Under the Magnifying Glass: Kazuo Ishiguro’s When We Were Orphans
Under the Magnifying Glass: Kazuo Ishiguro’s When We Were Orphans

Summary/Abstract: The study proposes a theoretical analysis of Kazuo Ishiguro’s fifth novel from an interdisciplinary-holistic perspective on the nostalgic nature of the narrative. Firstly, some of the author's interviews are brought to the fore, in which he openly discusses the influences of the English detective novels from the 1920s and 1930s. The works of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayer, from the golden age of British detective literature, are mentioned here as a direct source of inspiration. The study also mentions the Sherlock Holmes series, which the author acknowledges as another source of inspiration for his detective novel. The emotional logic behind Christopher Banks’ exaggerated professionalism and failed metacognition is then explained through the Dunning-Kruger effect. In the second part, the study deals extensively with the parentless theme, bringing forth other examples of orphan children, such as those in the Broadway musical Annie. Eric Berne’s life scenario is used to explain the nostalgic nature of the novel, which leads to a reinterpretation of the temporal subordinate in the title. In all three cases of orphanhood in the novel, the characters’ life scenarios are rewritten. Through conscious effort, Christopher, Jennifer and Sarah decide to break away from their past and appreciate their present. The moment they see the harshness of the world around them as an inherent part of their development and growth, they embrace their orphanhood, just as all children should do while stepping out of the protective bubble their parents have built around them.

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