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Terms
“Lifting” is a fictional term that refers to a type of genetic enhancement performed in early childhood that allegedly makes children smarter but carries serious potential side effects, including chronic illness and even death. The full mechanics of lifting are never described in depth—perhaps the most important detail is that most colleges will only accept children who have been lifted, meaning that the lifted Josie has many more options than the unlifted Rick, even though Rick is smart and could be a talented engineer. Lifting may have been inspired by a real-life process called CRISPR gene editing, which raises ethical questions about the possibility of modifying human embryos.
Lifting Quotes in Klara and the Sun
The Klara and the Sun quotes below are all either spoken by Lifting or refer to Lifting. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part Two Quotes
“I suppose they have a point though,” he said. “I don’t belong here. This is a meeting for lifted kids.”
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This quote is said by Rick to Klara, shortly after Josie’s “interaction meeting.” An interaction meeting is a gathering where one college-bound student hosts a small group of other college-bound students at their house, with the parents coming along too. Because Josie is essentially homeschooled remotely by distant professors, these formal social situations are considered part of her education. Perhaps because she isn’t used to being around new people, Josie is nervous and asks for Rick to come too, so that she’ll have someone familiar around. What Josie doesn’t realize (or perhaps doesn’t want to acknowledge) is that Rick doesn’t Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia
Part Four Quotes
“Now Rick. You said just now you’re not seeking favoritism. Then let me ask you this. If that is really the case, then why am I sitting in front of you now?”
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This quote, spoken by the college administrator Vance to Rick, comes during their meeting. Miss Helen describes Vance as an old flame of hers from over two decades ago, and she contacts him again with the hope of getting Rick into Atlas Brookings, the only college that will accept unlifted students like him. At first, Rick’s interview with Vance seems to go well, with Rick easily answering all the questions Vance comes up with. With the quote above, however, Vance’s mood takes a turn and seemingly becomes more hostile. It is unclear whether something sets Vance off or whether it Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta
Part Five Quotes
“You must tell me if the love between Rick and Josie is genuine, if it’s a true and lasting one. I must know this. Because if the answer is yes, then I’ll have something to bargain with, regardless of what occurred in the city. So please think carefully Rick, and tell me the truth.”
“I don’t need to think. Josie and I grew up together and we’re part of each other. And we’ve got our plan. So of course our love’s genuine and forever. And it won’t make any difference to us who’s been lifted and who hasn’t. That’s your answer, Klara, and there won’t be any other.”
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This conversation between Klara and Josie occurs when Josie is so sick that she is barely responsive. Everyone believes Josie will die soon, except for Klara, who maintains her faith in the power of the Sun to intervene. Because Klara believes that she failed to please the Sun by destroying the Cootings Machine (since the Cootings Machine was just replaced by a bigger one), she now believes that she needs to find a new way to bargain with the Sun to help Josie. The solution she arrives at is to prove to the Sun that Josie and Rick’s love is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offic
“And there was more. On this question of being lifted. She wants you to know she wouldn’t wish it any other way. If she had the power to do it again, and this time it was up to her, she says she’d do exactly what you did and you’ll always be the best mother she could have.”
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This quote is spoken by Rick to the Mother. The Mother has just started an angry tirade against Rick, essentially suggesting that because he wasn’t lifted, his life will never be worth as much as Josie’s, even if Josie does die at a young age. Rick, who has experience dealing with his own mother’s moods, seems to realize that the Mother is trying to deal with her own grief and potential guilt over the role she played in having Josie lifted. Instead of responding angrily to the Mother, he tells her a story about how Josie wanted him to deliver Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaqu
Part Six Quotes
“But now we’re no longer kids, we have to wish each other the best and go our different ways. It couldn’t have worked out, me going to college, trying to compete with all those lifted kids. I’ve got my own plans now, and that’s how it should be. But that was no lie, Klara. And in a funny way, it still isn’t a lie now.”
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This quote is said from Rick to Klara. Sometime long after Josie’s recovery from her illness, when Rick and Josie begin to drift apart, Klara worries for Josie’s health because she believes that the Sun only helped her because Klara assured the Sun that Josie and Rick’s love was true. Rick reassures Klara that Rick and Josie’s love is true, even if it doesn’t exist in the same form as it used to. Though Josie and Rick might not see each other again after Josie goes to college, their love was special while it lasted, and it will forever be Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam off
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Lifting Term Timeline in Klara and the Sun
The timeline below shows where the term Lifting appears in Klara and the Sun. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part Two
...intervening. Rick explains that he doesn’t belong in the group because it’s a meeting for “lifted” kids. Lifting is a procedure that parents (especially wealthy parents) have their children undergo in...
(full context)
Part Four
...Mother herself. She blames herself for Josie’s illness—she got sick as a result of being lifted. The Father was against the idea of Josie being lifted, since Sal had already died.
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...for Rick, which is taking a while. The Mother asks if Miss Helen regrets not lifting Rick, and Miss Helen says she does, despite all the trouble it has caused for...
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Part Five
...Mother) might have shaken the dice, but Josie was the one who gambled (by being lifted). And Rick played it safe. Does Rick feel like a winner, she wonders. The Mother...
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...always love the Mother, and that she would make the exact same choice about being lifted if she had to do it again.
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