Toirova Nargiza Isakovna PhD.
Associate professor, Ferghana State University
Abdurakhmonova Makhfiratkhon
Ferghana State University
Makhfiratkhona@gmail.com
Annotation:
This article explores the impact of technology on humanity and its relationship with nature in ‘Klara and the Sun’. The play reflects the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its role in our lives, as well as the complex relationship between artificial beings and humans. The interaction of nature, sun and technology in “Klara and the Sun” serves to develop ecological and technological thinking in fiction by exploring the new values and problems of humanity. The article examines the possibilities of artificial intelligence and the limits of human understanding of reality through the symbolic role of the sun and the help of nature.
Keywords: Klara and the Sun, Artificial intelligence, Nature and technology, Humanity and ecology, Symbolic elements, Ishiguro and ecological thinking, A symbol of the sun and nature, The role of nature, Technology and humanity
Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun is considered dystopic work explores the relationship between artificial intelligence and the natural world. This novel provides an in-depth analysis of humanity’s connection to the natural world and the role of nature in this connection, while showing the impact of technology on society and its interaction with the natural world. In this work, Ishiguro shows nature, especially the Sun, as a life-giving force,hope and through this image illuminates the environmental problems of the modern world.This article discusses the role of nature and the Sun in Klara and the Sun, and their relationship to ecology and technology.
The contrast between the natural world and technology is evident in the novel of Klara and the Sun, an artificial friend, observes the natural world by comparing it with technology. Nature, especially the Sun, is perceived as the source of life for Klara, who believes that the Sun has healing powers. Not only Klara, but also all other AFs consider the Sun as source of their power.
In the beginning of the novel, boy AF Rex tells to other AFs:
-There is nothing to worry about, that the Sun had ways of reaching us wherever we are.
Actually , that boy AF needs Sun more than other AFs as his model was older that the others in the store. (Klara and the Sun, 2021, p.3)
However, the characters in the novel believes in the possibilities of technology and solar absorption problems with some series of Artificial Friends. Through this conflict, Ishiguro analyzes the role of the natural world in society and its interaction with technology.
We can see this conflict in the chapter, in which a little girl wants her mother to buy the boy AF Rex but she refuses this.
This the conversation between the little girl, her mother and the manager:
Which model is this one?
-He’s a B2. Third series. For the right child, Rex will make a perfect companion. In particular, I feel he’ll encourage a conscientious and studious attitude in a young person.
-Well, this young lady here could certainly do with that.
-Oh, Mother, he’s perfect.
-B2, third series. The ones with the solar problems, right?
The mother shows Klara by calling ‘This young lady here..’
Then, we can easily understand the real problem and why boy AF doesn’t like Klara and calls all the girl AF’s greedy. He needs the sun more than girl AFs.(Klara and the Sun, 2021.p.5)
Klara believes in the healing power of the Sun and tries to prolong it. at the same time, the development of technology and artificial intelligence reflects the process of alienation from the natural world and denial of humanity’s need for natural resources. Sun is used in the novel as the source of life, but the modern world is becoming more dependent on technology and artificial systems.
Symbol of Sun shows the balance between nature and humanity. For Klara, the Sun is seen not only as the natural source of life, but as the supreme power of everything. She understands the power and strength of the Sun only through artistic imagination, she feels its importance very deeply. The symbol of the sun is represented not only as the source of life, but also as the consistent and eternal force of nature. Shanlax Journals (2021) highlights Klara’s awareness of the quality of the nourishment she offers the Sun. This is tied to her understanding of environmental dynamics and her respect for natural elements, as she believes the Sun’s power can rejuvenate and heal.
This moment symbolizes Klara’s unwavering hope and faith in nature, even as she navigates a technologically dominated world. It reflects her unique perspective as an Artificial Friend, The Shanlax analysis likely extrapolates this theme to explore how Ishiguro uses Klara’s beliefs to critique humanity’s detachment from nature in the face of technological advancement.
Furthermore, Ishiguro’s novel portrays the natural world, especially the Sun, as a natural force opposed to technological progress. The novel’s ecological images criticize the depletion of natural resources and mankind’s excessive desire to consume them. However, the connections between Klara and the Sun show that nature and technology are complementary and opposing processes(Climate Lit. 2021).
In Klara and the Sun, technology plays an important role in society, but it is associated with forgetting or harming nature. Humanity’s dependence on technology, especially in the field of artificial intelligence and robotics, leads to environmental problems. The Science Survey (2023) states that the contrast between technology and the natural world, as shown within the novel, emphasizes the need to understand and preserve the forces of nature. Klara, with a deep concern for the natural world, understands the need to use man-made systems properly and not harm nature.
This view of nature deepens the relationship of the main characters in the novel to technology. Klara, as an artificial intelligence, feels alienated from nature, but she recognizes the importance of the natural world and its impact on humanity. Shanlax Journals (2021) states that Ishiguro’s work reflects the state of modern society, which seeks a balance between technology and nature.
Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun shows the relationship between the natural world and technology. The symbol of the sun is used in the work as an eternal force of nature, while at the same time highlighting the environmental problems associated with the development of technology. Klara, as an artificial friend, tries to understand the interactions between the natural world and technology, and this brings new perspectives to her life. Through this work, Ishiguro emphasizes the need to find a balance between nature and technology in modern society.
References:
- Ishiguro, K. (2021). Klara and the Sun. Faber & Faber.
- Harvard Review. (2021). Clara and the Sun Review. https://www.harvardreview.org/book-review/klara-and-the-sun/
- Litcharts. (n.d.). Clara and the Sun Themes: Environmentalism. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/klara-and-the-sun/themes/environmentalism
- Climate Lit. (2021). Clara and the Sun Environmental Themes. https://www.climatelit.org/literature/klara-and-the-sun/
- Shanlax Journals. (2021). the Intersection of Technology and Nature in Clara and the Sun. https://www.shanlaxjournals.in/conferences/index.php/rtdh/article/view/67
- The Science Survey. (2023). Kazuo Ishiguro’s Clara and the Sun: Imagining Technology in a Not-So-Distant Future. https://thesciencesurvey.com/arts-entertainment/2023/07/20/kazuo-ishiguros-klara-and-the-sun-imagining-technology-in-a-not-so-distant-future/
- Litcharts. (n.d.). Clara and the Sun Symbols: The Sun. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/klara-and-the-sun/symbols/the-sun
Nargiza Toirova Isakovna
Nargiza Isakovna Toirova was born in 28th December, 1974 In Ferghana, Uzbekistan. Currently she is the Dean of the Faculty at Fergana State University, English language and literature department, EMI program coordinator at Fergana State University PhD, Associate Professor at Fergana State University, Uzbekistan.
Makhfiratkhon Abdurakhmonova
Makhfiratkhon Abdurakhmonova was born in 2nd August, 2004, in Ferghana, Uzbekistan. Currently she is a Graduate student at Ferghana State University, English Language and Literature faculty, ambassador, coordinator, volunteer, CEO and Founder of Leader Ladies Club organization