In constructing my digital map narrative for Never Let Me Go, at first I began with excitement about using digital tools to bring a novel to life in a way. However, as I progressed, it became clear that the process required me to engage with both the novel and digital platforms in new ways that I would begin to struggle navigating. Although it was hard, this process not only deepened my understanding of Never Let Me Go, but also allowed me to explore the concept of a “digital afterlife” for the book. These projects allowed me to transform my interpretation of the novel into a multi-layered digital experience, where the physical places from the text—such as Hailsham, The Cottages, and the Norfolk Coast—became more than just locations; they became places for reflecting on the emotional and existential themes of this story that helped readers connect with the characters hardships. Yet, in bringing this story into the digital world, I faced challenges in adapting the novel’s emotional aspect into visual form and digital formats.

One of the main challenges I faced in creating my digital project for Never Let Me Go was effectively conveying the novel’s complex themes, such as nostalgia, control, and memory, through multimedia elements. Initially, I struggled with representing these ideas in a way that was respectful to the text and also meaningful for the audience or readers. For example, depicting Hailsham’s dual themes of nostalgia and control required a different approach, which at first became too complicated for me. By revisiting the assignment guidelines, looking at examples, reflecting on my notes, and using peer feedback, my focus deepened and I was able to select images that captured each location’s meaning from the themes I chose. 

The project also pushed me to reconsider how various media could support the narrative. Incorporating images, quotes, and data visualizations required me to think critically about how each element could enhance the themes of the novel. For example, representing the cottages, (an emotional and transition space for the characters) was difficult to portray it the way I wanted to. Using Voyant’s data visualization tools, I also deepened my analysis of recurring themes like memory and loss using 11 key words from the novel. Reflecting on the project, I see how the digital tools, such as StorymapJS and Voyant, helped me explore the text in new, dynamic ways. While the project allowed me to breathe new life into the novel, it also highlighted the limitations of digital media, which can’t fully replicate the personal, emotional connection that reading the novel itself provides.

Overall, through reflecting on this course’s projects I’ve created, I learned how to use the internet not just for finding information, but as a platform for creating unique media. This course allowed me to explore digital humanities tools like interactive timelines, story maps, and WordPress websites. I discovered the power of spreadsheets for creating data visualizations, which made it easy to turn data into graphs and charts. StoryMapJS was particularly exciting, not only did it feel like it made the most sense to me, but it was also visually fun to create as it combined storytelling with geographic context, making it ideal for mapping the journey of the characters in Never Let Me Go. Finally, building a website with WordPress and Divi Builder gave me the ability to create interactive, visually engaging elements without needing extensive prior knowledge. Furthermore, my project gave Never Let Me Go a digital afterlife, using technology to explore the novel in creative ways and allowing others to engage with it on a deeper level. Although I believe this, at the same time, it also reminded me that (in my opinion) no digital project can ever fully replace the personal experience of reading and interpreting a text; rather, it can only serve as one of many ways to interact with a literary work in the digital age that we live in.