86 pages 2 hours read

Kazuo Ishiguro

Klara and the Sun

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021

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Symbols & Motifs

Windows

Ishiguro uses windows in Klara and the Sun as an expansive metaphor for the human condition, defined by love but also by strict limits. They symbolize both the boundaries of our perspective and the openness of the soul. Klara loves the AF store window because it lets sunlight in and allows her to observe the outside world and sate her curiosity. The people and cars that pass change, allowing her to observe and learn, but her perspective is always the same, leading to her misunderstandings about the significance of certain events.

Similarly, the window in Josie’s room is a source of warmth, sunlight, and deception. Klara and Josie watch the sunset together most nights, and it is a source of happiness and bonding for them. When Klara is confined to the Utility Room, Josie goes out of her way to help Klara gain a view through a window, thereby demonstrating her love for Klara. At the end of Part 5, Melania has the blinds closed, but Klara opens them, allowing the sunlight to flood in, and Josie begins her recovery. Because of the window’s angle and placement of the house, the sun appears to enter Mr.