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Year 11
Edexcel

Exploring voice in ‘Klara and the Sun’

I can explore the ways that Ishiguro crafts a unique voice in 'Klara and the Sun'.

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Share activities with pupils
New
New
Year 11
Edexcel

Exploring voice in ‘Klara and the Sun’

I can explore the ways that Ishiguro crafts a unique voice in 'Klara and the Sun'.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Ishiguro crafts Klara as an ambiguous narrator, leaving us to decipher her true nature.
  2. 'Klara and the Sun' is set in a futuristic dystopia.
  3. Klara is an AI companion for children.
  4. Ishiguro blurs the line between robot and human in his crafting of Klara.
  5. Ishiguro crafts Klara as the future voice of AI, perhaps subverting our traditional expectations about AI.

Common misconception

We have to know everything about a narrator and their world in order for a story to make sense.

Through slow crafting of a voice, we can let our reader work out the true nature of our narrator, world and characters as they read.

Keywords

  • Ambiguous - not having one obvious meaning

  • Dystopia - relating to an imagined society in which people live dehumanised lives

  • Compelling - if something is compelling, it makes you believe it because it is so strong

You might want to spend some time unpicking the implications of using AI companions and how this links to a dystopian society.
Teacher tip

Equipment

You will need access to the opening of Ishiguro's 'Klara and the Sun' for this lesson. We will be reading the first 16 paragraphs of Chapter 1.

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of upsetting content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a dystopia?
a perfect society where everyone is treated fairly
a past society
Correct answer: an imagined society in which people live dehumanised lives
Q2.
Which world below represents a dystopia best?
Correct answer: People have lost the ability to feel emotion; there is no sympathy.
Animals can talk; they hold humans accountable for their treatment.
Humans can fly; they go on more adventures.
Q3.
What is true of an ambiguous situation?
it might leave someone feeling confident
Correct answer: it might leave someone feeling confused
most people would find it pleasant
Q4.
What is artificial intelligence (AI)?
the ability to understand the emotions of others
Correct answer: machines that mimic human capabilities
a robot that humans can be friends with
Q5.
Which of the below is an example of AI?
board games
television
Correct answer: Alexa: Amazon's voice assistant
Q6.
What might create the most compelling character for a reader?
Correct answer: an insight into the inner workings of their mind
a description of their clothes
them telling us their name, age and occupation

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is true of Ishiguro's opening in 'Klara and the Sun'?
Correct answer: it is ambiguous
it has an upbeat tone
it is set in our current world
Q2.
What type of world is 'Klara and the Sun' set in?
utopia
Correct answer: dystopia
omnitopia
Q3.
What clues does Ishiguro give that Klara from 'Klara and the Sun' is not human?
she gets upset by Rex
she respects her manager
Correct answer: she describes herself as "new"
Q4.
What is Klara's relationship with the sun in 'Klara and the Sun'?
she is scared of the sun
Correct answer: she gets stronger with sun rays
she must avoid the sun
Q5.
What is interesting about Klara's interaction with Rex in 'Klara and the Sun'?
Correct answer: she dwells on whether he is joking for a long time
she is cold and callous towards him
she doesn't understand him
Q6.
In 'Klara and the Sun', what suggests AI has evolved?
they are often put at the front of the store
they can answer questions from humans
Correct answer: they are shown to have emotions