The Aspects of Human-Non-Human Relationships in Kazuo Ishiguro's Novel "Klara and the Sun"

Zhenning Yue. The Aspects of Human-Non-Human Relationships in Kazuo Ishiguro's Novel "Klara and the Sun" : Master’s thesis in Philology / supervised by L. Miroshnychenko. Kyiv, 2025. 71 p.

The twenty-first century is a period rife with technological advances, where information technology and biotechnology are driving a seismic shift in the global landscape. Simultaneously, they have had a profound impact on our psychological and social frameworks.
Relevance of the current scientific work is preconditioned by the necessity to explore how this technological upsurge impacts our understanding of the world and our place within it, as imagined in the house of literature. In the dynamic realm of contemporary literature, the exploration of relationships between humans and non-humans has emerged as a compelling and intellectually stimulating theme. Kazuo Ishiguro is among those contemporary English writers who have made a significant contribution to these efforts.
The object of the study is his novel of 2021, Klara and the Sun. Given the centrality of the character of the social robot with AI, the novel appeals to examining a variety of human-non-human relations, as imagined by the writer, which constitutes the study’s objective.
The research applies cultural-historical, narratological, biographical, and comparative methods. It also relies on the posthumanist theory.
The work comprises Introduction, 3 chapters, conclusions, the list of references (74 items). In total, the work consists of 71 pages.
The first chapter provides an overview of posthumanism, which offers a radical reevaluation of the human condition in the face of technological and social change. It challenges the traditional humanist view of humanity as fixed, rational, and superior, and instead presents a vision of humanity as a dynamic, hybrid entity that is constantly being shaped by technology and its environment. If, according to Ihab Hassan, AI «help to transform the image of man», Ishiguro’s novel explains in what way “the agents of posthumanism” (in particular, social robots with AI) do so. Hassan related to technology and the pharmaceutical industry whereas Kazuo Ishiguro does so in regard to biotechnologies and information technologies. However, they are both concerned with the cultural manifestations for if AI help to transform the concept of the human, it unveils itself through the cultural manifestations. The first chapter also explores the generic specificity of the novel and provides rationale for considering it an example of soft science fiction. It also proves that the author evokes anthropomorphism as a key literary device, ultimately compelling the reader to reflect on the boundaries and connotations of "human nature".
The second chapter examines the relationships between humans and non-humans from a posthumanist perspective. Klara’s care and companionship for Josie, as well as her observation and understanding of the human world, demonstrates that technology has deeply penetrated into human life and, to a certain extent, undertakes the functions of human emotional communication and social interaction. This coincides with the posthumanist view of breaking the traditional boundaries between humans and technology, reflecting the trend of mutual integration and influence between humans and technology in the new era.
It has been proven that Klara and the Sun also engages in the ethical thinking in the context of posthumanism. Klara's selfless dedication to humans and her innocent perception of the world stand in sharp contrast to the complexity and selfishness of humans. This triggers the reader’s concern about human morality and ethical responsibilities, such as whether humans should use technology to change the natural process of life and how humans should define their moral and ethical norms in the highly developed technological future. This echoes the ethical controversies faced in the development of posthumanism, such as concerns about the social inequality that technology may cause.
The third chapter deals with the influence of Japanese culture on Kazuo Ishiguro's novel, demonstrating how the author integrates Japanese cultural elements to enrich the novel's themes, characters, and symbolic meanings. The core values of loyalty, bravery, self-sacrifice, and honor in traditional Japanese Bushido are invoked in the characterization of Klara's (her model of guardianship of Josie) and her narrative. The central symbol of the sun, associated with faith and hope, borrows its meanings from the Japanese mythology. The changing states of the sun reflect the emotional fluctuations and fates of the characters as well as drive the novel’s plot. The aesthetic concept of Mono no Aware emphasizes the perception of the impermanence of life and the transience of beauty. The contrast between Klara's faith in the sun and the impermanence of life intensifies the emotional tension in the novel, prompting the reader to deeply contemplate the essence of life, emotions, and the value of relationships in the context of technological development.
To conclude, Ishiguro's incorporation of Japanese cultural elements in Klara and the Sun against the backdrop of science fiction achieves a unique synthesis of Western and Eastern codes. It offers the reader profound insights into the significance of traditional spiritual values in an era of rapid technological advancement, and by so doing transcend the posthumanist scepticism towards humanism.