The Remains of the Day

"The Remains of the Day", winner of the 1989 Booker Prize, was written by Kazuo Ishiguro in 1989. Ishiguro had a typical English education with an immersion in Japanese culture. His fictions are remarked as “deal[ing] broadly with themes of self-deception, truth and the clash of public and private images of his characters”. In the Remains of the Day, he gives an eloquent dissection on the narrowed life of a stoic English butler who has spent thirty years in service at Darlington Hall, devoting everything in the pursuit of what he believes to be “great” and his unemotional reactions to the emotional world around him which ultimately come to regret and disillusionment. As Stevens travels through the English countryside, he recalls the past glories of Darlington Hall when Lord Darlington played host to the world leaders. He gradually revealed not only his own genuine character but also Lord Darlington’s misguided attempts to alter the course of history as well as the restrained love between Miss Kenton, the ex-housekeeper of Darlington Hall and him. Ishiguro makes insightful observations on the behaviors and thoughts of Stevens whose life is all about the small society- the Darlington Hall. This essay will explore a few of these observations by analyzing the concerning extracts and contexts.
The extract I chose is concerning Miss Kenton’s receiving the news that her aunt, her only living relative, has passed away. She tells Stevens the news, then asks for a few moments alone and goes into her room. At first Stevens realizes that he has omitted to offer Miss Kenton his “condolences”. However, although he wishes to compensate his error, his over elaborate sense indicates him that she is very possibly crying on the other side of the door. He hesitates and finally decides not going back because of fear of interrupting “her private grief”. When Miss Kenton comes out of her room in the afternoon, he only asks if everything is in order and points out a few mistakes that