III. KAZUO ISHIGURO’S The Remains of the Day – English Literature III
1. What are your initial impressions on the characters in The Remains of the Day? Do they develop through the novel or are they static? If they are developing characters, how do they change and why? Are there any similarities or differences between this set of characters and those of Ian McEwan’s Atonement and L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between?
Characters: As you make progress through the pages of this novel, take down notes on all the characters you encounter. In your notes, include:
ü Traits of personality
ü Physical features
ü Their philosophical outlooks, their own countrymen and relatives, love, sex, their place in the world, the place where they are living at the moment, etc.
ü Gestures, speech, and mannerisms that characterise them.
2.Setting:
ü How well does the writer help you to visualise the setting? Make a note of any passages of description which you think are particularly effective in creating a vivid sense of place and time.
ü Does the setting seem to be just a background against which the action takes place – for example because it is concerned with historical events or with the interrelationship between people and their environment? Can you make any connections between these settings and the other two novels we’ve read this year?
3.Themes: What themes seem to be emerging? Can you find links with those themes in Ishiguro’s and Hartley’s novels?
4.Style:
ü Is the story told by a narrator who is also a character in the stories, referring to herself / himself as “I” (first person narrative) or is he/she anonymous and detached from the action (third person narrative)?
ü Note down any interesting or striking uses of language, such as powerful words, motifs, metaphors, or images which evoke a sense of atmosphere. Compare and contrast them with Ishiguro’s use of language.
How is Ishiguro's novel post-modern?
5.Your personal response: Has the novel made you think about or influenced your views on its themes and characters? How has the novel informed your views on the masters and servants in England before WWI? What have you enjoyed or admired most about this novel (or least) and why? In order to give your opinion, use the critical essays on The Remains of the Day to help you say what you want to say. Find information about Kazuo Ishiguro to help you understand his novel better.
6. Sources: Make sure you quote your sources properly and write a References list at the end of your production.
7. Length of your production: it should not exceed 1,500 words.
DEADLINE: WED. 7th, NOV. 11.A.M.
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DeleteStevens
ReplyDeleteStevens is the protagonist and the narrator of the novel. He has been – as his father - his entire life a butler and is now an old man. He has spent most of his life working for Lord Darlington and after his death, American Mr. Farraday buys the house and employs him as well (Iversen 11).
Stevens’ personality and identity is shaped by his profession as butler. His position as the head butler at the aristocratic Darlington Hall and the requirements it demands, have determined his character as a person of calm and discretion; he is cool, detached and totally private about his personal life, if has some. He is also very formal person and deeply loyal; which is a requisite of his profession as a butler. Because of this, he has difficulties in socializing casually with people, not to mention to express his inner thoughts or feelings to other people. In the novel he develops feelings towards Miss Kenton and is never able to express these feelings to her. Later on, he feel regretful about it and realises the deep effects this situation has on his life and destiny (Iversen 11; 19)
For Stevens, being a great butler has to do with dignity: “And now let me posit this: “dignity” has to do crucially with a butler’s ability not to abandon the professional being he inhabits.” (Ishiguro 19)
Stevens is always calm and does not get disturbed by any event, for example, when he is told by Lord Darlington to fire the Jewish maids due to their religious condition, he seems not to be disturbed at all, although he does not agree. He knows his responsibility is to obey his master no matter what he thinks. “-my every instinct opposed the idea of their dismissal. Nevertheless, my duty in this instance was quite clear, and as I saw it, there was nothing to be gained at all irresponsibly displaying such personal doubt.” (Ishiguro 156) (Iversen 23/24)
As a contrast, Miss Kenton’s reaction is not indifferent and shows her discomfort in such a decision by threatening to resign if such event takes place. Again, Miss Kenton’s ways to show her feelings and speak her mind are another opposition between the two main characters´ personalities (Iversen 24).
Stevens has a chauvinist view of women, and housekeepers in particular:
“Of course, if two members of staff happen to fall in love and decide to marry, it would be churlish to be apportioning blame; but what I find a major irritation are those persons – and housekeepers are particularly guilty here – who have no genuine commitment to the profession and who are essentially going from post to post looking for romance. This sort of person is a blight on good professionalism.” (Ishiguro 53)
Stevens shows at all times rejection towards Miss Kenton, but it is actually a way to get away with what he truly feels for her. After one time Miss Kenton suggests she does not want to talk because she feels tires, Stevens ends for good their customary of meeting during in the evenings to discuss their duties and socialise. This is actually a reaction against his usual behaviour, by this decision he shows how affected he is and in a way displays his emotions for the first time (Iversen 29/30):
ReplyDeleteNaturally—and why should I not admit this—I have occasionally wondered to myself how things might have turned out in the long run had I not been so determined over the issue of our evening meetings; (...) I was perhaps not entirely aware of the full implications of what I was doing (Ishiguro 184)
Stevens admires his father and considers him a great butler, still, he does not show any sentiments towards him. When his father is ill and in bed he mentions Stevens that he hopes he has been a good father and that he is proud of him since he has been a good son, but Stevens does not say anything, instead he replays: “I’m afraid we’re extremely busy now, but we can talk again in the morning. (…) I’m so glad you’re feeling better now.” (Ishiguro 101) (Iversen 21/22).
When his father becomes very ill and is asked to see him, Stevens excuses himself by mentioning he has work to do with the guests, and finally when his father dies Stevens still carries on with his duty. Only after finishing his work he permits himself to see his death father and hardly shows any disturbance or sadness. He mentions he has to go back to work since that is what his father would have wanted him to do (Iversen 22).
We consider Stevens to be a static character, as he does not develop during the novel; he is not changed by experience and he is not able to mature. Due to the fact that he always keeps up an appearance of a cool butler (in his pursuit of dignity), he denies his feelings and beliefs towards other people, that is why he never builds a true relationship with another person. Unfortunately, his concept of dignity is so wrong and it prevents him from attaining the great things he wanted, as he cannot find the right way to do it (SparkNotes Ed. 2).
If we compare Stevens to the main character in Ian McEwan’s Atonement, Briony, we can see a parallel between them. Briony lives a reality very different from her idealistic vision of life. Consequently, the only things she gets from this are dreams and frustrations. She feels very sad when she does not obtain the things she expects from herself, from others, and from the world, as she has expectations which are too high (GradeSaver Ed. 1).
Miss Kenton
ReplyDeleteMiss Kenton is the lead housemaid and is highly recommended for the job. She is proud of herself and her capacity. She is independent, smart and stubborn. Unlike Stevens, she shows disagreement and speaks her mind. She shows her strong moral sense when openly disagrees when the Jewish maids are fired and even dears to threat Stevens with resigning (Iversen 24; 26)
Does it not occur to you, Mr Stevens, that to dismiss Ruth and Sarah on these grounds would be simply -wrong? I will not stand for such things. (...) If my girls are dismissed, I will leave also…‘I am telling you, Mr Stevens, if you dismiss my girls tomorrow, it will be wrong, a sin as any sin ever was one and I will not continue to work in such a house (Ishiguro 157)
Miss Kenton expresses her opinions and is not afraid to say what she thinks (Iversen 26):
Excuse me, Mr Stevens, she said after a moment…I am afraid I am not quite clear what you are saying. I have in the past been accustomed to addressing under-servants by their Christian names and saw no reason to do otherwise in this house. (Ishiguro 55)
As regards the comparison to L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between, there is a clear similarity between Marian Maudsley and Miss Kenton, as Marian is also very determined, she is not afraid of fighting for what she wants or expressing her opinions and she is independent. However, Miss Kenton is not as proud and selfish as Marian is.
Setting
ReplyDeleteWhen talking about setting, time and place are taken into account (SparkNotes Ed. 1). The Remains of the Day is set on many places as Stevens travells to Cornwall to meet Miss Kenton: He visits many locations, and at night he stays in guest houses and pubs (Iversen 18). However, the main settings are Darlington Hall, Cornwell, Little Compton and Weymouth.
The novel begins at Darlington Hall in July 1956 and “the journey ends in the seaside town Weymouth on the sixth day of his journey” (Iversen 18). He stops in Salisbury on the first day, in Mortimer’s Pond in Dorset on the second day, in Taunton, Somerset and in Moscomb near Tavistock, Devon on the third day, and Little Compton on the fourth day, plus Darlington Hall and Weymouth (Iversen 18).
“Tonight, I [Stevens] find myself here in a guest house in the city of Salisbury. The first day of my trip is now completed, and all in all, I must say I am quite satisfied. This expedition began this morning almost an hour later than I had planned, despite my having completed my packing and loaded the Ford with all the necessary items well before eight o’clock. What with Mrs Clements and the girls also gone for the week, I suppose I was very conscious of the fact that once I departed, Darlington Hall would stand empty for probably the first time this century [...]” (Ishiguro 23).
However, as Mr Stevens often reflects on the past, most of what happens in The Remains of the Day takes place at Darlington Hall from the arrival of Miss Kenton in 1922 to the moment she leaves, in 1936 (Iversen 18). Here there is a simple description of this important setting: “ [...] the extensive servants’ quarters -including the back corridor, the two still rooms and the old laundry - and the guest corridor up on the second floor would be dust-sheeted, leaving all the main ground-floor rooms and a generous number of guest rooms” (Ishiguro 8).
Interestingly, there is a close interrelation between Stevens personality and the cleanness and order at Darlington Hall. His perfectionism and professionalism affects every aspects of his life. This means that he cannot be flexible neither with his feelings nor with his profession. In other words, he does not let his emotions out as he does not let things/objects be out of place in the house.
As regards the novel’s similarities with Hartley’s pieces of writings, the main connection between Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day and L.P. Hartley’s The Go-Between is that both stories are mainly situated in big and important estates.
Themes
ReplyDeleteDignity and Greatness (and Professionalism): Professionalism, dignity and greatness are essential and vital to Mr Stevens in The Remains of the Day (SparkNotes Ed. 2).
Stevens claims that main quality to be a “great” butler is "dignity". In order to illustrate the concept, he provides some examples, concluding that dignity: "[...] has to do crucially with a butler's ability not to abandon the professional being he inhabits. Lesser butlers will abandon their professional being for the private one at the least provocation.” (Ishiguro 43).
Moreover, the butler expresses his idea that “greatness” is similar to restraint. Consequently, he claims that the greatness of the British land is the result of its lack of African and American scenery. Unfortunately, this concept of greatness (also supported by Stevens’s father, as he is also a butler) created distance between father and son, as they restrained their emotions, what finally put an end to their affection (Rushdie 2). Therefore, as he always keeps the appearance of a cool person, he becomes unable to show his emotions and feelings. As a consequence, he cannot build up true relationships. In other words, this wrong concept prevented him from fighting for the things (or people) he really wanted in life (SparkNotes Ed. 2).
[...] the English landscape at its finest - such as I saw it this morning - possesses a quality that the landscapes of other nations, however more superficially dramatic, inevitably fail to possess. It is, I believe, a quality that will mark out the English landscape to any objective observer as the most deeply satisfying in the world, and this quality is probably best summed up by the term ‘greatness’. For it is true, when I stood on that high ledge this morning and viewed the land before me, I distinctly felt that rare, yet unmistakable feeling - the feeling that one is in the presence of greatness. [...] And yet what precisely is this ‘greatness’? Just where, or in what, does it lie? [...] I would say that it is the very lack of obvious drama or spectacle that sets the beauty of our land apart. What is pertinent is the calmness of that beauty, its sense of restraint. It is as though the land knows of its own beauty, of its own greatness, and feels no need to shout it. In comparison, the sorts of sights offered in such places as Africa and America, though undoubtedly very exciting, would, I am sure, strike the objective viewer as inferior on account of their unseemly demonstrativeness (Ishiguro 28-29).
Regret: Even though ‘regret’ is not discussed by Stevens, his crying at the end of the novel makes it clear that he would have liked to act in another way in relation to Miss Kenton and Lord Darlington. The nostalgic and melancholic tone is evident as the story continues; and regret is deepened when Stevens reconsiders his decisions and actions in the past and see them as irresponsible. As well, Miss Kenton says at the end of the novel that she regrets the elections she has made in her own life too. The sorrow that overcomes in the end disappear a bit when Stevens decides “to perfect the art of bantering” - this seems to be a consolation taking into account the losses experienced in his life (SparkNotes 2).
“‘Perhaps, then, there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day” (Ishiguro 256)
Loss: Loss can be found all through the novel in many characters. For instance, Stevens’ loses, which are his father, Miss Kenton, and finally his desire of convincing her to return to her old job at Darlington Hall. On the other hand, Miss Kenton loses her only relative, her aunt; and she also loses Stevens when she resolves to marry a man she does not love and leaves Darlington Hall. Lord Darlington not only loses his friends, Herr Bremann and Sir David Cardinal, his godson, Reginald Cardinal, when they pass away, but also his prestige and a bit of his common sense “by the end of his life”. At the same time Reginald Cardinal loses his father, when he departs; and his godfather, through the Nazi’s indocrination. So, there are two kinds of deaths, literal, like the deaths of the loved ones; and figurative, like the ones referring to dreams and ideals (SparkNotes 2).
ReplyDelete“I do not think I responded immediately, for it took me a moment or two to fully digest these words of Miss Kenton. Moreover, as you might appreciate, their implications were such as to provoke a certain degree of sorrow within me. Indeed - why should I not admit it? - at that moment, my heart was breaking (...)” (Ishiguro 251-252).
Style
ReplyDeleteThe Remains of the Day is a novel narrated in first person in which one of the main protagonist -Mr. Stevens- is also the narrator. So the story is told by Mr. Stevens, who refers to himself as “I”: “In the end, I decided the most prudent moment in the day would be as I served afternoon tea in the drawing room.” (Ishiguro 13) (Iversen 38).
He tells the story as if it was a personal diary, although a diary in which he writes no more than what is crucially necessary. He does not speak out his internal feelings and thoughts but only gives hints here and there (Iversen 38)
This way, readers only see one subjective side of the story –Mr. Stevens’- and not the objective whole, and because of the latter is that the narration is imperfect. The story is told by the narrator’s perspective only, and goes through the occurrences of his past and present life (Iversen 38)
The psychology of Mr. Stevens is shown in his narration, and within it we find his internal incoherence and contradictions, which makes him unreliable. What he does and says do not match, as when he takes a positive positioning regarding the firing of the Jewish housekeepers, and later on comments he was actually upset about the event (Iversen 39)
“What’s done can hardly be undone. But it is at least a great comfort to hear his lordship declare so unequivocally that it was all a terrible misunderstanding. I just thought you’d like to know, Miss Kenton, since I recall you were as distressed by the episode as I was. (…) “I’m sorry, Mr Stevens,” Miss Kenton said behind me in an entirely new voice, as though she had just been jolted from a dream, “I don’t understand you,” Then I turned to her, she went on: “As I recall, you thought it was only right and proper that Ruth and Sarah be sent packing. You were positively cheerful about it” (Ishiguro, 161-162)
The fact is that Mr. Stevens has this strong feeling of duty to Lord. Darlington, which makes him accept as correct every decision he –correctly or incorrectly- makes; despite his true feelings about the situation in particular. Again, there is a mismatch between what he says and what he truly thinks or feels. This makes Steven not worth of trust and the reader struggles with viewing Steven as an honest character (Iversen 39-40).
His instability as narrator is again shown in the “novel” scene where he suggests that he is not engaged in professional matters and that the reason for reading it is to acquire a satisfactory command of the English language; and later stresses that he actually enjoys reading romantic novels and that there is nothing to be ashamed of; taking down his first argument (Iversen 40).
“As it happened, when she entered my pantry that evening, I was not in fact engaged in professional matters. That is to say, it was towards the end of the day during a quiet week and I had been enjoying a rare hour or so off duty. (…) In any case, I did not look up from my reading, and a few moments passed during which I waited for Miss Kenton to excuse herself and leave. But then I heard her say: ‘Now I wonder what it could be you are reading there, Mr Stevens.’ ‘Simply a book, Miss Kenton.’ (…) ‘Good gracious, Mr Stevens, it isn’t anything so scandalous at all. Simply a sentimental love story. (…) There was a simple reason for my having taken to pursuing such works; it was an extremely efficient way to maintain and develop one’s command of the English language. (…) however, I do not mind confessing today - and I see nothing to be ashamed of in this - that I did at times gain a sort of incidental enjoyment from these stories. I did not perhaps acknowledge this to myself at the time, but as I say, what shame is there in it?” (Ishiguro, 174-177)
Another inconsistency takes place when he praises Lord Darlington and then denies having worked for him or even having known him (Iversen 40/41).
ReplyDelete“Whatever may be said about his lordship these days –and the great majority of it is, as I say, utter nonsense –I can declare that he was a truly good man at heart, a gentleman through and through, and one I am today proud to have given my best years of service to.” (Ishiguro 64)
“Then his voice changed noticeably as he inquired: ‘You mean you actually used to work for that Lord Darlington?’ He was eyeing me carefully again. I said: ‘Oh no, I am employed by Mr John Farraday, the American gentleman who bought the house from the Darlington family.’ (Ishiguro 126)
Although he seems to be ashamed of his associations with Lord Darlington, he states that he denies him just for the sake of avoiding unpleasant situations (Iversen 41/42).
“Of course, there are many people these days who have a lot of foolish things to say about Lord Darlington, and it may be that you are under the impression I am somehow embarrassed or ashamed of my association with his lordship, and it is this that lies behind such conduct. Then let me make it clear that nothing could be further from the truth. (…) I have chosen to tell white lies in both instances as the simplest means of avoiding unpleasantness.” (Ishiguro 132)
Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day is a post-modern novel, as some of the literary characteristics of this period can be noticed in the piece of writing: there is fragmentation; although the places where the story takes place are clear; the chronological order is not followed, because there are flashbacks (Mr. Stevens reflects on the past); there is alienation (Stevens feels he does not belong to the place, that he does not fit in it); etc.
Personal Response
ReplyDeleteI consider The Remains of the Day a really absorbing novel, it is the kind of novel that makes you think about what is going on while reading ti and it makes you react regarding the characters. We get involved in the relationships between the different characters, especially the principal ones and we sympathise with them.
This novel made us think about how true is the saying that states –for some things in life- “the train passes once in a lifetime”, and that is what we think happened to Stevens. His extreme professionalism and wish for greatness as a butler not only destroyed the love life he could have had, but also left him alone and lost at that time in life when people need company. He was a pearl in a shell, a shell that always restrained him and never let him experience love or friendship or complicity. We feel he could have done more but couldn’t or didn’t want to, and now he is crying over old loves and lost hopes. His later regret is exactly that, and even more; it is too late.
The novel has informed our views on the relationship between masters and servants but mostly about the requirements and extreme personal limitations a butler had to undergo in order to have such a job. From this far away it even seems to be illogical, since there should be no job that limits your personal life to such an extent.
What we enjoyed more was the never-starting-never-ending love story. One could expect a different end reuniting the retired butler with the widow housekeeper but instead there is no love end to this story, as there is no a start of it. The butler returns to be a butler and the ex-housekeeper returns to be a wife and mother. Still, we could sense their mutual love all over the novel, and that is what we liked; to know that despite their lives going in different ways, they love each other is a way that transcends carnality and living life.
References
GradeSaver Editors. “Atonement Character List”. GradeSaver.com, GradeSaver LLC,
2018. 4th November, 2018.
GradeSaver. “GradeSaver on “The Remains of the Day: Themes”. Gradesaver.com. GradeSaver LLC. 2018. Web. 29th Oct. 2018
Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. London: Great Britain: Faber and Faber Limited, 1996. Print
Iversen, Y. (2014). “The Remains of the Day: Tradition and the Individualist Survivor”. University of Agder. 24th October, 2018.
Rushdie, S. “Re-reading The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.” The Guardian. Friday 17 August 2012 11.00 BST First Published on Friday 17 August 2012 11.00 BST.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNotes on The Remains of the Day: Themes, Facts” SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2018. Web. 03 Nov. 2018.
Sparknotes Editors. “The Remains of the Day: Themes”. SparkNotes.com,
SparkNotes LLC, 2018, 4th November, 2018.
Corgnali, Daiana; Paduan, Caroloina ; Serfaty, Soledad.
Group 2: Corgnali, Daiana; Paduan, Caroloina ; Serfaty, Soledad.
DeleteLANGUAGE: There are some mistakes which do not impede understanding. E.g. “…and totally private about his personal life, if has some.” (the last bit is confusing). “their customary of meeting” ( You probably meant “their customary meetings”).
SETTING: You write: “…he claims that the greatness of the British land is the result of its lack of African and American scenery. Unfortunately, this concept of greatness (also supported by Stevens’s father, as he is also a butler) created distance between father and son, as they restrained their emotions,…” There 2 things that are wrong here:
1) the greatness of the British landscape is NOT the result of its lack of African or American scenery but what Stevens means is that the British landscape is great due to its calming qualities – the intensity of the green landscape make people relax – and its genteel (and not wild, like in Africa or America) beauty. The English landscape is not spectacular or dramatic like that of other places (the Iguazu Falls in Misiones, for instance) but it is beautiful in a gentle, smooth way, just like British people are – in general- not impulsive or very demonstrative but rather cool and collected. So the English character shows calmness just like the landscape does.
2) Stevens’s definition of the greatness of the English landscape DOES NOT create restraint between father and son. Rather, both father and son show great restraint in their feelings probably because they have been brought up in this way and do not know how to interact normally with other people. They are both emotionally rigid by virtue of their upbringing and by certain cultural ideas of the time, namely, that British people should show a “stiff-upper-lip” attitude: it was not seen as proper to express your feelings openly in front of strangers (it still isn’t- as they say in the UK: “it’s not good to wash your laundry in public” ) or even, in front of members of your own family. Whatever you felt, you had to “pull yourself together” and “keep a straight face” (not fall in pieces, crying and screaming).
POST-MODERNISM: your take on Post-Modernism in the novel is rather poor. If there is fragmentation in this book, where and how is it present? Which extracts back up your description of fragmentation, flashbacks, etc.? This was a CRUCIAL point to analyse in the book.
GENERAL APPRAISAL: In spite of your omissions, you have managed to write a good analysis of THE REMAINS OF THE DAY and a fair comparison between the latter and THE GO-BETWEEN. You have passed this instance of evaluation. Good job!
Lord Darlington
ReplyDeleteConsidering that the reader observes the characters through Stevens’ eyes who idealises his master, the description of Lord Darlington is not objective. He is described as a gentlemen who is contrite because of the unjust treatment Germany received at the end of World War I. For this reason, he holds meetings in which members of the aristocracy show their support for the National Socialist Party. There are two main factors which compel him to try to lessen the harsh punishment laid on the neighbouring country. On the one hand there is the tragic loss of a close friend, Herr Bremann, who committed suicide after the war. On the other hand, there is the terrible effect left on Darlington by a visit to Germany in which he observes the woeful conditions of said nation (SparkNotes Editors 1): ‘It does us great discredit to treat a defeated foe like this. A complete break with the traditions of this country’ (Ishiguro 66).
His plan consists of gathering a number of influential figures at Darlington Hall and revise the terms set in the Treaty of Versailles after the First World War. Subsequently, he attempts to make an agreement and avoid another international conflict. It could be said that his is a heightened purpose, however, he fails to recognise the true intentions of Germany’s vicious scheme (SparkNotes Editors 1): ‘He is an amateur and international affairs today are no longer for gentlemen amateurs’ (Ishiguro 91). Therefore, he becomes a mere tool, a puppet, used to ease the way and promote Nazi ideas in England. During Lord Darlington’s last days, his reputation is absolutely obliterated, after being recognised as a Nazi sympathiser and a public enemy of Great Britain (SparkNotes Editors 1): ‘Of course, there are many people these days who have a lot of foolish things to say about Lord Darlington’ (Ishiguro 111)
It is not only Lord Darlington’s inability to see through the Germans ulterior motifs what makes the reader feel like he deserved his infamous reputation at the end of the novel, it is also the fact that he was responsible for an episode which could be constructed as an example of anti-semitism (SparkNotes Editors 1; Ishiguro 2). One day, Lord Darlington calls his butler, Stevens, and tells him that ‘We cannot have Jews on the staff here at Darlington Hall’...’ It’s regrettable, Stevens, but we have no choice’...’ It’s all in our best interests’ (Ishiguro 130).
Stevens Senior:
“...what an imposing physical force my father was. Indeed he was a man of some six feet three inches…” (Ishiguro 36)
He has got two sons. Leonard was killed during the South African War.
Steven’s father worked as a butler during almost his entire life. He is a man who is already in his seventies and struggling with arthritis. Previous to work with Stevens at Darlington Hall, Steven Seniors used to work with another man called Mr John Silver, until the day of this man’s death. Stevens sees in his father the embodiment of dedication, dignity and professionalism (Baena 1). Therefore, he is alway trying to imitate his father as he believes that Stevens Seniors is what a great butler should be. He was an extremely perfectionist man who is always trying to improve in his work. Stevens seniors and his son has very little communication. Both of them are restrained to reveal their emotions to such an extent that the day Stevens Senior is in his deathbed, his son is more worried about his responsibilities in the house than his father’s death (Ishiguro 2). “...‘I’m afraid we are extremely busy now, but we can talk again in the morning’” (Ishiguro 87)
Setting:
ReplyDelete"The English landscape at its finest—such as I saw this morning—possesses a quality that the landscapes of other nations, however more superficially dramatic, inevitably fail to possess. It is, I believe, a quality that will mark out the English landscape to any objective observer as the most deeply satisfying in the world, and this quality is probably best summed up by the term 'greatness’... I would say that it is the very lack of obvious drama or spectacle that sets the beauty of our land apart. What is pertinent is the calmness of that beauty, its sense of restraint’ (Ishiguro 28-29). When the narrator, Stevens, refers to the "greatness" of the English landscape, he is inevitably talking about himself. It can be said that he is a man who spends most of his life aspiring to be a great butler. For this reason he is extremely formal and has everything under his control. That is why he never tells anyone what he is truly feeling and pretends all the time to be perfect and calm. It is related to the English landscape, which does the same in order not to reveal its own beauty and greatness dramatically or loudly (Ishiguro 2). It is also closely connected to the episode when the butler says that only in England there are real butlers "Continentals are unable to be butlers because they are as a breed incapable of the emotional restraint which only the English race is capable of." (Ishiguro 36) and when he expresses “The english landscape possesses a quality that the landscapes of other nations, however more superficially dramatic, inevitably fail to possess.” (Ishiguro 28). Taking this into account, it can be said that the author not only uses the landscape as a background of the story (with the context of the Wars) but he also uses setting carefully and extremely well so as to relate characters with it. It is very noticeable that the landscape mirrors Stevens most relevant characteristic of greatness.
Steven during the novel remembers the events that took place in the Hall when he was a butler for Lord Darlington, in the years between the two World Wars. The Hall is the most important setting in the novel and almost the entire narrative develops there. During Mr Darlington’s time, the Hall serves as the gathering point for meetings aiming at changing some of the most cruel points of The Treaty of Versailles (Ishiguro 2): “By the turn of 1922, his lordship was working with a clear goal in mind. This was to gather under the very roof of Darlington Hall the most influential of the gentlemen whose support had been won with a view to conducting an ‘unofficial’ international conference -a conference that would discuss the means by which the harshest terms of the Versailles-treaty could be revised.” (Ishiguro 78).
Themes:
ReplyDeleteDignity and Greatness
Steven spends all his life trying to be the embodiment of dignity. For him, “‘dignity’ has to do crucially with a butler’s ability not to abandon the professional being he inhabits” (Ishiguro 43). Stevens, and his father, understand dignity as a characteristic of a perfect butler, who postpones or denies any personal wish in order to follow his master’s desires. Stevens learns this aspect from his own father, whom he believes to be the perfect example of dignity and greatness (Ishiguro 2): “...for all his limited command of English and his limited general knowledge, he not only knew all there was to know about how to run a house, he did in his prime come to acquire that ‘dignity in keeping with his position’, as the Hayes Society puts it” (Ishiguro 36). Because of this desire to fulfil the role of a good butler, Stevens Senior and his son miss out on life. Their personal feelings are not important for them. To be “great” means to be able to control and sometimes deny your feelings, to be calm in every situation so as to be able to perform your duties perfectly. And it is as a result of this strong belief that the relationship between father and son is cold and distant (Ishiguro 2). The most clear example of this is when Stevens Senior is near death. Stevens does not stop performing his duties, but it is not because he does not feel something for his own father, it is because he has been taught that way, in which performing his duties is more important than anything else, and it is what his father would have expected from him, as he explains to Miss Kenton. “This is most distressing. Nevertheless, I must now return downstairs” (Ishiguro 108).
Regret for the past
All the characters in The Remains of a Day end their lives regretting something they have done or have not. Stevens, for example, is not completely sure of the decisions he makes regarding Miss Kenton, and he tries to bring her back to Darlington Hall after years. However, this might not be the most significant of the butler’s regrets. At the end of the novel, he realises that he has not even made his own mistakes but his master’s. Due to his inner compulsion of being the perfect butler who is bound to his master’s desires, he misses the opportunities life gives all of us of making our own mistakes (Ishiguro 2): “...As for myself, I cannot even claim that. You see, I trusted. I trusted I was doing something worthwhile. I can’t even say I made my own mistakes. Really - one has to ask oneself - what dignity is there in that?” (Ishiguro 211)
Steven Senior is another character who regrets for his decisions. At the end of his life, he doubts that the way he has treated his son is the correct one. He demonstrates he wishes to have been a better father to Stevens, although he is happy with the man he has turned to be: “He went on looking at his hands for a moment. Then he said slowly: ‘I hope I’ve been a good father to you’... ‘I’m proud of you. A good son. I hope I’ve been a good father to you. I suppose I haven’t’” (Ishiguro 87)
Loss
ReplyDeleteDuring the course of the novel, while we meet the different characters, we see that literal and metaphorical loss abound in them. We see that Steven loses his father, “Mr Stevens, I’m very sorry. Your father passed away about four minutes ago” (Ishiguro 110) and he also loses Miss Kenton, when she decides to leave the house in order to marry and she does not come back when he asks her to do so (Rushdie 1): “...their implications were such as to provoke a certain degree of sorrow within me. Indeed - why should I not admit it? - at that moment, my heart was breaking.” (Ishiguro 208)
But probably, the character that better embodies the sense of loss is Lord Darlington. Not only does he loses his friends, Sir David Cardinal, who “had been for many years his lordship’s close friend and colleague, but had been tragically killed in a riding accident some three or four years prior to …” (Ishiguro 223) and also Herr Bremann, “It was not long after that evening there came the sad news that Herr Bremann had shot himself in a train between Hamburg and Berlin.” (Ishiguro 77), but he also loses his prestige, his money and his mental health and at the end of the story he is just seen by society as a Nazi sympathiser (SparkNotes Editors 1; Ishiguro 2).
Style:
ReplyDeleteThe Remains of the Day belongs to the era of post-modern literature, therefore, it possesses some of the features which are common to such tradition. For example, fragmentation, which is a technique that consists of narrating the story from different points in time. In the novel, this is evident through the use of flashbacks; the narrator often goes back in time to relate some episodes of his life, more precisely, to his years working for his former employer Lord Darlington. Moreover, there is also a sense of fragmentation throughout the whole novel in the constant comparisons that the narrator does between the situation at Darlington Hall in the present and what it was in the past, and the need for adapting to a new world (POST-MODERNISM features 1): ‘Now naturally, like many of us, I have a reluctance to change too much of the old ways. But there is no virtue at all in clinging as some do to tradition merely for its own sake’ (Ishiguro 8).
The story is told by a first-person narrator who is also a character in the novel. This can be seen at the beginning of the story, “The fact is, over the past few months, I have been responsible for a series of small errors in the carrying out of my duties” (Ishiguro 5), as well as at the end of it, “I should hope, then, that by the time of my employer’s return, I shall be in a position to pleasantly surprise him” (Ishiguro 258). When narrating the story, Stevens uses a very detailed narrative style, using more words than are really needed and he also utilises very formal language. For example, during the passages related to the preparation of the Hall for the meeting, Stevens’ language takes the tone of a military officer preparing for war: “I imagine, a general might prepare for a battle: I devised with utmost care a special staff plan anticipating all sorts of eventualities; I analysed where our weakest points lay and set about making contingency plans to fall back upon in the event of these points giving way; I even gave the staff a military-style ‘pep-talk’...‘History could well be made under this roof,’ I told them” (Ishiguro 70, 71).
PERSONAL RESPONSE:
ReplyDeleteButlers were part of English history and culture, but it is not common in our society, and this aspect is the one who has influenced our view of English culture. Throughout the novel it is repeatedly said by Stevens that the “English Butler” has the characteristics of the perfect butler, and that is connected to english people as well. Salman Rushdie explains it perfectly in the introduction of the novel when he says: “Continentals and Celts do not make good butlers because of their tendency to ‘run about screaming’ at the slightest provocation” (Rushdie 2) showing us the spirit of English people, that strength to keep going even if the situation is harsh, and this is sometimes misunderstood by coldness. Stevens attitudes help us to understand better this characteristics, which are so different to ours. Regarding what likes us the most, we would say that Stevens relationship with his father and his master, because it is connected to the previously mentioned, and it is something we have never seen in our culture, not to that extent.
References
Baena, Victoria. "The Remains of the Day Characters: William Stevens, senior (Stevens’s father)." LitCharts. LitCharts LLC, 22 Jun 2017. Web. 1 Nov 2018.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of The Day. Great Britain: Faber and Faber Limited, 1989. Print.
POST-MODERNISM Features (Summary) Adapted from: Rezaei, Ammar. “Post-Modernism Features in English Literature.” International Journal on English Language and Literature. Volume 2, Issue 1. ISSN 2321-8584. Osmania University Hyderabad, India. N.d. Nov 14, 2018.
Rushdie, Salman. “Re-reading The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. The Guardian. Friday 17 August 2012 11.00 BST First published on Friday 17 August 2012 11.00 BST.
SparkNotes Editors. “SparkNote on The Remains of the Day.” SparkNotes LLC. n.d.
SparkNotes.com. 1 Nov. 2018.
Cremona, Delfina; Magnago, Ma. Florencia
Group 1: Cremona, Delfina – Magnago, Ma. Florencia
DeleteSOURCES: You initially did not provide me with your sources and you had to be reminded of this by email. However, you rectified your mistake in time.
LANGUAGE: there are some mistakes in your narrative but they do not impede understanding. E.g. “Regarding what likes us the most,…”
GENERAL APPRAISAL: In spite of some omissions, you have performed serious and in-depth analysis of the novel using some sources but also providing your own insight as well. You have passed this instance of evaluation. Good job!