Literary Fixation- Never Let Me Go

Spoilers for Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go as well as the film version.

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I remember the first time I saw the movie, it kept me awake all night. It wasn't that is was a scary movie or even disturbing, it kept me up because I just could not understand why these characters do not try to fight or get away.

I understand that they are both told and not told that they are clones and that they will have there vital organs harvested in "Donations" until they "Complete" (aka die). Their average life expectancy is 30. 

They are not kept in cells or lock away in any way. At first they live in a boarding school like normal students. The only difference is that they are not taught the same subjects as regular kids. Art and health seem to be the priorities. After leaving this school they go to "cottages" where they are pretty much free to do whatever they what. They even take road trips. 

So why do they not try and get away?

I read the book because I had hoped that it will fill in the blanks on this subject. It didn't.

The main character Kathy H. spends most of the last half of the book as a carer who drives around constantly. Alone. Why does she not keep driving and get away?

After her friend Ruth "Completes" and she becomes the carer for Tommy they try so hard to get a deferment from "Donations" to be allowed to have a few years together since they are in love. 

When this doesn't happen why don't they run away together and make a life for themselves?

Is it learned helplessness?

A repeated question within the book is "Do these clones have a soul?" 

The fact that they never even think about running away or fighting makes me wonder if they do have souls. Fight or Flight is a primal instinct in everyone. Yet all of the characters, with full knowledge of their impending deaths, do nothing.

It must be learned helplessness or else in this sci-fi story the clones are in fact soulless.

Just for fun let's compare this with the Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson film The Island. Both are about living clones being used for vital organs. In The Island once the main characters discover this they run away and fight to live. I can understand these characters.