Kazuo Ishiguro: Fragility and Humanity in Literature


Study the work of the award-winning novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro. In this course, students will learn about the novelist's background before delving into some of his most acclaimed pieces of work.

Created By

Maxim P

16-18
English Literature

12 HOURS

12 LESSONS

Kazuo Ishiguro: Fragility and Humanity in Literature

academic-development

Course Overview



Kazuo Ishiguro is a writer praised for his idiosyncratic style. His work has won many awards including the Nobel Prize for Literature. His success is no surprise. He writes novels that are said to uncover ‘the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world’ and are driven by a ‘great emotional force.’ Studying Ishiguro closely will give you insight into exemplary writing and unusual techniques. On this course, students will delve deeply into Ishiguro’s analysis of the human condition, look closely at 'Remains of the Day' and 'Never Let Me Go'. Working with close textual analysis will gain students’ a deeper understanding of how a writer can capture humanity at its rawest state whilst also developing your ability to think critically about literature.

Course Content



12 LESSONS

12 HOURS Total Length

Lesson 1

Ishiguro: An Introduction

60 minutes

Lesson 2

'Remains of the Day': Introducing Stevens

60 minutes

Lesson 3

'Remains of the Day': The Fragility of Stevens

60 minutes

Lesson 4

'Remains of the Day', Stevens and Miss Kenton: An Unlikely Romance

60 minutes

Lesson 5

'Remains of the Day': Miss Kenton and Weymouth

60 minutes

Lesson 6

'Never Let Me Go': Fear of the Woods - Hailsham

60 minutes

Lesson 7

'Never Let Me Go': The Heartbreak of Received Wisdom

60 minutes

Lesson 8

'Never Let Me Go': Love and the Love Triangle

60 minutes

Lesson 9

'Never Let Me Go': The Erosion of Hope - Kathy's Inner World

60 minutes

Lesson 10

Kathy and Stevens: Flattened Emotional Landscapes

60 minutes

Lesson 11

The Failings and the Celebrations of Humanity

60 minutes

Lesson 12

Final Discussion

60 minutes

Key Skills


English Literature

Textual Analysis

English Language

Educator


Maxim P

Humanities Specialist

Maxim has over 500 hours of experience teaching privately, including 350 hours of A-level experience and 150 university-level one-to-one hours. He has also given mock interviews and tutorials to over 50 Oxbridge applicants over the last three years, and in 2020, three of the students gained offers from Oxbridge.