In*the*surgery*room,*where*first*Ruth*and*later*on*in*the*film*Tommy*is* lying,*the*bodies*become*objects*to*look*at*(see*image*2*and*3).*The*perspective*in*these*scenes*is* from*someone*standing*behind*a*window*that*gives*sight*into*the*surgery*room.*In*Tommy’s*scene,* we*know*that*this*is*Kathy.*In*Ruth’s*scene,*it*is*not*clear*who*is*watching.*The*perspective*is*of* someone,*the*omniscient*viewer,*witnessing*Ruth’s*completion10_{.*Because*of*the*window*placed*} between*the*one*who*looks*and*the*object*being*looked*at,*there*is*a*distance*created*between*the* observer*and*the*observed.** * 10_{The*term*“completion”*is*used*in*the*film*for*one’s*last*donation,*after*which*the*donor*dies.*I*elaborate*on*the*use*of*this*} term*in*chapter*3

* Image*2.(00:02:24)* * Image*3.*(1:21:00)* * The*viewer*observes*the*bodies*of*the*students,*as*if*watching*animals*in*a*zoo.*The*difference*of* these*bodies*is*highlighted*by*the*window*standing*between*the*viewer*of*the*film*and*the*characters.* The*window*highlights*the*distance*between*the*viewer*of*the*film*and*the*characters*with*which*it* identifies.** In*the*scenes*in*the*surgery*room,*there*is*a*contrast*between*the*bodies*of*the*donors*and* the*bodies*of*the*doctors,*all*situated*in*one*room.*The*bodies*of*Ruth*and*Tommy,*horizontally*on*the* bed,*do*not*move,*while*the*doctors,*vertically*walking*around*them,*constantly*move.*Another*aspect* that*creates*this*contrast*is*the*relative*openness*of*Ruth*and*Tommy,*and*the*closeness*of*the* doctors.*The*difference*is*their*bodily*integrity.*The*doctors*are*totally*covered*by*clothes,*a*face*mask*

21* included,*protecting*themselves*from*“the*dirt”*of*the*donors’*bodies.*They*stay*anonymous;*the* viewer*never*sees*their*faces.*The*focus*is*on*their*hands*that*perform*important*actions.*By*focusing* on*the*hands*of*the*doctors,*busy*with*tubes*and*forceps,*the*bodies*of*the*clones*are*becoming* bodies*that*can*be*used,*that*can*be*acted*upon*by*these*hands.** * * * * In*contrast,*Ruth*and*Tommy’s*faces*and*bodies*are*shown*in*detail*to*the*viewer*and*their* bodies,*especially*in*Ruth’s*case,*are*literally*open:*we*see*a*hole*in*her*belly*from*which*an*organ*is* removed,*put*in*a*plastic*seeMthrough*bag*by*the*doctors.*This*is*the*only*moment*when*the*removal* of*an*actual*organ*is*shown*in*the*film;*the*only*proof*that*these*horrible*treatments*take*place.*The* scene*ends*with*Ruth*lying*on*the*operation*table,*surrounded*by*equipment,*left*alone*by*the* doctors.** * * * * * * * * * * Although,*as*I*suggested*before,*the*images*of*Tommy*and*Ruth*share*similarities,*there*also*is* a*difference*between*them.*In*the*scene*with*Tommy,*the*viewer*has*eye*contact*with*him.*Tommy*is* staring*back*at*the*viewer*and*in*that*sense*invites*him*or*her*to*identify*with*him.*The*viewer*is* confronted*with*something*familiar,*a*beloved*one*that*is*driven*into*a*surgery*room.*This*image*is* brutally*disturbed*when*a*doctor*dispenses*the*anesthetic*liquid*into*Tommy’s*blood*after*which* Tommy*slowly*falls*asleep.*The*scene*ends*with*the*doctors*brutally*straightening*Tommy’s*head*so* that*they*can*put*on*a*respirator.*In*the*scene*with*Ruth,*however,*the*viewer*has*no*eye*contact*with* her.*She*already*undergoes*the*surgery.*The*image*of*the*removal*of*Ruth’s*organ*arouses* associations*of*television*shows*in*which*the*viewer*can*witness*a*“real”*surgery.*In*these*shows,*the* patient*stays*anonymous.*In*the*film,*however,*the*viewer*has*met*Ruth*and*has*come*to*know*her*a* little.*The*removal*of*the*organ*makes*her*body*an*anonymous*body.*In*consequence,*the*window* standing*between*the*viewer*and*the*bodies*of*Tommy*and*Ruth*has*a*double*function.*On*the*one* hand*it*makes*these*bodies*familiar,*on*the*other*hand*it*estranges*them.* * * * Coming*back*to*Baudrillard’s*theory*on*the*clone,*for*him*cloning*is*the*end*of*the*body,*the* end*of*wholeness*and*unity.*The*clones*in*Never!Let!Me!Go*are*quite*literally*the*embodiment*of*the* end*of*wholeness:*their*organs*are*removed.*In*biology,*the*body*is*seen*as*an*endless*reproduction*of* the*DNA*molecule,*all*the*information*of*the*body*can*be*found*in*one*molecule.*According*to* Baudrillard,*this*theory*started*already*when*scientists*began*to*divide*the*body*into*different*organs* and*functions.*Micromolecular*genetics*is*nothing*but*the*logical*consequence*of*this*dividing*process,* though,*on*a*much*higher*level*of*abstraction*(68).** * When*you*continue*this*thought*process,*then*the*DNA*molecule*can*be*seen*as*the* prosthesis*par*excellence,*as*Baudrillard*calls*it:* * If*the*prosthesis*is*commonly*an*artifact*that*supplements*a*failing*organ,*or*the*instrumental* extension*of*a*body,*then*the*DNA*molecule,*which*contains*all*information*relative*to*a*body,*

is*the*prosthesis*par*excellence,*the*one*that*will*allow*for*the*indefinite*extension*of*this*body* by*the*body*itself*M*this*body*itself*being*nothing*but*the*indefinite*series*of*its*prostheses.*(68)** * This*type*of*prosthesis*differs*from*the*conventional*way*a*prosthesis*works,*as*an*“instrumental* extension*of*the*body”.*The*DNA*molecule*as*prosthesis*does*not*modify*the*image*of*the*body.*What* is*taking*place*with*cloning,*then,*is*that*the*prosthesis*is*not*part*of*the*image*of*the*body*anymore.* The*prosthesis*is*“interiorized*in,*infiltrates*the*anonymous*and*microMmolecular*heart*of*the*body”* (69).*The*DNAMmolecule*is*an*abstract*presentation*(or*proMthesis)*of*the*whole*body;*it*substitutes* the*whole*body.*The*DNA*molecule*becomes*the!original!model*for*the*body,*so*that*the*body* becomes*the*immutable*repetition*of*its*prosthesis.*This*leads,*as*I*mentioned*before,*to*the*end*of* the*body,*because*the*body*is*seen*as*a*community*of*individual*cells*that*can*be*stripped*away*from* the*body*and*used*outside*of*it.** * * * * * * * * Rose*makes*a*move*from*the*molecularization*of*biology,*the*development*Baudrillard*talks* about,*to*the*molecularization*of*politics*(molecular!politics).*What*he*addresses*with*this*term*is*that* over*the*closing*decades*of*the*20th_{*century,*life*became*a*collection*of*“subMcellular*processes*and*} events,*controlled*by*a*genome*which*is*neither*a*diagram*or*blueprint,*but*a*digital*code*written*on* the*molecular*structure*of*the*chromosome”.*The*DNAMmolecule*contains*“the*language*of*life”*that* makes*us*what*we*are*(13).*The*molecularization*of*biology*leads*to*a*molecularization*of*politics,* which*means*that*biopolitics*now*addresses*human*existence*at*the*molecular*level*(17).** The*clones*in*Never!Let!Me!Go,!gathering*the*thoughts*of*Baudrillard*and*Rose*together,*are* the*ultimate*prostheses.*Their*bodies*are*used*to*grow*functioning*organs.*Because*politics*takes* place*on*the*level*of*the*DNAMmolecule,*the*body*is*not*seen*as*whole,*but*as*different*parts*that*can* be*used*for*different*purposes.*The*clones*are*literally*and*metaphorically*embodying*the*end*of* wholeness:*literally,*their*actual*organs*are*removed*and*metaphorically,*they*embody*the*figure*that* can*be*seen*as*the*ultimate*prosthesis.*What*the*film*demonstrates*is*that*the*molecularization*of* politics*makes*it*possible*for*the*doctors*to*use*the*bodies*of*Kathy,*Ruth*and*Tommy*as*the*ultimate* prostheses.*The*bodies*of*the*clones*are*seen*as*bodies*that*can*be*acted*upon*by*the*hands*of*the* doctors.* * * * * * * * * * * * As*the*bodies*of*Tommy*and*Ruth*are*approached*as*bodies*composed*of*useful*organs,*their* bodies*become*impaired.*One*would*expect*that*this*would*lead*to*a*dramatic*moment*for*the* characters.*We*see*Ruth*in*a*wheelchair*in*one*of*the*completion*centers*and*later*on*in*the*film* Tommy*has*to*be*supported*by*Kathy*when*they*take*a*walk.*However,*they*never*react*to*their* impairment*as*if*they*were*misfits*in*the*world*they*live*in.*Rosemarie*GarlandMThomson*in*“Misfits:*A* Feminist*Materialist*Disability*Concept”*elaborates*on*the*concept*of*misfit.*The*concept*of*misfit!is* based*in*disability*studies.*She*uses*this*concept*to*think*through*the*lived*identity*and*experience*of*

23* disability*as*it*is*situated*in*place*and*time.*With*fitting!and*misfitting,*GarlandMThomson*denotes*“an* encounter*in*which*two*things*come*together*in*either*harmony*or*disjunction”.*A*misfit*could*thus*be* described*as*“an*incongruent*relationship*between*two*things”.*In*consequence,*the*cause*for*the* creation*of*a*misfit*does*not*rely*in*either*of*the*two*things,*but*in*the*attempt*to*fit*them*together* (593).*The*concept*of*misfit*draws*attention*to*the*fact*that*injustice*and*discrimination*are*not*only* based*in*social*attitudes*or*representation*practices,*but*are*also*based*in*the*materiality*of*the*world* (593).** * * * * * * * * * * * * What*stands*out*in*the*film*is*the*way*the*bodies*of*the*students*never*encounter*friction*or* misfitting*with*the*environment.*As*the*surgery*room*scenes*show,*the*spatiality*of*these*rooms,* together*with*the*facilities*in*the*completion*centers,*in*which*the*students*live*during*their*last* months,*are*perfectly*adapted*to*the*change*in*the*bodies*of*the*students.*According*to*GarlandM Thomson,*the*concept*of*misfit*is*not*restricted*to*the*realm*of*disability*studies.*She*explains* misfitting*as*“a*contingent*and*fundamental*fact*of*human*embodiment”*(598).*The*concepts*of* misfitting*and*fitting*ensure*that*bodies*are*recognized*as*always*situated*in*and*dependent*on* environments*(598).*The*protectiveness*of*the*whole*system*in*which*the*students*live,*which*is*part* of*the*biopolitical*project*of*Hailsham,*continues*in*their*further*lives.*In*consequence,*I*wonder*what* would*happen*if*one*would*fit*an*environment*too*perfectly.*What*if*one*never*encounters*any* friction*or*misfitting?*Because*the*students*fit*so*perfectly*in*their*world,*it*makes*the*decisions*that* are*made*about*their*bodies*justified*and*unquestionable.*Hence,*in*the*film*the*materiality*of*the* spaces*in*which*the*students*move,*together*with*the*social*attitudes*of*their*teachers,*create* injustice,*not*because*the*students*are*misfits*in*these*spaces,*but*because*they*fit*too*perfectly.*The* materiality*of*the*environment*in*the*film*is*an*apparatus*as*well,*that*plays*a*part*in*the*biopolitical:*it* plays*a*part*in*addressing*the*vital*processes*of*human*existence.* * * * * As*I*stated*before,*what*is*shocking*about*the*film*is*that*the*students*themselves*never* question*the*way*they*are*treated*and*educated.*They*do*not*develop*a*revolutionary!consciousness! and*try*to*overthrow*the*logic*of*the*system*they*live*in.*According*to*Sara*Ahmed*in*her*chapter* “Happy*Futures”*in*The!Promise!of!Happiness,*“revolutionary*consciousness*means*feeling*at*odds* with*the*world,*or*feeling*the*world*is*odd”*(168).*Alienation*is*needed*to*become*revolutionary.*The* lack*of*revolutionary!consciousness*by*the*characters*can*be*explained*by*the*way*they*are*fitting*too* perfectly*in*the*world*they*inhabit.*The*biopolitical*project*of*Hailsham*ensures*that*the*students* never*feel*at*odds*with*the*world*or*with*the*way*they*are*educated*and*treated.*They*are*prepared* for*their*faith*and*the*decisions*that*are*made*about*their*bodies*are*naturalized.** * * * * * * * * * * I*have*demonstrated*in*this*chapter*that*the*coming*to*view*of*the*clone*in*Never!Let!Me!Go!is*closely* connected*to*the*idea*of*biopolitics.*First,*the*clone*appears*as*a*figure*in*desperate*need*of*an*origin*

that*will*elucidate*its*personality*and*explains*why*it*acts*in*certain*ways*at*certain*moments.* Secondly,*the*clone*appears*as*an*innocent*child,*formed*by*the*teachers*at*Hailsham.*The*staging*of* the*clone*as*innocent*child*creates*on*the*one*hand*a*“reproductive*futurism”,*in*which*the*health*of* the*students*is*monitored*and*in*which*they*are*protected*against*every*“otherness”.*On*the*other* hand,*the*students*do*not*have*a*future:*the*protection*of*the*students*from*every*“otherness”*serves* the*biopolitical*project*of*Hailsham*M*Hailsham*as*the*provider*of*perfectly*formed*organ*donors.* Thirdly,*the*clone*appears*as*organ*donor*that*slowly*loses*its*wholeness*by*donating*its*organs.*The* molecularization*of*politics*enables*the*way*the*donors*are*treated*as*bodies*composed*of*parts*that* can*be*used.*Because*the*students*perfectly*fit*their*environment,*the*treatments*become*justified* and*unquestionable.*They*seem*the*logical*consequence*of*the*materiality*in*which*the*students*live.* * Hence,*the*film*makes*a*constant*move*from*the*familiar*to*the*unfamiliar.*On*the*one*hand,* the*viewer*of*the*film*identifies*with*the*characters*when*they*are*portrayed*as*children,*who*want*to* find*out*where*they*come*from,*or,*when*they*are*adults,*driven*into*a*surgery*room.*On*the*other* hand,*these*innocent*children*are*clones*that*will*be*used*for*the*purpose*of*organ*donation,* something*the*viewer*can*never*really*grasp.*This*is*what*makes*the*appearance*of*the*figure*of*the* clone*in*this*film*powerful.*The*familiarity*of*the*characters*naturalizes*the*project*of*Hailsham*as*a* biopolitical*apparatus.*Only*a*few*moments*show*ruptures*in*the*“perfect”*world*of*the*students. * In*the*next*chapter,*I*deal*with*the*figure*of*the*clone*in*relation*to*the*environment*in*which* it*is*placed*and*how*the*environment*plays*an*important*role*in*creating*a*community*and*at*the*same* time*creating*immunity.*I*build*upon*Garland*Thomson’s*argument*that*the*materiality*of*the* environment*enables*fitting*and*misfitting.*When*following*Baudrillard’s*theory*on*the*DNA*molecule,* the*idea*of*what*an*individual*is*changes*radically.*Oron*Catts*and*Ionat*Zurr*introduce*a*new*class*of* being*in*their*“Towards*a*new*class*of*being*–*The*Extended*Body”:*semiMliving*parts*that*are*stripped* away*from*bodies.*When*citing*Huxley,*Wells*and*Wells,*they*state*the*following:* * We*may*compare*the*body*to*a*community,*and*the*cells*to*the*individuals*of*which*this*vast* organized*population*is*composed.*It*is*very*important*to*realize*that*this*is*not*a*merely* allegorical*comparison.*It*is*a*statement*of*fact,*for—we*resort*here*to*the*stress*of*italics— single*cells*can*be*isolated*from*the*rest*of*the*body,*and*kept*alive.*(3)* * When*one*would*follow*this*model,*the*cell*(or*the*DNA*molecule)*is*the*individual,*the*organ*a*small* community*of*individual*cells,*the*body*a*community*of*organs*and,*in*the*film,*Hailsham*a*community* of*bodies,*or*donors.*The*next*chapter*builds*upon*the*idea*of*Hailsham*as*a*community*of*bodies*that* is*isolated*from*the*rest*of*the*population.*

*

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25*

2.*

Community*and*Immunity

* * As*I*stated*at*the*end*of*the*previous*chapter,*in*Never!Let!Me!Go,*different*layers*of*community*exist:* the*organ*can*be*seen*as*a*community*of*cells,*the*donor*as*a*community*of*organs*and*Hailsham*as*a* community*of*donors.*Hailsham*is*a*small*biopolitical*community*that*regulates*the*bodies*of*the* students.*In*this*chapter,*I*will*deal*with*the*different*layers*M*organ,*donor,*Hailsham*M*of*community* present*in*the*film*and*the*role*immunity*plays*in*the*formation*of*these*communities.*In*doing*so,*I* show*the*way*biopolitics*infiltrates*on*different*levels*in*the*film:*on*the*individual*body,*on*a*body*of* people*and*on*the*environment*in*which*these*bodies*are*placed.* * * * Communitas!and*immunitas*are*concepts*Roberto*Esposito*uses*when*he*sketches*his*ideas* on*biopolitics.*As*he*states,*the*dialectic*between*communitas*and*immunitas*is*inherently*part*of*the* biopolitical*paradigm*(85).*He*characterizes*communitas*as*“giving*up*one’s*individual*identity,*in*a* process*of*gradual*opening*from*self*to*the*other”*(84).*He*focuses*on*the*munus*in*community,*which* has*a*complex*meaning*of*both*“law”*and*“gift”,*and*more*specifically,*“the*law*of*a*unilateral*gift*to* others”*(84).*Communitas*is*a*commitment*of*giving*or*giving*up*one’s*individuality.*In*contrast,* immunitas!is*a*way*to*rebuild*the*barriers*of*one’s*individual*identity:** * One*may*well*conclude*that*if*community*breaks*down*the*barriers*of*individual*identity,* immunity*is*the*way*to*rebuild*them,*in*defensive*and*offensive*forms,*against*any*external* element*that*threatens*it.*(85)* * In*this*sense,*immunitas*is*on*the*one*hand*that*which*protects*life;*on*the*other*hand*it*is*that*which* negates*life:*it*kills*threatening*living*bodies.*Where*communitas*opens*itself*up*to*other*bodies,* immunitas!cuts*itself*off*from*these*bodies.*The*dialectic*between*communitas*and*immunitas!is*not* at*work*in*individuals*only,*it*is*also*at*work*in*bodies*of*people,*which*always*tend*to*immunize* against*foreign*elements*that*threaten*the*“community”*from*the*outside.*The*dialectic*inherent*to* biopolitics,*then,*is*the*way*a*body*M*an*individual*body*or*a*body*of*people*M*in*forming*a*community,* always*immunizes*certain*other*bodies.*Esposito*warns*against*the*moment*when*immunity*prevails* over*community:* * Although*immunity*is*necessary*to*the*preservation*of*our*life,*when*driven*beyond*a*certain* threshold*it*forces*life*into*a*sort*of*cage*where*not*only*our*freedom*gets*lost*but*also*the* very*meaning*of*our*existence*–*that*opening*of*existence*outside*itself*that*takes*the*name*of* communitas.*(85)** *

For*the*students*living*at*Hailsham*(and*later*at*the*cottages),*the*dialectic*between*immunitas*and* communitas*plays*an*important*role*in*their*lives.*In*this*chapter*I*want*to*address*the*balance* between*these*two*poles*in*the*individual*bodies*of*the*students*and*see*how*the*biopolitical* community*of*Hailsham*as*an*institute*is*shaped*by*this*dialectic.** * the*organ*as*gift* Coming*back*to*the*surgery*room*scenes*I*discussed*in*the*previous*chapter,*what*I*left*to*discuss* there*is*the*status*of*the*organ.*As*I*mentioned*before,*the*scene*in*which*Ruth*is*completing*is*the* only*scene*in*which*the*viewer*witnesses*the*actual*removal*of*an*organ*out*of*the*donor’s*body*(see* image*4).** Image*4.(01:20:51)* * In*this*image,*the*tension*between*openness*and*closeness*becomes*not*only*visible*in*the*interaction* between*the*doctors*and*donor,*as*I*stated*in*the*previous*chapter,*but*also*in*the*relation*between* the*donor,*Ruth*in*this*case,*and*her*organ.*The*body*of*Ruth*literally*opens*up*for*the*removal*of*her* organ.*She*opens*up*for*her*donation.*The*result*of*this*openness,*the*organ,*has*to*be*closed*off*in*a* plastic*bag;*it*has*to*be*closed*off*from*possible*invaders*that*can*pollute*its*“character”.*The*organ*is* put*into*a*transparent*plastic*bag,*enabling*the*viewer*to*see*it,*but*at*the*same*time*making*it* unattainable.*The*organ*is*isolated*from*the*body,*leaving*the*body*of*the*donor*alone.*This*dramatic* moment*is*highlighted*by*the*sound*accompanying*the*scene.*Before*the*removal*of*the*organ,*the* viewer*hears*a*steady*pulse*in*a*quiet*rhythm.*When*the*organ*is*isolated*from*the*body*the*rhythm*

27* becomes*more*and*more*jittery,*ending*in*a*climax:*a*monotonous*beep.*The*doctors*pay*no*attention* to*this*change*in*sound;*they*just*keep*working.*In*this*scene,*it*does*not*become*clear*which*organ*is* taken*out*of*Ruth’s*body.*First,*when*the*organ*is*taken*out*of*her*body,*the*focus*is*on*Ruth’s*face;* the*organ*in*the*doctor’s*hands*is*out*of*focus.*After*that,*the*focus*is*on*the*organ*in*the*hands*of*the* doctors.*However*it*is*immediately*put*in*a*bag,*making*it*impossible*to*see*what*shape*it*has.*Ruth’s* organ*is*not*thrown*out*by*the*body,*as*if*it*was*immunized,*but*is*taken*out*of*her*body,*without*the* urge*of*her*body*to*let*this*happen.* * * * * * * * * As*JeanMLuc*Nancy*states*in*“L’Intrus”,*where*he*analyzes*his*own*heart*transplantation,*there* already*exists*a*history*of*representations*of*organ*transplants.*In*these*representations,*“a*notion*of* solidarity,*if*not*fraternity,*between*“donor”*and*receiver*was*greatly*emphasized,*with*the*aim*of* promoting*organ*donation”*(8).*This*solidarity*was*emphasized*by*the*fact*that*there*are*no*limits,* except*by*the*incompatibility*in*blood*type,*in*the*giving*or*receiving*of*the*gift*(the*organ).*Nancy* does*not*specify*by*whom*this*solidarity*or*fraternity*was*emphasized*for*the*promotion*of*organ* donation11_{.*The*giving*and*receiving*of*an*organ,*according*to*Nancy,*creates*“the*possibility*of*a*} network*wherein*life/death*is*shared*out,*where*life*connects*with*death,*where*the*incommunicable* communicates”*(8).* * * * * * * * * * * On*this*point,*Nancy’s*ideas*on*organ*transplants*can*be*connected*to*the*idea*of*communitas* by*Esposito.*Ruth*in*this*scene*is*opening*up*to*the*other.*She*is*giving*“a*unilateral*gift”,*her*organ,*to* the*other,*without*asking*anything*back.*Her*individuality*is*given*up*in*the*donation*of*this*organ.*Her* organ*does*not*belong*to*her;*it*belongs*to*the*community.*She*cannot*even*ask*anything*back,* because*her*life*will*be*completed*after*the*donation*of*this*gift.*The*donating/receiving*of*her*organ* creates*a*community*between*the*one*who*gives*and*the*one*who*receives,*a*community*where*life* and*death*are*shared*out.* * * * * * * * * * However,*this*is*not*the*whole*picture*we*deal*with*here.*The*receiver*remains*absent*in*the* film.*The*viewer*never*comes*to*know*whether*Ruth’s*organ*is*used*in*a*proper*way;*whether*it*is* transplanted*successfully*in*the*receiving*body,*whether*or*not*it*is*not*immunized*by*this*body,*by* the*immune*cells*that*do*not*accept*the*foreign*organ.*The*sacrifice*of*the*clones*does*not*secure*that* the*organ*will*be*accepted*in*the*host*body.*The*solidarity*or*fraternity*between*donor*and*receiver*is* not*made*visible*in*the*film.** * * * * * * * * * Nancy’s*text*is*written*from*the*perspective*of*the*receiver.*The*heart*transplant*he*received* from*the*donating*body*became*part*of*his*body,*without*ever*feeling*as*his*own*heart.*Nancy*had*to* take*medication*that*kept*his*immune*system*working*a*little*less*than*it*would*normally*do,*so*that* the*new*heart*would*be*accepted*by*his*body.*As*I*made*clear*in*the*previous*chapter,*in*elaborating* 11_{As*I*explained*in*the*introduction,*in*the*Netherlands*organ*donation*is*promoted*by*the*government,*see*website*} https://www.jaofnee.nl

on*Baudrillard’s*idea*on*the*DNAMmolecule,*the*organ*can*be*seen*in*the*same*light*as*the*DNAM molecule,*in*the*sense*that*it*works*as*the*ultimate*prosthesis.*The*organ*consists*of*multiple*cells,* built*from*the*same*DNAMmolecule*and*as*prosthesis*it*infiltrates*the*receiving*body.*The*organ* becomes*part*of*the*body,*without*changing*its*image:*the*way*the*body*is*perceived*from*the* outside.*However,*what*becomes*clear*in*Nancy’s*case,*is*that*his*body*from*the*inside,*without*taking* medication,*would*work*against*this*foreign*body;*it*would*immunize*the*new*heart.*Hence,*in*the* case*of*Nancy,*the*formation*of*a*community*between*donating*and*receiving*body*is*coupled*with* the*inevitable*work*of*the*immune*system.* * * * * * * The*perspective*Nancy*shows*in*his*article,*the*perspective*of*the*receiver,*is*not*at*all* represented*in*the*film.*I*wonder*what*this*absence*means*for*the*representation*of*organ* transplantation.*The*absence*of*the*receiver*makes*the*surgery*room*scene*where*Ruth*is*completing* a*cold*and*detached*scene.*The*aim*of*her*donation*is*not*shown;*for*the*viewer*her*death*feels* unnecessary.*The*forming*of*a*community*between*the*donating*and*receiving*body*is*not*fully* shown,*we*only*see*the*removal*of*the*organ*from*the*body.* * * * * * In*Corporeal!Generosity,*Rosalyn*Diprose*elaborates,*as*the*title*already*suggests,*on*what*she* calls*“corporeal*generosity”,*a*generosity*that*precedes*and*establishes*communal*relations*in* constituting*the*self*as*affecting*and*being*affected*by*others*(4).*She*adds*a*corporeal,*or*“carnal”* dimension*to*generosity.*In*the*giving*and*receiving*of*a*gift,*bodies*are*open*to*otherness,*which* results*in*the*production*of*identity*and*difference;*it*results*in*a*material*production*(9).*Drawing* from*MerleauMPonty,*Diprose*states*that*only*in*giving*your*body*to*someone*else*and*vice*versa*one* can*exist*as*a*social*being:*“Whether*learning*a*new*skill*or*inheriting*someone*else’s*kidney,*my* possibilities*are*borrowed*from*the*bodies*of*others,*always*with*an*incalculable*remainder”* (54).Moreover,*our*freedom*is*not*limited*by*others*taking*control*over*our*bodies,*but*“it*is*limited* by*the*“lessening*of*the*tolerance*allowed*by*the*bodily*and*institutional*data*of*our*lives”,*as* MerleauMPonty*puts*it”*(55).In*this*sense,*Diprose’s*thought*is*related*to*GarlandMThomson’s*idea*of* the*material*aspects*inherent*to*social*injustice*or*discrimination.*As*Diprose*states:* * Emphasizing*the*way*the*gift*does*its*work*only*by*being*forgotten*and*then*through*the* dispersal*of*presence*overlooks*how,*in*practice,*the*generosity*and*the*gifts*of*some* (property*owners,*men,*wage*earners,*whites)*tend*to*be*recognized*and*remembered*more* often*than*the*generosity*and*gifts*of*others*(the*landless,*women,*the*unemployed,* indigenous*peoples*and*immigrants).*It*is*the*systematic,*asymmetrical*forgetting*of*the*gift,* where*only*the*generosity*of*the*privileged*is*memorialized,*that*social*inequities*and*injustice* are*based.*(8)* * When*I*look*at*the*scene*in*which*Ruth*donates*her*organ,*there*exists*no*social*bond*between*the* donor*and*receiver;*there*exist*no*"social*bond*that*obligates*recipient*to*donor”*(Diprose*6).*The*

29* recipient*does*not*have*to*be*grateful*for*receiving*the*organ;*he/she*is*not*even*aware*of*the* existence*of*the*donor,*just*as*the*donor*is*not*aware*of*the*existence*of*the*receiver.*Hailsham*is* placed*on*the*borders*of*society,*where*no*one*has*to*encounter*this*place.*No*one*has*to*encounter* the*bodies*that*belong*to*the*gifts*that*are*part*of*the*gift*economy*in*Great*Britain.*The*giving*of*the* organ*by*Ruth*is*completely*forgotten.*As*the*quote*by*Diprose*shows,*the*way*Ruth’s*gift*is*forgotten,* or*not*paid*much*attention*to,*is*what*creates*social*injustice*in*Never!Let!Me!Go.*The*organ*is* commodified*as*being*part*of*the*economy*that*plays*an*important*role*in*the*apparatus*of*Hailsham. * There*exists*a*sort*of*“service*contract”,*as*Diprose*calls*it,*between*“buyer”,*“seller”*and* “item”*exchanged*(50).*In*Never!Let!Me!Go,!the*anonymous*organ*is*the*item*that*is*exchanged*from* Ruth,*“the*seller”,*to*the*anonymous*recipient,*“the*buyer”.*Hailsham*as*apparatus*ensures*that*his* exchange*is*handled*with*care.*Following*Diprose,*this*contract*“reduces*the*ambiguity*of*body* intersubjectivity*by*atomizing*and*commodifying*corporeality”*(50).*What*is*important*in*the*service* contract,*in*contrast*to*the*contract*based*on*the*gift,*is*that*the*original*owner*(Ruth*or*Hailsham)*is* responsible*for*the*quality*of*the*product.*Therefore,*Hailsham*is*so*concerned*about*the*health*of* their*students,*as*I*demonstrated*in*the*first*chapter.*The*giving*of*the*organ,*then,*cannot*be*a*true* act*of*generosity.*It*makes*the*bodies*of*the*students*atomized,*divided*into*parts,*and*commodified.* What*Nancy*overlooks*in*his*analysis*of*his*own*heart*transplantation*is*the*commodified*gift* economy*that*is*underlying*the*“solidarity*or*fraternity”*between*donor*and*recipient.** * * The*absence*of*the*receiving*body,*however,*also*has*a*critical*potential.*It*gives*some*weight* to*the*importance*of*the*donating*body,*the*body*of*Ruth,*and*shows*the*process*of*organ*donation* detached*from*the*receiving*body,*detached*from*its*connotation*of*fraternity*and*solidarity*or*from* corporeal*generosity.*What*remains*is*a*cruel*scene*in*which*the*organ*plays*the*lead*role.*The*whole* scene*is*all*about*the*organ,*carried*as*a*treasure*by*the*doctors.*By*letting*the*organ*play*the*lead* role*in*this*scene,*it*gains*agency.*However,*as*I*already*mentioned,*the*organ*stays*anonymous,*as* the*viewer*does*not*come*to*know*what*kind*of*organ*is*dealt*with*here.** * * * On*the*level*of*the*body,*then,*the*community/immunity*dialectic*is*not*balanced*out.*The* organ*in*this*scene*is*the*gift,*the*unilateral*gift*by*the*body*of*Ruth.*We*only*see*communitas*at*work* here.*Ruth*gives*up*her*individuality,*the*individuality*of*her*body,*in*opening*up*to*the*other.* However,*the*working*of*communitas*is*not*halted*by*the*process*of*immunitas.*Ruth*cannot*set*the* barriers*of*her*body.*She*has*no*agency*in*determining*what*belongs*to*her*body*and*what*belongs*to* the*community.*As*explained*above,*Esposito*warns*against*the*moment*when*immunitas!is*driven* beyond*a*certain*threshold,*when*it*no*longer*protects*the*body,*but*destroys*it.*Where*Esposito* celebrates*communitas!as*“the*very*meaning*of*our*existence”*(85),*I*want*to*draw*attention*to*the* possible*dangers*of*its*workings.*What*my*analysis*of*Ruth’s*donation*shows,*and*what*Esposito*fails* to*address,*are*the*consequences*of*when*communitas!is*driven*beyond*this*threshold.*As*Ruth’s*

donation*shows,*opening*up*too*much*also*destroys*the*body.** * architectural*immunity* The*unilateral*gift*by*Ruth,*her*organ,*is*part*of*a*bigger*gift*economy*that*plays*a*role*at*Hailsham.*At* Hailsham,*there*is*a*gallery*of*artworks*that*is*made*by*the*students.*Only*the*best*artworks*are* selected*to*be*part*of*this*gallery.*Once*a*student’s*work*is*selected*for*the*gallery,*the*student*earns*a* fiche.*Every*now*and*then*a*bazaar*is*organized*at*Hailsham.*At*the*bazaars*the*students*can*“buy”* objects,*with*the*fiches*they*have*earned*with*the*creation*of*their*artworks.*The*bazaars*are*full*of* small*worthless*things:*buttons,*dolls*without*legs*or*arms,*cassettes,*pencils*etc.*The*objects*that*are* brought*to*Hailsham*for*the*bazaar*have*lost*their*function*or*purpose.*Only*then*can*these*objects*be* brought*to*Hailsham,*when*humans*have*lost*their*interest*in*them.*In*that*sense,*the*objects*that*are* brought*to*Hailsham*can*be*compared*to*the*students*themselves,*once*they*have*completed*their* donation*track.*They*lose*their*function,*the*donation*of*organs,*for*the*people*living*in*Great*Britain* and*can*be*thrown*away.*Hence,*the*film*shows*a*very*specific*type*of*gift*economy,*where*the* students*give*unilateral*gifts*to*the*people*in*Great*Britain.*The*people*in*Great*Britain,*in*contrast* only*give*objects*that*already*have*lost*their*function*to*the*students,*gifts*that*are*not*really*gifts,* because*they*ask*something*back*(organs).* * I*am*not*so*much*interested*in*the*working*of*the*bazaar*here,*but*more*in*the*way*the* objects*for*the*bazaar*are*delivered*to*Hailsham.*This*scene*shows*the*community/immunity*dialectic* on*a*different*level,*related*to*Hailsham*as*an*institute*where*bodies*are*monitored.*The*immune* system*can*be*seen*as*a*surveillance*system,*in*which*the*immune*cells*monitor*the*body.*Once*the* immune*cells*encounter*something*foreign,*the*invader*has*to*be*killed.*The*body*is*“a*space”*that*has* to*be*protected.*In*that*sense,*the*idea*of*the*immune*system*can*be*extended*to*the*spatial* dimension:*architectural!immunity,*as*I*call*it*here.*My*aim*in*analyzing*this*architectural*form*of* immunity*is*to*show*the*importance*of*architecture*for*the*way*bodies*are*distributed,*for*the*way* architectural*forms*mirror*societal*structures:** * Architectural*form*can*be*seen*to*be*the*result*of*deeper*concerns,*as*Siegfried*Kracauer* acknowledges:*Spatial*images*are*the*dreams*of*society.*Wherever*the*hieroglyphics*of*any* spatial*image*are*deciphered,*there*the*basis*of*social*reality*presents*itself.*(Leach*xiii)* * The*immune*system*of*the*body*can*be*connected*to*the*surveillance*strategies*that*are*part*of* architectural*structures,*strategies*that*are*part*of*society.*This*idea*accompanies*GarlandMThomson’s* notion,*upon*which*I*touched*in*the*previous*chapter,*that*discrimination*does*not*only*exist*in*social* attitudes*and*representational*practices,*but*is*embedded*in*the*materiality*of*the*world*we*inhabit.* As*I*stated*there,*the*materiality*of*the*environment*in*the*film*is*an*apparatus*as*well,*that*plays*an*