Klara and the Sun

by

Kazuo Ishiguro

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Manager is a human woman who runs a store in an unspecified American city that sells Artificial Friends (a type of robot), including Klara, Rosa, and Rex. Klara, Rosa, and Rex are all B2 AFs, but soon a new, more advanced line of AFs called B3s begin to fill the store. Manager is particularly interested in Klara because she realizes that Klara is one of the most observant AFs. After Klara is purchased by Josie and the Mother, Klara doesn’t see Manager for a long time, but she meets Manager again near the end of her lifespan. Manager is kind to her and congratulates her on being a good AF. Just as Klara is a parent figure to Josie, Manager is a parent figure to Klara.

Manager Quotes in Klara and the Sun

The Klara and the Sun quotes below are all either spoken by Manager or refer to Manager. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Meaning of Love Theme Icon
).
Part One Quotes

When we were new, Rosa and I were mid-store, on the magazines table side, and could see through more than half of the window. So we were able to watch the outside—the office workers hurrying by, the taxis, the runners, the tourists, Beggar Man and his dog, the lower part of the RPO building.

Related Characters: Klara (speaker), Josie, Manager, Beggar Man, Rosa
Related Symbols: The Sun
Page Number: 1
Explanation and Analysis:

“Klara, you’re quite remarkable,” Manager said, keeping her voice soft so as not to disturb Rosa and the others. “You notice and absorb so much.” She shook her head as though in wonder. Then she said: “What you must understand is that we’re a very special store. There are many children out there who would love to be able to choose you, choose Rosa, any one of you here. But it’s not possible for them. You’re beyond their reach. That’s why they come to the window, to dream about having you. But then they get sad.”

Related Characters: Manager (speaker), Klara, Josie, Rosa
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, Klara. Since you appear to know so much about it. Will you please reproduce for me Josie’s walk? Will you do that for me? Right now? My daughter’s walk?”

Related Characters: The Mother (speaker), Klara, Josie, Manager
Page Number: 44
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two Quotes

The kitchen was especially difficult to navigate because so many of its elements would change their relationships to one another moment by moment. I now appreciated how in the store—surely out of consideration for us—Manager had carefully kept all the items, even smaller ones like the bracelets or the silver earrings box, in their correct places.

Related Characters: Klara (speaker), Josie, The Mother, Melania Housekeeper, Manager, Rosa, Rex
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Six Quotes

When she was mid-distance, she stopped and turned, and I thought she might look back one last time at me. But she was gazing at the far distance, in the direction of the construction crane on the horizon. Then she continued to walk away.

Related Characters: Klara (speaker), Manager
Related Symbols: The Sun, The Cootings Machine
Page Number: 303
Explanation and Analysis:
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Klara and the Sun PDF

Manager Quotes in Klara and the Sun

The Klara and the Sun quotes below are all either spoken by Manager or refer to Manager. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Meaning of Love Theme Icon
).
Part One Quotes

When we were new, Rosa and I were mid-store, on the magazines table side, and could see through more than half of the window. So we were able to watch the outside—the office workers hurrying by, the taxis, the runners, the tourists, Beggar Man and his dog, the lower part of the RPO building.

Related Characters: Klara (speaker), Josie, Manager, Beggar Man, Rosa
Related Symbols: The Sun
Page Number: 1
Explanation and Analysis:

“Klara, you’re quite remarkable,” Manager said, keeping her voice soft so as not to disturb Rosa and the others. “You notice and absorb so much.” She shook her head as though in wonder. Then she said: “What you must understand is that we’re a very special store. There are many children out there who would love to be able to choose you, choose Rosa, any one of you here. But it’s not possible for them. You’re beyond their reach. That’s why they come to the window, to dream about having you. But then they get sad.”

Related Characters: Manager (speaker), Klara, Josie, Rosa
Page Number: 10
Explanation and Analysis:

“Well, Klara. Since you appear to know so much about it. Will you please reproduce for me Josie’s walk? Will you do that for me? Right now? My daughter’s walk?”

Related Characters: The Mother (speaker), Klara, Josie, Manager
Page Number: 44
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Two Quotes

The kitchen was especially difficult to navigate because so many of its elements would change their relationships to one another moment by moment. I now appreciated how in the store—surely out of consideration for us—Manager had carefully kept all the items, even smaller ones like the bracelets or the silver earrings box, in their correct places.

Related Characters: Klara (speaker), Josie, The Mother, Melania Housekeeper, Manager, Rosa, Rex
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Six Quotes

When she was mid-distance, she stopped and turned, and I thought she might look back one last time at me. But she was gazing at the far distance, in the direction of the construction crane on the horizon. Then she continued to walk away.

Related Characters: Klara (speaker), Manager
Related Symbols: The Sun, The Cootings Machine
Page Number: 303
Explanation and Analysis: