The Remains of the Day
So...Stevens. What do you think of his voice? Do you "buy" him? Do you want to smack him? Just a little? What do you read underneath what he's telling you?
posted by Ms. Clapp @ 9:54 AM
76 comments
So...Stevens. What do you think of his voice? Do you "buy" him? Do you want to smack him? Just a little? What do you read underneath what he's telling you?
posted by Ms. Clapp @ 9:54 AM
76 comments
76 Comments:
I find it a little difficult to understand what he's trying to say. It's like somehow, in his explanation, you suddenly were lost in translation, you know? For example he started to discuss his devision of the staff plan of four on page 7 to 9 to simply summarize that he had given himself too much to do. And often times in the paragraphs, it is broken up. An example would be: "You may be amazed that such an obvious shortcoming to a staff plan should have continued to escape my notice, but then you will agree that such is often the way with matters one has given abiding thought to over a period of time; one is not struck by the truth until prompted quiet accidentally by some external event. So it was in this instance; that is to say, my receiving the letter from Miss Kenton, containing as it did, along with its long, rather unrevealing passages, an unmistakable nostalgia for Darlington Hall, and - I am quite sure of this - distinct hints of her desire to return here, obliged me to see my staff plan afresh." (9) He could not have simply stated this: Receiving Miss Kenton's letter, there was an implication of her wish to return to working at Darlington Hall? Or something along those lines? I find that Stevens is speaking in such a way that you find it hard to understand what he is trying to say. Does anyone else find it difficult or is it just me?
Anyone looking to borrow (or even trade, don't mind read a new book)? I have a copy if anyone needs one. You can find me on facebook and my e-mail is ant8904@gmail.com.
Antoine Vo
(former AP English Student)
I would have to disagree. I don't find it that hard to understand what Stevens is trying to say. It's true that Stevens jumps from topic to topic as he did when he discussed the letter from Miss Keaton, however, I feel that Stevens is a very timid person. I mean he is a butler and he seems to be very hesitant at times, especially when he accepts Mr. Farraday's offer of a cross-country trip. Stevens became very embarrassed after telling Mr. Farraday of his true objective for going on the trip. Stevens narrates, "This was the most embarrassing situation, one in which Lord Darlington would never have placed an employee. But then I do not mean to imply anything derogatory about Mr. Farraday; he is, after all, an American gentleman and his ways are often very different," (14). Stevens respects his new employer a lot and he doesn't want to offend him in any way by giving Mr. Farraday his proposal. He was hesitant in this passage because Stevens received second thoughts about giving his proposal to Mr. Farraday. This is why I think Stevens is difficult to understand. The author is taking on the perspective of a butler who's finished serving one family and now moving onto the next. He knows what to expect from his next employer. He just a man trying to earn a living, however, he's bound to his employer because of his occupation. It's probably because of all his years of service to a family that has made him very hesitant. As a result, Stevens is afraid to ask his employer for favors.
The book is interesting so far because the author takes the perspective of a butler and I've never read any books about butlers. The actions of Stevens so far, have revealed who he is and maybe he'll rediscover "himself" on this cross-country trip.
Stevens…I have a mix feeling towards his voice; I don’t really hate him, but there is the occasional wanting to smack him kind-of-reaction. Everything about him, so far, is almost monochromatic. He seems like the epitome of what I would imagine a butler from television to be like; perfect to the last detail. He seems like a workaholic that plans and accomplishes every one of his task perfectly, having worked it out in numerous ways in order to achieve that perfection, which goes beyond expectation. For example, when he was planning the staff plan, he said, “Whenever I believe I have come up with something, I probed it for every sort of oversight, tested it through from all angles. Finally I came up with a plan which, perhaps not exactly as Mr Farraday had requested, was the best, I felt sure, that was humanly possible.” (8). In a way, this perfection makes him very boring, like there’s no personality to him. His speech is so well-mannered and proper; it’s annoying to listen to, yet he calls Mr Farraday’s way of talking “bantering”;he clearly has no sense of humor. He also goes on and on about almost everything, not getting to the point until paragraphs later; which makes it hard to not fall asleep on him. Although, he obviously takes his job very seriously, too seriously that he would use his vacation time towards “professional use”. Who does that?! Doesn’t he have interests or hobbies, anything he enjoys other than being a full- time butler? This then leads me to thinking that he has no close friends or family members he could spend the time with. Now he seems like a pitiful, sad person, and this is the part where I sympathize him and want to extend a friendship offer. So I believe Stevens need to "work" on his personality.
Stevens doesn't even have a healthy relationship with his father and so, "he has no close friends or family members he could spend the time with," as jingle bellz had said earlier. The way he spoke to his father in the attic (the father's room) was very proper. They both didn't show any affection towards each other and this goes to show just how seriously butlers can take their jobs. When Stevens says he'll be brief during his discussion with his father, he contradicts himself because he isn't brief at all. He should have just told his father that he shouldn't be carrying heavy plates anymore, instead of having to describe what was wrong with his father. I'm sure his father already knew that he was getting old.
I also noticed that Stevens can be very BOSSY at times and he wants to control everyone. I find this annoying. For example, when Stevens found out that Miss Kenton was addressing his father as William, Stevens tells her that his father is a "figure of unusual distinction," (54). Then Stevens goes on to say that Miss Kenton is "still often unsure of what goes where and which item is which," (54). Stevens likes being the center of attention and being the "big boss" around Darlington Hall. Another example is when Stevens had ordered Miss Kenton to fix up the bed linen for the upper floor the day before the big "international conference." He was being quite the boss and was a hypocrite at the time. Miss Kenton made a wonderful point about Stevens, "If only I had as much spare time as you evidently do, then I would happily reciprocate by wandering around this house reminding you of tasks you have perfectly well in hand," (79). Stevens really wants to be the perfect butler, however, he's forgotten about some of the duties that he must accomplish too. He should fix the bed linen himself instead of demanding that Miss Kenton do it. All in all, Stevens should be smacked because of the way he treats Miss Kenton. In addition, it was really funny when Miss Kenton gave Stevens the silent treatment because of the way she was treated. It forced Stevens to actually have to write a little note everytime he needed Miss Kenton to clean something or fetch something.
So...what do you guys think about his cross-country trip so far? (I'm on page 90, so no spoilers xD)
I just started reading this book and at first I was extremely annoyed with Mr. Steven's voice, but as I keep reading I feel that it is a necessary part of the overall story. I do agree with rei-amandan that at times he is wordy and it is easy to get lost in the text. I don't know yet if I completely 'buy' Stevens and everything that he says. He often discusses the qualities that a butler should have and he seems to always start comparing himself to the 'great' butlers but never actually states that he is. He says, "Of course, it is not for me to suggest that I am worthy of ever being placed alongside the likes of the 'great' butlers of our generation, such as Mr. Marshall or Mr. Lane --though it should be said there are those who, perhaps out of misguided generosity, tend to do just this"(110). I feel that he is a proud person, which is revealed in this quotation. It seems that he knows he is good at what he does yet tries to be modest. I find his haughtiness to be annoying and it makes me not like him. On the other hand after seeing how he handled the international conference along with his father's death I was impressed with his ability to stay calm under pressure. I felt badly for Stevens when he was unable to properly say goodbye to his father. He says, “You see, I know my father would have wished me to carry on just now” (106). This statement leads me to believe that although Stevens and his father appear to have a bad relationship they are somehow connected by the fact that they are both butlers who take their job in serving others seriously. This book had made realize that the job of a butler is important and difficult. I have never read a book through the perspective of a butler and find it different yet interesting.
I have a few questions. I find the relationship between Miss Kenton and Stevens very interesting and amusing at times. Does anyone think that they may form a relationship or am I just being crazy?? Also, why do you think that Stevens is on this journey and why did he leave Darlington Hall?
As the story progresses on, I see more and more of what Stevens is like, but overall, he’s no different from my perception of him earlier. I notice from Stevens’s tone of voice that he’s a very self-assuring type of person; he evidently assumes Ms. Kenton wants to come back to Darlington Hall since her letter has “the unmistakable message conveyed” (48), and that the return of Ms. Kenton “will put a permanent end” (49) to his staff problems.
As Angela S. thought that Stevens and Ms. Kenton had a previous relationship before Ms. Kenton was married, I also suspect the same, or at least thought they both had feelings for each other but just that both never pursued the other. A reason that may justify why Stevens never made clear his feelings is probably due to his strict attachment to his profession, since he said, “I have always found such liaisons a serious threat to the order in the house” (51), when he spoke of previous housekeepers who end up marrying foots- men or butlers and his strong disapproval of it.
One thing that really gets on my nerves how Stevens places “dignity”, “greatness” and “great butler” as his number one priority all the time! I mean, his father fell down the steps and yet there was not a single phrase of worry or compassion towards how his father was now feeling! They both talk like complete strangers to one another, with no warmth in either of their tones. Worse, when his father was deteriorating more, Stevens answered every one of his father’s responses with “I’m glad Father is feeling so much better” (97). Is this his way to express himself, or is it a way to hide his true feelings? Could it be he REALLY had no idea how to react because he and his father never shared that kind of loving relationship? Then when Ms. Kenton delivered the message that his father had passed away, all he said was “I see” (106)?! Normally, others would be shocked to the point of fainting; even Mrs. Mortimer, the cook, wept bitterly and yet Stevens was still capable of carrying on with his job. The sad part is that he looks back to that time and believes that “in the face of everything, at least in some modest degree a “dignity” worthy of someone like Mr. Marshall” was displayed. How can he talk about dignity at a time like that? Was it dignified of Stevens to be so robotic; is dignity that important that it can surmount his only family member he has left?
I completely agree with jingle bellz about how Stevens puts his dignity and his job before anyone else and it is very sad.
As the story progresses I am getting a better feel for Stevens character. I don't like how he acts, but I feel that there is another layer of him that has yet to be revealed. Stevens takes his job very seriously and he is a hard worker. These are great traits for a person to have but not when they are absolutely consumed by their work. Although Stevens may be considered a 'great' butler or almost great I feel that he lacks many qualities. One example is that he is not very sincere or personable. He always seems so serious and enveloped in his work. I think that Ms. Kenton is one of the people who has picked up on his snobbish attitude. She says to him after discussing the housemaids that were dismissed, "...Why, Mr. Stevens, why, why, why, do you always have to pretend?"(154) In this passage she confronts him because although he says he was upset when the housemaids were forced to leave Ms. Kenton remembers that he did not have much sympathy until after the fact. She realizes that he is basically lying to her. I really admire her character because she is a very good housemaid yet isn't afraid to speak her mind. I also thought it was very cute when she tries to find out what Mr. Stevens is reading. After snatching the book she says, "Good gracious, Mr. Stevens, it isn't anything so scandalous at all. Simply a sentimental love story"(167). Stevens later says that he was not, at that time reading this book because he liked romance novels but because of the way it was written. I personally don't believe him. If anything he probably enjoys reading about love because he has no one to love or at least no one is mentioned in the story. He has such a rigid personality and he always has to do things the “right” way and never lets loose. I found one passage when Stevens car breaks down, which I found to contain symbolism, "I resolved then to return as far as the gate, and from there, descend the field, walking in as direct a line as possible towards the lights of the village, regardless of whether or not there was a proper path"(162). Maybe I am reading into it too much but I believe this passage reveals that Stevens is taking a step outside of his comfort zone by not taking the 'proper path'. It seems to me that he has never been anything less than proper, but now on this journey to discover himself I feel that he may start to realize that it is okay to be 'human' and let your guard down.
I am very excited to read the next chapter because he reunites with Ms. Kenton and I am curious as to what will happen!!!
I still cannot get myself to like Stevens; it seems the more I read, I just find more and more reasons to not like him. A new thought of Stevens I encountered is that he is very much like a controlled puppet. I know he’s a butler, and therefore should serve his lordship and not disobey him, but he’s also NOT a bound and tied servant! When Lord Darlington commanded Stevens to dismiss any Jews employed in the staff, he obediently agrees and even argues with Ms. Kenton that “his lordship has made his decision and there is nothing for you and I to debate over”(148). Can’t he see that it “would be simply- wrong” (149) to do so? He shouldn’t work for such a lord if it goes against human morals; besides, there is nothing “dignified” in this action.
I also picked up that whatever Stevens does, he always finds a reason, or rather an excuse, to justify what he’s doing. Its almost like he knows the audience isn’t really “buying” him, thus he has to come up with several, huge paragraphs long of explanation to validate himself. For example, when Stevens was trying so hard to hide what he’s reading from Ms. Kenton, and when Ms. Kenton finally manages to find out what he was trying to hide, Stevens was a bit embarrassed. Yet, he acts like it’s no big deal, and then arbitrarily comes up with an excuse that reading romantic novels “was an extremely efficient way to maintain and develop one’s command of the English language” (167). How random is that?! I cannot buy his reason; I bet he just loves to read romantic stories because he has no love in his life.
Stevens…I don’t know if he knows what he’s doing sometimes, like the things he say and actions he takes, because usually he ends up realizing too late his mistake. When news arrived that Ms. Kenton’s aunt has passed away, Stevens showed no sign of sympathy. Of course, it’s quite predictable since he did the same thing at his own father’s death, but still, is he really that inconsiderate? He says to Ms. Kenton, “I have noticed one or two things have fallen in standard just recently. I do feel you might be a little less complacent as regards new arrivals” (178). Really, this is not a matter of importance or condolence to express to someone when their only family member just passed away! One is already in a state of melancholy, and you don’t make them feel better by criticizing their work efforts. This was an instance that I really wanted to smack Stevens in the face.
Yes, I agree with what jingle bellz said about Stevens not expressing his condolences for the death of Miss Kenton's aunt. He should have said something to Miss Kenton because she needed someone to be there for her. Her aunt was the only "family" she had outside of Darlington Hall.
I finished the book yesterday and the ending of the book showed Stevens's growth. Throughout the whole trip he kept bringing back memories of his service under Lord Darlington and many other memories involved his relationship with Miss Kenton back then. These memories helped him find the "big picture." He now realizes that he's just a puppet and all he'll ever do is work. He says, "After all, what can we ever gain in forever looking back and blaming ourselves if our lives have not turned out quite as we might have wished? The hard reality is , surely, that for the likes of you and I, there is little choice other than to leave our fate, ultimately, in the hands of those great gentlemen at the hub of this world who employ our services," (244). He's now saying that as angelas said, "it is okay to be 'human' and let your guard down." Stevens understands that he shouldn't look back anymore. Instead, he should focus more on what he's going to do next. He now has a different approach to life than the one he had before. Back then he was all about his work and being the perfect butler. I guess he gained this attitude due to the fact that he couldn't get Miss Kenton to come back to Darlington Hall. I had had a feeling that Stevens loved Miss Kenton, but he just couldn't show his affection towards her. When he was at the bus stop with Miss Kenton, she told him that she must support her husband for the rest of her life. Furthermore, Stevens responded, "Indeed - why should I not admit it? - at that moment, my heart was breaking," (239). I guess Stevens finally realized he should have chased after Miss Kenton. Either that or maybe I'm wrong about Stevens having once loved Miss Kenton. They certainly seemed perfect for each other. Back then they both had the same attitude of constantly focusing on their work.
I agree that Stevens’s reaction towards Ms. Kenton's loss was rude. But, I feel that he doesn't know how to deal with relationships and emotions because he is used to serving a person and not much else.
I just finished the book and the last five pages, in my opinion were really amazing. I feel that the author ended the book nicely. If you have not finished than do not read the next passage because I don't want to give away the ending.
In the last chapter Mr. Stevens reunites with Ms. Kenton to get caught up on old times. I was eager to see what would happen because I always believed that they loved each other at one point in time. Mr. Stevens asks Ms. Kenton about the problems that she has had with her marriage and she responds by saying that she sometimes wonders what her life would be like if she didn't marry her husband. She says,"...And you get thinking about a different life, a better life you might have had. For instance, I get to thinking about a life I may have had with you, Mr. Stevens..."(239). This passage made me want to cry. Maybe I'm just a little too emotional but I felt that Stevens and Ms. Kenton always were attracted to each other. The other never really stated that they did but just showed it in other ways. Stevens then responds, "Indeed-why should I not admit it?-at that moment my heart was breaking"(239). He then says to her, "You're very correct, Mrs. Benn. As you say, it is too late to turn back the clock"(239). Once again Stevens reveals no emotion what so ever. Ms. Kenton is pretty much revealing her love to him and although he feels the same way he still responds to her as if he is a 'butler', not a human being who feels emotions. This part of the book made me feel badly for Stevens because although he worked his whole life and had a good career he never seemed to truly enjoy life. He never found love even when it was there in front of him. I believe Ms. Kenton never expressed her love earlier because she knew Stevens too well. She knew that he took his job way too seriously to ever consider marriage. I also felt that the only time he was happy was when he was with her and discussing things.
I also found another passage at the end that had some significance. "Perhaps it is indeed time I began to look at this whole matter of bantering more enthusiastically. After all, when one thinks about it, it is not such a foolish thing to indulge in-particularly if it is the case that in bantering lies the key to human warmth"(245). This passage reveals that on his journey Stevens starts to discover that showing emotion or 'bantering' is something that is okay to do. He watches strangers talking to each other and he thinks that he is amazing how people can start to talk so naturally without knowing each other. He realizes that if he becomes more sincere and less like a robot than he might become a better person, which in the end, will lead him to become a better butler.
Overall I believe that Stevens in the end realizes that he is not perfect and there are many things he can improve in his life. Life is about always learning and trying to improve one's self. Stevens sees that he has areas he must work on and knows that he is more than just a butler.
I agree completely with jingle-bellz. It is very much that when he is thinking back to his memories he seems to have an excuse or a reason to do something. I know that it might be good in a way to clarify but I feel as if he's making up excuses for his actions just so we can like him more.
Miss Kenton's and his relationship is rather strange. Because at the present time when Stevens is taking his trip, he has fond memories of her. However when he talks about when he first met her, all you can see is that he finds her "childish". I also find that his idea of his father, being one he can find a "great butler" that he ignores the hints from Miss Kenton. Take the example of the Chinaman on page 57-59.
"'Mr Stevens, will you kindly look at the Chinaman behind you?'
'If it is so important to you, Miss Kenton, I will allow that the Chinaman behind me may well be incorrectly situated. But I must say that I am at some loss as to why you should be so concerned with these most trivial of errors.'
'These errors may be trivial in themselves, Mr Stevens, but you must yourself realize their large significance.'" (59) That "large significance" means to their not so subtle hints about who was responsible for their errors. "The fact is, Mr Stevens, your father is entrusted with far more than a man of his age can cope with." (59) and also Miss Kenton also tries to make Stevens realize that "Whatever your father once, Mr Stevens, his powersz are not greatly diminished. This is what these 'trivial errors' as you call them really signify and if you do not heed them, it will not be long before your father commits an error of major proportions.'"(59) And I do believe that Stevens had ignored all those hints because he still did not change his father's duties, thus leading him to suffer a minor fall.
And as I had said before, I still have trouble liking him, much less standing him.
This book is so sad…poor Stevens, he realized everything too late. The story definitely could have turned out differently, for the better of Stevens and Ms. Kenton if Stevens could only sooner have recognized what he wanted in life, rather than constantly striving to become a “great butler”! It’s obvious both Stevens and Ms. Kenton had feelings for each other, and both were secretly hoping that one of the other will stop them from making a mistake. Ms. Kenton deliberately wants to talk to Stevens about her going off to marry, saying that “after the many years of service I have given in this house, you have no more words than to greet the news of my possible departure than those you have just uttered?” (219). In a way, Ms. Kenton was trying to send Stevens a “secret” message through her persistence of questioning him, but I guess Stevens just wasn’t the type to know how to respond. In reality, he really was upset over the news because even Mr. Cardinal, who was drunk, could see that Stevens was “feeling unwell” (220).
In the end, it all comes down to regret. Ms. Kenton sort of regrets her decision, and wonders of the possible outcome if she had been with Stevens and Stevens definitely wished he had taken a different path earlier in his life. When Ms. Kenton shares of her happiness for expecting her grandchild, Stevens kind of jokes that no matter what, he’s “not awaited by emptiness”, that “no, there’s work, work and more work” (237). But as we all know, Stevens does have nothing left since he gave his everything away to Lord Darlington and he does “not have a great deal more left to give” (242). Stevens has not even taken any risks or made any mistakes in life, at least if he did make a mistake, he could have learned from it. But Stevens has revolved his life around being the “great butler” and nothing else, as he says himself, “I can’t even say I made my own mistakes. Really- one has to ask oneself- what dignity is there in that?” (243). Finally he notices that he has spent his whole life toiling away with nothing in mind, but work, and that now it was all a mistake. But he also knows that its useless to linger in the past, that nothing will turn back time, that he must go living on with the rest of his life. Now he just has to be happy and make the best of his days anew, knowing that he had made his mistake.
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From the prologue alone we can already discern certain traits in Stevens; his manner of speaking which possesses so many flourishes and exhibits exuberant eloquence that I am baited to write in the same manner in which he speaks to remain in keeping with the setting of this book. Stevens also has a nasty disposition of digressing from one topic to another. We also learn of his profession and also his standing in regards to the changes taking place, not only in Darlington Hall with Mr. Faraday’s arrival, but in the occupation of butlership in general and how things are constantly changing, how they aren’t the way they used to be. I think this is a hint at a theme that may prove predominant in this book as we learn of several concurrent changes with the staff organization, also as I progress through the book and Stevens continues to draw us back to his past memories, I learn of changes that took place upon his father-one of the few people he considers to have possessed the crucial element of ‘dignity’ that makes up a ‘great butler’. I believe that Stevens aspires to be like his father was at the ‘peak of his powers’ and also be acknowledged by others, when in his company, as being in the presence of greatness-like the British landscape that he observes atop the hill. Stevens believes that only through analyzing and emulating this characteristic of ‘dignity’ can one truly become a ‘great butler’.
With all this talk of ‘great butlers’ I am inclined to believe that Stevens is attempting to sell himself, ever so slowly, as one of these ‘great butlers’ or at least as one cut out to be deemed as such. (I am not buying it yet…) I believe he does this without coming out and openly saying it, lest he comes off presumptuous, but by leaving hints as to what can be considered ‘great’ and showing us how he emulates these very traits; according to him (Stevens) he is the son of a ‘great butler’ and, I think he believes, greatness begets greatness, he manages in handling strenuous situations without undue fuss (such as making a staff plan of four to run a house previously run by twenty eight-in comparison to the story of the butler and the tiger under the table), he says a ‘great butler need not possess certain attributes (such as command of language-in his case a command of Mr. Faraday’s way of bantering), and also in how a ‘great butler’ maintains ‘dignity in keeping with his position’ in the way he ensures that his manner of dressing befits one who lives in Darlington Hall. (I might be jumping to conclusions here so let me know what you think.)
As I read on, I also begin to realize the importance of Miss Kenton’s return to Darlington Hall in regards to helping solve Stevens’ small errors (the ones he has refrained from enlightening us upon?!) since she was the first to confront him about his father’s lapses in the field. Though Stevens openly states his standing when it comes to workplace romances, I will not rule that out as a possibility quite yet in regards to Miss Kenton.
I also notice a notable difference between the fond way in which Stevens regards his father when relating to us what made him ‘great’, and when he approaches him to confer upon him his new work routine (owing to Mr. Stevens Sr.’s lapses of late). Stevens now regards his father in the third person, a view that I consider, much as it may seem an act of professionalism, more objective. This implies, to me, that Stevens is trying to detach himself from what his father has become in his latter years and connect (mould) himself more (in)to the memory of what he used to be. I think this is why their conversations are marked with mute embarrassment.
Finally, in regards to the ‘precious jewel’, I think this is part of Mr. Stevens Sr.’s ‘dignity’, part of which he has been losing gradually ever since his departure from Loughborough House, marked by his trivial errors, and culminates in his fall (symbolism-of a fall from greatness, maybe?) All these consequently result in Stevens Jr.’s distancing himself from his father. And so, I believe, Stevens Sr. is looking for his precious dignity on the ground, looking for the thing that once made his son proud of him.
Stevens (Jr.), on the other hand, is not going to overlook his own trivial errors like his father did, thus the significance of obtaining Miss Kenton’s services.
So far as I read back onto the comments and finally finished reading the book, I completely agree with jingle-bellz, william s, and angela. Stevens DOES put his job before anything else. He doesn't even seem to act like a human because he is so dedicated to his job. In fact he seems to analyze his emotions and/or how to proceed with emotional things like his father's death. He seems as if he's simply a robot going through the daily tasks that is handed to him.
As I read the story, it seemed that there was no emotion to Stevens because he is over analytical and is often unsure of human emotions. Such as how should he properly express his sympathy for Miss Kenton at news of her aunt's death and how to tell a joke. Although Stevens seems so old and mature, in some ways he is like a child. Towards the end, he shows doubt about Miss Kenton. I find it so sad how their conversation ended up.
And it is very true that Stevens doesn't have a healthy relationship with his father. I mean even when his father died, he expressed his wishes to get back to work! I mean Stevens, in the story, always seems to have looked up to his father and in a way had wishes to be like him. Yet when his father falls down and even dies, Stevens says he must return to his duties. And when he does return to his duties, he doesn't even seem to have spared a thought about his father's condition. How sad.
But I did like the ending of the book very much. That is when, I believe, he finally has grown. I agree with angela about how he finally realizes that it's bad to dwell on the past and prevent yourself from moving on. Also it is also when he notices the two young people behind him who suddenly met and are talking happily does he realize the importance of human emotions.
I think the interesting (maybe a bit annoying) aspect to this novel is its subtlety and also the way the plot develops without, apparently, letting you know what exact point the author is really putting across. However, by reading between the lines, I can discern most of the main ideas being put across.
Miss Kenton is frustrated by Stevens’ constant hassling and she even asks him no longer to converse directly with her anymore. I believe Miss Kenton’s frustrations come from deeper below the surface than they appear: she is not simply annoyed by Stevens’ bothering but by his inability to make their conversations any more personal than “Did you fix the guest bedroom?” Miss Kenton wishes to get in touch with Stevens on a more personal level (she even brought him flowers) but Stevens insists on ignoring the ‘signs’ and keeps their relationship personal.
Another inference I have drawn, though it may seem a tad farfetched, is from the way Stevens, I believe, finds it easier to address Mr. Cardinal, a complete stranger to him, on the sensitive matter of the ‘birds and the bees’ and yet he finds it extremely difficult to let even the slightest of his feelings towards Miss Kenton show-even to us the readers, he does not let on anything concerning his feelings for her. This is simply because he was asked to talk to Mr. Cardinal by Lord Darlington. This just goes to show how consumed Stevens is by his job, and so I believe he would only have divulged his feelings towards Miss Kenton if he had received orders straight from Lord Darlington to do so, in this event, he would have done so with ‘dignity in keeping with his position’.
When Stevens Sr. fails to push a trolley and consequently falls, upon being stirred, the first thing he asks Stevens is if everything is ‘in hand’ downstairs. Other than the trace of irony, in reference to things being “in hand” since his hands had failed him, this statement shows us how similar Stevens and his father really are because, even when his health is failing him, Stevens Sr.’s first concerns are with the smooth flowing of the conference. This shows me how both of them are concerned with maintaining their ‘dignity’.
However, Stevens Sr. is different in one way; he has finally realized that not much time remains of his day (his life) and so if he does not, for once, spare his façade so as to convey his true feelings to his son and receive similar sentiments back from him, there may never be another chance. This is why Stevens Sr. acts so ‘out of character’ (ironic in a way that by acting ‘out of character’, he is actually acting ‘in character’-get it?) and becomes emotional on his deathbed.
Stevens, however, does not wish to become sentimental and emotional, lest he appears to be ‘off duty’ and yet a great butler should never be perceived as being ‘off-duty’. Thus by maintaining his appearance of objectivity and emotional detachment from the situation, and not reassuring his father that he has been a good father to him, Stevens ‘successfully’ maintains his ‘dignity’ in this most trying situation.
Even upon his hour of death, Stevens Sr. is not comforted by his son because this would not show ‘dignity in keeping with his position’. But is it dignified to rush off to serve drinks to gentlemen when one’s own father is dying upstairs? Au contraire (on the contrary), I believe it is a mixture of ignominy and fear of appearing out of context with his ‘duty’-which, to him, lies downstairs serving drinks.
SO, I'VE JUST STARTED READING THIS BOOK AND IT IS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT STEVENS IS TRYING TO TELL US. ONE MOMENT HE TELLS US SOMETHING AND MOVES ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. WHICH MAKES ME DAZE OFF AND THEN SNAP BACK AND HAVE TO REREAD WHAT HE IS TELLING US. I THINK STEVENS VOICE IS VERY BRITISH WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR THE NOVEL BECAUSE HE IS IN BRITIAN. WHEN HE TALKS YOU JUST WANT TO STOP READING WHAT HE HAS TO SAY BECAUSE IT IS SO BORING AND KIND OF CONFUSING. I REALLY DO WANT TO SMACK HIM BECAUSE OF HOW HE JUST SHOWS NO EMOTION TOWARDS HIS FATHERS DEATH, AND IN THE BEGINING OF THE BOOK, HE TRYS TO AVOID MISS KENTON, AS SHE TRYS TO TELL HIM ABOUT HIS FATHER, AND HOW HE IS TOO OLD TO CONTINUE DOING THE JOBS THAT HE USED TO DO WHEN HE WAS MUCH YOUNGER. IM ALSO, NOT SURE IF I "BUY" HIM YET BECAUSE SOMETIMES I BELIEVE HE IS LIKE THIS FROM, THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT HE THINKS OR WAS TAUGHT A BUTLER MUST UPHOLD IN A HOUSE HOLD. LIKE JINGLE BELLZ SAID HE SEEMS LIKE HE IS ONE OF THOSE PERFECT BUTLERS ON TELEVISION, WHICH COULD ALL BE JUST A FAKE BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE WANTS EVERYONE TO BELIEVE HE IS, WHEN IN REALITY, HE'S NOT HIS OWN PERSON BUT OF WHAT EVERYONE EXPECTS HIM TO BE.
WHEN I WAS READING THE PROLOGUE- JULY 1956, I HAD TO READ IT REPEATEDLY JUST TO UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS TELLING US ABOUT DARLINGTON HALL BUT I STILL DIDN'T GET A GOOD IDEA OF WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. Can anyone please try to explain it a little better because i need some clarification?
I THOUGHT IT WAS ALSO FUNNY HOW THERE WAS TENSION WITH THE GUESTS STAYING AT DARLINGTON. WITH MR. LEWIS THE AMERICAN AND M. DUPONT THE FRENCH. "But before I go on to thank our host Lord Darlington, I have small thing I would wish to remove from my chest. ... then finally Mr. Lewis rose to his feet . ... Well, Since everyone is giving speeches, I may as well take a turn,' he said."(100-103) There seemed to be a strong tension between these two becuase Mr. Lewis had told M. Dupont that the guest were talking about him very rudely and how he was so appalled by it. So, M. Dupont tells everyone what Mr. Lewis has said and makes him look bad. Then Mr. Lewis does the same to M. Dupton. But what was the funny part was after a few minutes they all became buddy buddy and started to drink more and smoke more altogether.
What really made me want to smack Stevens was when he he didn't even answer his fathers simple question. "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 laughed a little and said: "I'm glad you're feeling better now." "im proud of you. A good son. I hope I've been a good father to you. I suppose I haven't."(97)
This really, and I mean really, made me want to smack Stevens at first because he couldn't answer his fathers simple question, instead he replys to him that he is really busy. As I started to think about why Stevens replyed in the way he did, I thought maybe he had just answered him that way because he didn't want to believe that his fathers life was going to end shortly. So instead of answering him, it seemed as if he was reassuring himself that his father was going to be okay.
What do yu guys think about Steven's reaction to his fathers question?
-farrah ;)
This comment has been removed by the author.
As the novel draws to a close, Stevens still clings to ‘great’ butlership and shows us how he has served in a ‘prestigious household’ close to the ‘hub’ and it is at this point that I started learning what the book is really about. Stevens praised the household he worked under, and yet he openly denied having served there on two occasions. As Stevens only admits to having served under Lord Darlington when convenient for his appearance, I can not help but get a ‘Simon Peter denying Jesus’ kind of feeling-except Stevens’ motives are not to fend off persecutors but to keep his façade dynamic. I believe this makes Stevens a pretender (a ‘mock’ as Mrs. Wakefield put it). As the plot unfolds, we get to see more of this falsehood in Stevens-particularly when he stayed over in the inn in Taunton and the house of a couple in the village of Moscombe, and, by acting the way he ordinarily does, is mistaken for a ‘real gentleman’ or a highly placed dignitary of sorts.
Let me digress for a moment. Many of the previous comments have successfully captured the essence of Stevens’ inability to be sentimental and/or let his emotions show, so I do not think I will expand further on that same issue. Instead, I want to raise the issue of irony in the story:
Irony 411
· The village folk compare Stevens to a Mr. Lindsay, who had suits but was no ‘real gentleman’, and praise Steven, thinking he is the real McCoy-but he is not.
· Mr. Graham says there is no dignity in being a slave-the context in which Stevens employment is portrayed is one of voluntary servitude, therefore he is very much a slave, and so he has no ‘dignity’.
· Stevens claims to have had the ear of not only Churchill but also Halifax and Eden on national matters-yet he only served them drinks and entrées.
As is often the case, irony is a stepping-stone for hypocrisy in this book. Stevens is a hypocrite because he is driving a borrowed car, donning hand-me-down suits and yet he claims to be an honorable public figure. I believe this is the ‘dignity’ and recognition of ‘greatness’ that Stevens has always yearned for, except he cannot obtain this as a butler-thus creating this whole “butlers are venerable and dignified” mentality. There are other cases of Stevens’ hypocrisy when he tells Miss Kenton that he too was distressed by the departure of the Jewish maids, yet he was not (or was he just hiding his feelings again? Can’t really tell with this guy, but he is a hypocrite anyway) and finally when he is caught ‘off guard’ by Miss Kenton while reading a romantic novel-yet he claimed that being a (great) butler is not a costume one assumes and discards at his liking-he does just that, so he is a pretender. Which brings me back to the point of pretending…
“Why, Mr. Stevens, why, why, why do you always have to pretend?”
Miss Kenton, I believe asks the most important question in the whole book (to which Stevens has no answer). It is also this pretending and concealing of emotion that results in Stevens’ losing yet another person dear to him-Miss Kenton in this case (previously it was his father)-without letting that person know how he felt.
Therefore, the ending of the book is rather a rude awakening for our protagonist as he realizes-wait a minute! I’ve spent my entire life pretending to be something I am not, living someone else’s life-and what dignity is there in that? And there’s not much time left for me, not much remains to my day so I’d better let this façade go and finally live a wholesome life. Starting with bantering… K, Ishiguro put it better though.
I just finished reading a third of the book and I jotted down some points that I found interesting.
Some of you all think that Stevens is annoying with the way he talks and is hard to understand some of the time but I can't say that I mind his character yet. Although I can see how some would not like him. He does talk as if he is a 'great butler' even though he constently tells us he doesn't think he is. Also, the way he talks makes me think that he is hinding something.
I like the way the the author made Stevens so professional and how he pays attention to every detail. So much that he won't even mention the name of the two drunken passengers to the reader in the story he was telling:
" Gentlemen i shall merely call Mr. Smith and Mr. Jones since they are likely to still be remembered in certain circles."
To sum it all up I like the way Stevens character was created. He cares a great deal for his job that his profession is all he knows. He can't even think of anything else while he is on vacation. While trying to relax he still digresses back to the Darlington house and tells stories of his profession.
I am not going to lie, I really don't see where this story is going. Hopefully it picks up in the second third and I will come back here with something insightful but until then have a good time reading
~Mark
What had caught my intrest is when Stevens denies to people about not working for Lord Darlington, but was just hired by Mr. Farraday. I mean it is so strange, working for thirtyfive years for lord Darlington that he upright denies ever working for him. So far i have gotten to two incidents in the novel, where Stevens denies he has ever worked for Lord Darlington when he is asked.
The first incident was when Mr. and Mrs. Wakefields had come to look at Mr. Farradays new home which he had bought from Lord Darlington. Mrs. Wakefields asks Stevens that he must have worked for Lord Darlington. "Then, lowering her voice,Mrs. Wakefield had said: "but presumably you must have worked for him" I didn't madam, no." " oh i thought you did, i wonder why i thought that." (123) Once Stevens denied he had ever worked for Darlington, it turned and made his employer seem as a lier to, the Wakefields because of Stevens lie. Which to me doesn't seem butler or lets say professionally right for Stevens to do so, to his employer.
Another incident was when Stevens was driving and getting his car fixed. Once he tells the man he works at Darlington hall the man asks him; "-changed noticably as he inquired:" You mean you actually used to work for that lord Darlington?" He was eyeing me carefullyagain. I said: "oh no, i am employed by mr. John farraday, the American gentleman who bought the house from the Darlington family."(120) The towards the end of the chapter of Mortimers pond, Dorset he tells us "and i am today nothing but proud and grateful to have been given such privilege."(126) Here he refers to working for Darlington. I mean why would he say he is proud to work for Lord darlington, if he is embaressed and ashamed to tell people who ask him, if he did work for him? I mean it really doesn't make sense of Stevens to do that. Which really shows us stevens to be even more unprofessional. I mean if i was asked if i worked for Lord Darlington, i wouldn't deny it but instead i would just tell the people who asked me that i am not allowed to talk about my past employers, due to respect.
Well, hopefully something incredible happens in this book to talk about.
-farrah ;)
Ok so those of you that were in Ms. Pettit's class last year, are you reminded of On Writing Wellat all when you read what Stevens says?! All I can think about while reading is the chapter that talks about using "one" to talk about yourself or an individual and reprecussions it has on your tone/writing. The book explained the use of "one" as something to avoid because it creates an impersonal feeling. I'm not sure how you guys feel, but Stevens comes off as completely and utterly impersonal so I have to give a shout out to Ms. Pettit for making me read that book or I may have missed the mechanics that Ishiguro used to create the effect.
Anyway...on to actual context =].
I'm not a huge fan of Stevens but I find him really amusing. His profession has bred him as a man always on edge lest he offend someone. He's completely impersonal and states his beliefs in a way that's noncommital--almost as if he expects to be challenged and wants to make sure that, if someone has different beliefs, they won't find him offensive. This aspect of his character has become a weakness, especially when a new, more modern, employer comes to town and wants someone to be personable and that has a personality. By being unobtrusive, Stevens rids himself of his individuality.
I was also taken aback by Stevens relatioship with his father. The motivation to be a great butler keeps him from acting like a son and makes him act as only a boss. He's confusing dignity with cruelty and negligence when it comes to other people. I see Stevens setting himself up for a huge disappontment because he makes work his ENTIRE life and it's not going to last forever, he's going to end up letting something good pass him by because it will interfere with work. Maybe that's what the story is about. Maybe it's the role that Miss Kenton will come to play (because we all know somethign has to happen between her and Stevens.)
I'm liking the book so far so my next post will come soon.
Hope everyone's summer is going well. =]
-Shelly
I understand I'm not supposed to post consecutively but no one has posted. I won't do more than two in a row unless no one's posted before I leave on vacation.
Stevens, Stevens, Stevens. What the heck is up with him?! I've finished the second part and am well on my way to finishing it and the butler, while still amusing, makes me want to sit him down and slap him. He's so blind!
Ok, away from the rant, I'll prove my assertion. I honestly think that during her stay and The House of Darlington, Miss Kenton had a "thing" for Stevens. The way she is described as having acted around him and the various "turning points" that Stevens illustrates clearly point to her either being coy, shy, or, in the incident with the book, pretty blatant with her feelings. Why is this important? Because it accentuates the idea Ishiguro is trying to give the readers--Stevens is too wrapped up in work to enjoy life. All work and no play mamkes Stevens a dull butler. (Hence his not so quick or witty witticisms.)
That introduces another topic. Who actually really thinks about being funny? Stevens is putting way too much effort into getting a chuckle and it makes him seem even more mechanical than when we first meet him and learn about how he acted during Lord Darlington's time in the house. Obsession with work has drained him of his humanity and, even though he's going to see Miss Kenton, I doubt things will work because he can't not work. It would break him.
Now for the part that makes me want to hit our little English butler. At the beginning of the book, he goes on and on about how admirable and honorable Lord Darlington was. If that's true and Stevens is so proud to have served him, why does he deny him? (I dont know what's up with me and the Bible but it kind of reminds me of the apostle denying Christ 3 times before the cock crowed.)
From following his own thoughts, we as the audience can clearly see him beginning to doubt his old employer. He says he doesn't listen to what others say but he does. He listens better than anyone in my opinion becuase he has taken everything in, refused to believe it, and is now mulling it over. There will have to be something big coming at the end having to do with Darlington. Can't wait.
My next post wil be soon =]
HELLOO EVERYONEEE I'VE FINISHEDD THE BOOK AND AM TOTALLY READY TO TALK ABOUT A FEW THINGS THAT HAD HAPPENED THROUGH OUT THE LAST THREE CHAPTERS OF THE NOVEL.
It really seems like Stevens was lacking love in his life. It started to show in the chapter "Moscombe, Near Travistock, Devon" when he was sitting in his room reading a novel and Ms. Kenton walked in and interrupted him while he was reading. Once she asked him what kind of book he was readding he didnt want her to know and just kept telling her to leave but she kept insisting and then snatched the book out of his hands and realized it was a love novel. Stevens trys to make an excuse but it seems that he was really reading it because maybe that is the closest thing that he could get to about love. Which really makes me feel bad for stevens because he really doesn't have a life what so ever. He pretty much just placed his job first before anything in his life. Its like he really didn't even get to live his life and at least try and enjoy it while it lasts.
I think Stevens realizes this when he reached his final destination in Weymouth at the end of the novel. When he met the old man who was sitting down at the bus stop while Mrs. Kenton and Stevens were talking the entire time. Ms. Kenton (who now is Mrs. Benn) pretty much tells him that she liked him for a long time and the reason she was so upset was because she thinks she made a mistake in marrying Mr. Benn who at first she didn't love but as she got older grew to love him. Again, it is very sad for Stevens cause maybe if Ms. Kenton told Stevens how she felt in the begining about him, i believe Stevens had feelings for her as well but just never really knew until Ms. Kenton had told her how she felt about him. We know this by Stevens saying "at that moment my heart was breaking"(239). I believe Stevens didn't realize it because he took his job way to seriously that he has to sacrifice any feelings he feels towards someone for the better of his employer. Which totally stinks for Stevens because I guess he'll never experience love with another person, with it not being anyones fault but his. Then once the bus comes Ms. Kentons eyes fill up with tears which kind of shows that this might be the last time they will see each other or even maybe talk to each other. Its like one of those love movies when the girl has chosen the man she is with even though deep down inside she really wants to be with the man who she loved and wanted a future with but couldn't have and now its too late to change what had happened in the past. So, sad and dissappointing. :(
Once Stevens started talking to the man about not being a great employee for Mr. Farraday because he doesn't work as good as he worked for Lord Darlington we start to actaully see emotion in Steven. HMMMmm... I guess all this opening up to people really makes Stevens actually human. When Stevens talks about Lord Darlington and how he was a great man and really felt bad about the accusations that were said in the newspaper we see that Stevens really had a strong bond with Lord Darlingtion and grew to love him as his Employer. It also kind of indicates that Mr. Cardinal must have been the one who wrote the article and said somethings in the news article about Darlington that probally weren't too nice. Also, Stevens now shows that he is willing to change when he get back to Darlington hall and show Mr. Farraday how great of a butler he really is. Stevens also shows us that he now is starting to realize everything around him when he sees all of the people on the pier talking to one another, when none of the people really new each other and had just met. So Stevens now wants to make the best of his Day before he heads back to Darlington Hall.
I really think the book ended beautifully because it was so sad but at the same time so eye opening for Stevens.
farrah ;)
Stevens...he's been driving me crazy! I don't know how I feel about him, so I'm just going to write what comes to mind...
I feel there is more to him than meets the eye, because I agree with Michelle, that he does act a certain way because of the way his profession expects him to act. I think that his random switching of topics and getting off on a tangent is because he tries to say what someone would expect him to say. A lot of his personality seems to be image-driven, and he is very conscious of how other people perceive him. Because I see him as striving to be a "great butler," he seems willing to sacrifice his relationships (namely with Miss Kenton and his father) in order to further his career. He is willing to push these people out of his life (by telling Miss Kenton what to do and telling his dad to slow down)in order to make himself look good, and this frustrates me because I think he really has compassion for both of these two people, and without them, as he is one of the only original servants left at Darlington Hall, he is very lonely. The trip to go see Miss Kenton, I think, is a way of atoning for these past actions and making ammends with his past.
Yay, people posted!
Hey! I've finished the book and started How to Read Literature... and I was somewhat proud of the connection I made between the two.
There is a chapter in How to Read that explains that authors sometimes use an object as a receiver for the emotions between characters. I see Miss Kenton's note as being exactly this. Stevens pulls it out to read through a number of times even though he remembers the message. Eveytime he reads it, he makes a comment concerning Miss Kenton or has a memory that the reader takes as evidence to their being more between them that meets the eye. It was an aspect that grabbed my attention.
So now...the outcome of the book. Do not read the rest unless finished, please
As I finished the book, I was taken aback by the fact that I actually felt bad for Stevens because I wasn't his biggest fan. Despite that however, I did feel bad. Does that mean I don't think he deserved it? No, the foolish butler got what was coming to him. He expected Kenton to drop everything for him when he wouldn't make a sacrifice for her and, though given reason to think so, he jumped on the idea that she and her husband were on bad terms. He was going to use her husband's folly to his own advantage. Slightly manipulative--I didn't think I'd see that from our main character.
Furthermore, I'm really thankful that we kind of found out what Lord Darlington did to give himself a bad name. It was bugging me throughout the entire book. And of course, through the unveiling of the tale, we see Stevens as being ashamed of his late master's actions.
That's all i have for now so...
See you soon!
-Shell
In analyzing the events contained within the first 45 pages of the novel, it is remarkable to the extent at which Stevens tries to fit the socially accepted image of a butler and his continuous attempts at perfection to simply please his "employer" and in my opinion the audience.
To begin, I will revisit the posted topic of Steven's detailed revision and creation of a "staff plan" The first question of mine in reading was simply why such great emphasis on the subject and through further reading I noticed that Stevens had a particular sensitivity to flaws regarding himself and others. For example, Stevens asserts: "Whenever I believed I had come up with something, I probed it for every sort of oversight, tested it through from all angles" (Pg 8).
Stevens needs to fulfill the image of a butler as this creates a distinct credibility since Stevens is so concerned about doing things "right". In another concept, I was intrigued by Steven's mention of him needing to incorporate "minor flaws" into the staff plan. I associated this as, in a sense, Stevens excuse to stray from his professionalist image at times throughout the novel if need be. Stevens introduces the "minor flaws" to make up for sloveniness or a lack of professionalism in himself. In addition, if Stevens could accomplish such a daunting task of creating this plan and hiring "good help/ hard to find", he could achieve a bit of perfection as he could do this when so few could.
On the subject of Steven's voice and use of diction, I have noticed quite a few things. Allow me to mark them as so not to forget any.
1)Specific: Stevens the majority of the time specifies events or defines with great detail memories and places among other incorporations. For example, he goes indepth into the process of the defintion of "dignity" and what is a great butler. Diction such as "that is to say" among others alerts the reader that Stevens desires to "tell more" and inform more. This creates an ethos between the reader and Stevens, and the reader buys into it.
2)"Assurance": Stevens incorporates into his sentence structure phrases such as "I believe to be true" "I am not entirely sure", etc. This assures that if the infomation delivered by Stevens is "indeed" wrong, his "perfectionist" image is not tarnished because it wasn't definite information.
3)Ethos : Stevens is direct in adressing the reader "you" and builds a personal trust with the reader. He ,in a sense, invites you into his life. With this, his words, stories, and personal image seems more believable. Also, the reader can relate to Stevens at times in the novel, since Stevens presents embarassing relatable moments such as the "swallow/crow" joke gone wrong.
Also, in juxtaposing the differences in Mr. Farraday and his predecessor, Stevens, in essense, creates an excuse why he cannot be perfect at times in the presence of Farraday.
In regards to the question of "Do I buy Stevens"? :
Stevens attempts to be perfect (Perfect the proper image of a butler)and his speech/ voice reflects that with its fancy and sophisticated diction and sentence structure.I feel as if he's trying too hard with his constant personal "I"s and references to himself, which to my person only conveys an optomistic egotist with a drive to become the defintion of"dignity" like his father as he describes was. This I find a flaw that devaules his attempts at building ethos since he tries so desperatly in his speech to obtain it as to mask all his imperfections he is aware he has. Can I trust fully Stevens with his concerns elsewhere?
Still, I am unsure of Steven's character, however, I will give him credit for manners in which he can sway an audience.
Adrian mentioned the part when Lord Darlington's visitor mentions a part of the house as a "mock" and that basically sums up all my emotion toward Stevens. He is probably one of the "fakest" characters I've ever read about, but in some way, it intregued me to read on.
When Lord Darlington told him to dismiss the two maids because they were Jewish, I was waiting to see Stevens step up and do what was morally right...I wanted to see him tell Lord Darlington that he wouldn't do it because it was completely unfair. However, he let me down, letting his pride and his focus on attaining "great butler" status get in the way.
By the end of the book, I was dying to be proved wrong. I wanted to see if I was falling for some kind of trick, like he would end up having this huge epiphany and would regret his actions in the past, but I didn't really feel that he ended the book any different than when he began. I mean, he realized it was foolish to think that Miss Kenton would drop everything and come back to Darlington Hall, but I thought the way he concluded the book was more like he was analyzing how logically inacurate his assumption of her return was. I didn't get a lot of emotion from him. His focus at the end of the book, as he says, is to come back to Darlington Hall with "renewed effort" to prove that he still has what it takes to be a butler. Any emotional reaction to Miss Kenton's visit just made him want to work more...something possibly to distract himself from the emotions...
Day two ~ Morning & Afternoon
As the novel progress, so continues Steven's numerous yet nostalgic accounts of his time in service to the Lord Darlington. He divulges countless memories regarding people and places, delivers his own suspiciously knowledgeable opinions and makes good use of the words "I recall". This vast sea of past experiences, of which Stevens can vividly recall even the slightest aspect of an account such as which specific portrait he is dusting at the time, allows the reader an invitation into the life of Steven's, which would certainty convey him as a character to be trusted or "bought".
Still, I am unsure of this most confident and trusting persona that Stevens conveys to the reader. (The person that Darlington allows into his personal conversations, for example.) To begin, Steven's, in the afternoon of Day two reveals to the audience that he has "chosen to tell white lies in instances as the simplest means of avoiding unpleasantness" (pg 126). I feel that he attributes this more to just simple meetings outside of Darlington's estate. I support this opinion strongly for the fact that for a man like Steven's, who seems to have committed every moment of his service to memory and so vividly recalls the accounts he tells us, his audience, he would not need to leave out any memories unless they indeed where unpleasant for him to share. He simply says that he cannot recall, but still is able to apply some detail to the events he "leaves out". For example, on page 66 Steven's cannot recall an instance, and this is only one among various others.
It is my opinion that Steven's in fact chooses to leave out these pieces of his history and tells the simply white lie of "I cannot recall" There is indeed more to him than he allows us to know, but since he has built up so much trust with the reader, us, already, we do not see the possibility that he purposely leaves out details. Surely a man who has proven himself to be extremely knowledgeable, in his historical accuracies among other strong opinions, would recognize the fact that he does not need to tell all.
Among other things, I found Steven's relationship with his dying father somewhat reserved. They seem to share feelings between themselves individually. Yet, when Darlington tells Steven's that he appears to be crying, I could not help but see Steven's emotion truly surface for the first time, revealing that his character, although in attempt to hide it, is not completely void of feeling. He only acts monotonous.
In addition, I felt that the action of Steven’s (how he acted to the message) of his father dying somewhat had a relationship with the "tiger story" in which his father told him. At that moment, Father and Son seemed one in the same.
Is Steven's only 'acting' in a role as butler to fulfill a need?
So, I've just gotten to about page thirty in The Remains of the Day, and personally, Stevens really annoys me. It might just be the fact that the book is narrated in the first person, which bugs me, but it also might be his personality.
I agree COMPLETELY with Michelle's comment about how this and that chapter from On Writitng Well resemble. The author's use of "one," to me seems excessive and makes Stevens seem-for lack of a better word-snoody.
He has this kind of "holier than thou" attitude about him. I mean, he acts as though he is immune to the realities of life outside his position of work. He is completely appaulled by Mr. Farraday's sense of humor, which I don't think can be blamed solely on the fact that Stevens is english and Mr. Farraday is american. To me, Stevens is too old, and too stuck in his ways.
And in response to Ms. Clapp, I would very much like to, at this point in the book, smack Stevens. Hopefully, that will change before my next post.
Observation: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4... Day 6. Where is Day 5?
(Includes references to the end of novel)
Anyways, aside from the obviously infantile question that drained my curiosity for about 5 minutes, does anyone else feel that Steven's redeemed himself in the end? I direct this on part that I found that, through all Steven's shying away from love interests, exciting speech and other habits associated with an ordinary human being, I feel that Stevens’s profound reflections actually had proven him to develop as a person. I must admit I had my doubts and frustrations about his character for not recognizing Miss Kenton’s obvious affections for him, (the reserved fool), but there seemed to be a desire to, if i may say so, "learn" to further appreciate what he has, and this made his character more enjoyable in the end. He seemed to recognize that his life could have gone differently should he choose a different path or course of action. Perhaps even he wished he could go back, but who for certain knows.
In addition to my observations, I have noticed in many chapters in the novel (Days as they are considered) the contrasts of illuminated and bright to dark, pale and cold whenever Miss Kenton and Stevens are in each other’s company, as if to convey their obvious differences concerning their feelings for one another. For example, on page 52 Kenton brings to Steven's dark and uncolored room bright and colorful flowers as if to make the room stand out and convey more sentimental appeal. He, however, persists that the room is in no need of such color. These instances seem more to reflect on the inability of Stevens to "open- himself" and Kenton's trying efforts to make him. As I recall, such references to color were present also when Stevens and his father were discussing his father’s new orders. The emphasis on color appears to demonstrate further the barrier that Stevens has erected which blocks his emotions and sentiments towards others.
Stevens appears to act differently around Kenton using more informal language and laughs quite a number of times in conversation with her. This is quite different from the manner in which he acts towards others, reserved and monotonous. Although I do realize of course that Steven’s does act reserved with his feelings towards her, he appears more open with her than with others. This stirred in me the reaction that Stevens does indeed “act” as a butler, but is fairly capable of more, as the incidents with the people of Moscombe had proven, he could be a “gentleman”. Miss Kenton inquires: “Why why why do you always have to pretend?” (154). He would then, I believe, realize that he too is great and that to serve under one whom he could be mistaken for seems, somewhat, senseless. But, is it Steven’s firm idea that every one has a part to play in the world, which keeps him in his role as butler of the Darlington House? Probably.
Another interesting comparison was Steven’s comments on how a Butler’s pantry is like a War generals quarters. Maybe just to play off the war references and conflicts in the novel or to demonstrate some sort of internal conflict that arises in being a butler, Stevens uses this comparison a few other times as well. (165)
In the end, near page 245 I came to enjoy Stevens for the fact that he is teaching himself to "banter". This shows that Stevens no longer wishes to hold his feelings inside.
Steven's, however, appeals more for the fact that he is making an effort to feel and share with others his feelings, if simply just to please them.
In regards to the question of “Do I buy Stevens”:
I feel that he is striving to be the butler his father once was. The manner in which he describes a butler with ‘dignity’ such as his father shows the passion he has for becoming this butler. I think he wishes to one day surpass his father’s accomplishments and prove e is better. There is something in the way he describes his father that makes me think he wants to be better, he needs to be better. I think Stevens thinks of himself as a butler with dignity, and he is simply searching for the reassurance that he is indeed this butler from the reader. He speaks of his accomplishments and his father’s accomplishments almost as if he is making constant comparisons. I honestly think he is trying to convince the reader he is better than his father. I do not buy Stevens.
I also think he fears the day he will commit an error such as his father’s. It seems to me that he tries to perfect himself in various ways by not only catching his every fault, but also by making the reader feel as though he is fully aware of them and almost as if he does them on purpose perfectly. It seems as if he is making errors on purpose and perfecting the art of making errors. He is absolutely thirsty for perfection and acts to much like a robot. Why doesn’t he have crazy human problems? He’s too boring for me and is not my favorite character. Not only do I not buy him; I don’t even rent this man
I agree with Eschuk's observation. I myself made that observation and wondered why didn't he tell us about the fifth day of his trip. HmmMm... something that left me wondering am i missing pages or is this how its suppose to be.
I also did some thinking about the novel. I realized that Stevens loses everyone who he cared for. He loses Ms. Kenton who runs off to get married to a man who she didnt love at first. He loses his father, the man who taught Stevens everything about being a butler. He loses Lord Darlington, a man who he was very happy to work for. He also loses the chance to bring Ms. Kenton back to Darlington Hall. And he loses the only women who he loved in his life and who once loved him. Which is all very sad. This all has to leave Stevens with alot of regret because everything he loses he kind of didn't pay attention to it until the end of the novel, during his last conversation with Ms. Kenton. Half of me leaves me to feel bad for Stevens but the other half is just saying he placed it on himself.
I also see alot of loyalty in this novel. Stevens shows more loyalty and love towards his employers than he does to the people who love and care for him.
I also have a question about what Stevens means about Bantering? It seems important since he goes back to it a couple of times. Can someone please explain this becuase i need some clarification.
Thanks!
Farrah ;)
Farrah - Bantering means making fun of someone or trading jokes or playful insults with someone.
As for its significance, Stevens always talks about how he tries to make wity remarks to his bosses or people he comes in contact with, but he feels that he can't quite keep up with the humor. I think it reflects his lack of confidence in himself because like Amanda said in the very first post, its almost like he gets lots in translation with other characters or with his audience. Most of the jokes seem to go over his head, but he tries to fit in by interjecting comments, and sometimes, they seem forced or fake. Because his profession is so far removed from the casual conversation, he can't really keep up because he always has to be so professional. I think he really wants to be able to keep that kind of conversation; it seems as though he sees it as the way to be at the same level as the more prominent men that visit the house.
This was my absolute favorite of the books we read. I thought it would be really very boring, being about a butler and all. I ended up adoring it though. I actually love the character of Mr. Stevens. I love the way in which he talks, and I do understand what he's saying. I never really want to smack him, except for some of the things he says to Miss Kenton when they argue, as though he and his father are above her.
Though I find his discussions of what a 'great' butler is as bit tedious, I find that it adds to his character to want to be the best in his profession that he can be. He truly has a passion for what he does.
My favorite part about him are his thoughts and how he shows them. When he has a thought, such as when he dismisses the maids for being Jewish on the orders of Lord Darlington, he says that his "every instinct opposed the idea of their dismissal"(148). Yet he tells Miss Kenton to dismiss them as though he didn't care one way or the other. Later on in the novel, he and Miss Kenton discuss the past and she learns that he was against their dismissal all along. She goes on to ask, "why, why, why do you always have to pretend?"(154). This is what Mr Stevens does as a butler. He pretends to have no opinion and serves his Lord Darlington with no comments as to how he feels. Could anyone else stand being a butler, not being able to state your opinions? I'm not sure I could do it, ever.
My other favorite aspect of Mr. Stevens is how he suddenly sometimes shows his emotion, without letting us know, and how surprising it is. The two examples of this are when his father is dying, and when Miss Kenton tells him she's getting married. When his father is dying, he goes down to serve the guests, leaving his father briskly seemingly without much emotion. Mr. Darlington then goes on to ask him, "Stevens, are you all right?", then "You look as though you're crying.(105)" He wipes it away, and then the story just moves on. The other instance is when after Miss Kenton tells him the news, he serves Lord Darlington and his guests, and Lord Darlington asks: "Not feeling unwell, are you?", to which Stevens replies that he's just tired, and that's the end of that. I love these little cracks in his semblance because it shows that he's human and not some emotionless robotic man meant to serve everyone flawlessly.
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I agree with Meaghan that Mr. Stevens seems really self-conscious. It shows through his forced bantering and some of his speeches, and how he always tries to think of what the perfect butler is. I think that he had the dignity of the great butlers that he saw them to have, but he didn't have the belief in himself to be that great butler he so wished he could be.
I find the ending to be some kind of epiphany, where he realizes that he needs to relax a little bit of this stress upon himself. His last remark is about how he's going to be working on his bantering and I feel that this is a sign that he's going to try to change for the better, and change at least a little bit of how he views himself.
Also, how did everyone feel about the ending with Miss Kenton? I must confess that I was rooting for them the entire time, even though I knew it would never work. The part where he confessed his heart was breaking made my own heart break too. I percieved it to be beautifully sad.
Going back to Thespina's comment on Stevens, I would have to agree. Stevens seems like he's very superficial. He needs to choose a path for himself and not worry about trying to fill his father's shoes, because then he'll never be happy and and never be at rest with himself because he would be constantly trying to outdo his father and be better than him.
Now, I have a question.. what do you think the deal is with Miss Kenton? I was unclear of the emotion felt towards her by Stevens. Does he dislike her? Help!
Going back to Catlin's comment about Steven's emotions. Yeah I think it's strange too! Steven's never seems to tell us about his own emotions. It's more like the events themselves tell us how he feels rather then him telling it.
That falls true to the ending. When Miss Kenton's tells him that she has had feelings for him, he doesn't seem sad at all. However when he goes to the park at the evening and has a conversation with a random stranger, you can kind of tell he's upset. I mean no one pours out some personal things to a stranger unless they've become upset.
I'm halfway through with this book, and so far I've made the same observations as everyone else.
Stevens definitely has an unhealthy relationship with his father. I feel that he takes "professionalism" to an extreme when he doesn't take the time to be with his father on his deathbed. I couldn't believe it when he said, "For all its sad associations, whenever I recall that evening today, I find I do so with a large sense of triumph." (110) At the same time, he is not the only one at fault in their relationship. I'm surprised at how coldly and detached his father speaks to him in the few conversations that they have, and how Stevens addresses him in the third person. I find it peculiar that Stevens holds his father to such high esteem, when they don't even treat each other like father and son when they are face to face, and when his father dies, the only bit of emotion he can show is some tears, while he is still serving guests.
It is also quite ironic that the day that his father dies, is the day that he feels that he has proved himself a true and dignified butler.
Stevens is uptight and over analyzes everything to a point where it's sort of humorous to me. It's funny how he's the typical English butler, employed by an American man. For example, when Stevens isn't sure on how to react to Mr. Farraday's "bantering," I find it funny how he wonders whether or not an equally witty remark would be inappropriate. On the other hand, if they were in America, I feel, one wouldn't really think twice to say something back jokingly.
One last thing that I've been pondering is the targeted audience. It has become quite evident that Stevens' audience consists of other butlers through the way in which he says things, such as "But you will no doubt agree that the very best staff plans are those which give clear margins of error..." (8) and "but as you know, finding recruits of a satisfactory standard is no easy task nowadays..." (6) Obviously the only person who would know such information is another butler. Part of the rhetorical triangle and writer's purpose has to do with who the audience is. I wonder what Ishiguro's purpose is in treating the audience this way.
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Ok, so I must admit that I didn't read everyone's comment because there are 43 and that's just plain insane, however I did skim. So, if I repeat anything that has already been said I apologize in advance.
First off, like many of you have already brought up, I'd like to discuss Stevens' relationships with people around him. I thought that a father and a son would have a stronger bond and wouldn't be so embarrassed by conversation when speaking with each other; however in this novel I found when Stevens and his father speak to each other it is as awkward as strangers conversing for the first time. However, even though they do not have a close personal relationship it is quite obvious that Stevens has a great amount of respect for his father as a butler. An example where Stevens’ respect for his father is clearly shown is when Miss Kenton states, “…I believe there are many duties your father should now be relieved of” (59) and Stevens doesn’t take any action until what is said two months later when Lord Darlington asks Stevens to “reconsider his father’s duties” (62), and even then Stevens does it with regret. It isn’t until later on that we find that Stevens’ father did have some role in Stevens’ personal life. We find that Stevens is crying after he finds out of his father’s death. However, Stevens doesn’t directly state that he is crying, it is from Lord Darlington that the readers are informed, which left me wondering if Stevens has been completely honest with his feelings throughout the first third of the book.
Which brings me to Stevens and Miss Kenton’s relationship, which is another unusual one. I noticed that Miss Kenton is clearly making an effort to be friendly and kind to Stevens when she first arrives at Darlington Hall by bringing him the flowers to brighten his room, however Stevens declines the flowers. This is an example of how Stevens is clearly all business and doesn’t have much of a personal life and maybe doesn’t even want one. However, Stevens states that he has caught himself rereading Miss Kenton’s letters. I think that Stevens has had some secret feelings for Miss Kenton the whole time. This can be seen especially when Stevens tell us that Miss Kenton is now separated from her husband. Stevens expresses how unfortunate this is, however the tone of his voice doesn’t seem very sympathetic.
I noticed early on that dignity is a major topic within the text. On page 43 Stevens states that, “…they are like a man who will, at the slightest provocation, tear off his suit and shirt and run about screaming. In a word, ‘dignity’ is beyond such persons. “ However, when Stevens’ father dies he begins to cry while serving Lord Darlington and Reginald Cardinal. Does this mean that Stevens doesn’t have as much dignity as he thought he did or does it just show that we are all human and emotions can be provoked by anything and sometimes these emotions cannot be controlled? I found it easiest to relate to Stevens at this moment because of the realness of the scenario and shows us that Stevens isn’t a robot.
Nicole S.
On the topic of "dignity," by the end of the story, we see that Stevens was constantly trying to define the criteria for being dignified, because he is so insecure about his own dignity as a butler. All along, he was in denial of Lord Darlington's status as a truly good gentleman. And he ends up contradicting himself when he says one can't be blamed for serving Lord Darlington, whose efforts turned out to be "misguided". (One of his criteria for dignity was being in service to a man with a positive influence on the community). He says, "it is hardly my fault if his lordship's life and work have turned out today to look, at best, a sad waste- and it is quite illogical that I should feel any regret or shame on my own account," (201) when obviously he does.
I believe this is a major breakthrough in the novel, and shows that Stevens has grown by the end of his journey, because he is finally able to acknowledge Lord Darlington's faults, and he is able to, somewhat, let it go, seeing that it was all in the past, and he needs to move on.
Another topic that I find interesting in this novel is the ideas it brings up in social justice and democracy. Stevens gets a glimpse of the other, lower class world when he makes a stop at the Taylors', on account of his car running out of gas. He does not agree with the idea they bring up about regular citizens being active and taking part in politics. As he puts it, "One is simply accepting an inescapable truth: that the likes of you and I will never be in a position to comprehend the great affairs of today's world..." (201) It makes me mad that he can be so ridiculously passive- especially when he recalls the time when Darlington and his companions called him in to ask him questions about current events, and he stood there and allowed them to laugh at him when he couldn't answer any of them (195). How can he let himself be embarrassed like that? It shows me that he is still very much naive, stuck in his little world of dusting and serving drinks, never showing the need to rebel and make a change in the world, so maybe he could move on to more meaningful/fulfilling lifestyles.
Alright, I finished the second third of The Remains of The Day and I found it quite interesting, well more interesting than the first third anyway.
In this part of the novel I found that Mr. Stevens is very loyal to Lord Darlington and accepts Darlington’s views as his own. I found it quite appalling when Mr. Stevens is told to fire the house maids because they are Jewish and does it without any objection. For some reason I don’t even think he realizes how extremely wrong this is. It is completely wrong to fire someone because of their race or religion, and it seems that only Ms. Kenton sees how politically incorrect it is with her threats to resign.
Something else that I found really interesting was when Ms. Kenton comes into Stevens’ pantry and attempts to take the book from Stevens’ hands to find out what he is reading and she seems quite surprised stating, “Good gracious, Mr. Stevens, it isn’t anything so scandalous at all. Simply a sentimental love story” (167). Stevens says he uses the romance novels to brush up on his speech; however he also states that he did at times found himself actually enjoying the story. However, I believe that Stevens reads the romance novels because love is something that he wants in his life and also I think that the person he wants to love is Ms. Kenton.
Something that I find baffling in this novel is how Stevens relies on Darlington to make him a great butler. I don’t quite understand why it is Darlington who let Stevens down and not him. I personally find that if you want to succeed you have to do it on your own with the help of others, but you definitely can’t rely on someone to make you great at what ever you want to do.
-Nicole S.
Going back to Meaghan's comment on the significance of bantering in the novel, I agree that it reflects Stevens' selfconciousness, as well as his inability to let go and be more carefree.
I liked the way in which Ishiguro ends the book by going back to the topic of bantering.
Along with Stevens' realization that he needs to move on from Darlington's mistakes, it shows how he has grown from his motoring trip. It furthers the fact that he is ready to move on from the man he served in his past, and he is also ready to let go of the regrets and negative feelings that he has been bottling under the surface. Bantering reflects this, because it's an easygoing, friendly action. In addition to that, it is an action he is willing to take up for the new man he is serving. Thus he is no longer entangled in his past.
Hello. "The Remains of the Day" is quite an interesting novel so far. It is quite different from the rest of the books we are reading in terms of how it is written, the language conveyed, and how the characters are portrayed to the reader.
The first element of this novel I would like to address is the way in which Ishiguro begins his novel. It is quite fascinating with the technique he uses, how he almost always begins with Stevens explaining to his readers his present day situation and occurrences, then subsequently goes into great detail about events from the past. This in itself is a red flag to the reader due to the fact that it shows how Stevens is to this day impacted by past events and is at unrest with the incidents that had occurred. The juxtaposing of the past and present is a useful technique because the fragmentary information he provides about both explain more about him than he could possibly tell us. One instance of this is his desire to have Miss Kenton return for employment at Darlington Hall. Throughout the first third of the novel, he continuously nags her about even the slightest details which would signify that he was drastically irked by her mistakes but truly, he had significant feelings for her. His regret and coming of age brings him to want her back, to make peace with the past, and bring back the ones he lost who he can try to bring back.
Stevens is a shy character, afraid to displease his employer and his guests. He is extremely engulfed and almost trapped per se in keeping up with the image of trying to be a "'great' butler". Because this is true, it almost seems as if the events he mentions through retrospect, express a certain level of regret and pain. Stevens is wedged between keeping up his persona as a "great" butler and being human. Through much of his narrative, he seems to distance himself from his feelings and the other characters such as Michelle mentioned before; he uses "one" to address himself and not "I" as most do. When he finally almost conveyed his emotions to another character, in this case it was Miss Kenton; he irked her so much that he ended up pushing her away unwillingly. It almost seemed as if they both had feelings for each other yet Stevens did not want that fact to interfere with his career and therefore did what was in his power to break off that possible fling.
Although this is true, I believe Stevens will push away this persona by the end of the novel and express his true feelings about the situations that took place. Why else is he mentioning these obsolete events? As I continue to read this novel, I frequently notice the gradual change in Stevens' character. At the beginning of the novel, he repeatedly tries to build his ethos (to the point that he agitated me enough to ramble about it in the side margins in my book) through his references of how Mr. Darlington entrusts him with particularly important information, such as which guests would attend a conference, and gives him the authority to meticulously make sure his entire crew keep everything in line when his guests arrive. One example of this is when he states, "Some of the visitors were, in fact, so 'off the record' that I was instructed to make sure the staff did not learn their identities, or in some cases, even glimpse them. However-and I say this with some pride and gratitude-Lord Darlington never made any efforts to conceal things fro, my own eyes and ears" (74) to emphasize his importance on the staff.
He also attempts to build his ethos through certain linguistic features such as selection of detail, sentence structure, and selective diction.
The selection of detail he uses throughout the novel conveys an important characteristic of Stevens, the fact that he is meticulously observing which shows us two different things, the fact that he can be deceiving to his reader because of the fact that he is aware of precision and its significance. On the contrary, it can also build his ethos because he is showing to his reader that no detail can get by him and that in terms of his profession of being a butler, nothing can get by him which builds his "dignity" image.
His technique of selection of detail overlaps with the diction he uses. All of his descriptions are lucid and paint an image in the reader's mind which makes it seem as if Stevens is giving us all possible information about his subjects as possible. On the contrary, when describing the guests that dwell at Darlington Hall, Stevens uses generally optimistic and "nice" words, per se, to describe them, such as "formidable" (77) to describe Mrs. Eleanor Austin and "jovial" (91) to describe Mr. Lewis's anecdotes. Because he does this, he seems bias and just trying to appeal to his audience in a way that they will think he is a kind person and a "great" butler with hospitality towards his guests and an extraordinary sense of "dignity".
The main linguistic feature that is prominent and significantly sticks out to me as I continue reading is his sentence structure. Stevens continuously uses commas throughout his sentence such as when he states, "It was not, admittedly, the most subtle of strategies, but you will appreciate that this particular task, though no doubt important in its way, hardly took the highest priority at that moment" (89) to continue to attempt at creating ethos but obviously fails at doing so because it is quite obvious of his strategy of trying to sound extremely professional and knowledgeable. On the other hand, I believe he may be doing so purposely in order for his reader to break his persona as he is attempting to do as well.
I am looking forward to observing how and if Stevens' personality changes with his reader and if he will eventually come to terms with separating his life from his career when it should be quite the opposite.
The ending of The Remains of The Day was somewhat depressing. I felt bad for Stevens when Ms. Kenton didn't return to Darlington Hall. And, it was quite obvious that her decision had crushed Stevens.
Like Meg and Jess have already said I agree that bantering is a way that people communicate and get to know one another and that Stevens is quite embarassed of human interaction when it's not dealing with work.
I also agree that it seems as though Stevens is ready to move on from his days with Lord Darlington and is renewed and ready to serve Mr. Farraday.
I felt The Remains of The Day was a story of regrets. It's sad how often people regret their pasts, and this novel clearly show's Stevens feels as though he has wasted the best years of his life.
-Nicole S.
I would have to agree with Nicole. Although I'm not done with the book, it's very obvious that Stevens has a diffcult time connecting with others unless it's through work..I mean even when he was arguing with Miss kenton (79) it was always over the topic of work. You can clearly see that Stevens has this somewhat dark aura around him. You can tell that he's not happy with where he's at but he holds such "dignity" that he covers it up and continus on almost robotically.
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Hello. As I continue reading, "The Remains of the Day", I have realized that Stevens is on a quest. Though I have yet to discover his final destination, every town he visits corresponds to a particular situation or series of events which have taken place in his past. Each reveals a certain aspect of Stevens and his real character without the affects of the persona he attempts to take on. It seems to me as if he is regretful for displacing his own life for the soul purpose of being recognized, as mentioned many times before, as a "great butler".
As he begins his journey at the beginning of the novel, he continuously praises Lord Darlington and his guests. This can be seen, as I mentioned before, with his continuous adjective usage flattering and complimenting the company at Lord Darlington's home. I believe he does this in order to show his "loyalty" to him and those he is serving. But as Stevens engages in his journey, which I believe to be self discovery in a sense, (I think this because he is realizing the people and events he truly missed out on such as his strong affection for Miss Kenton and his negligence towards his father) he begins viewing these guests in a more realistic manner, displacing the sugar-coated view of each of them and revealing a more accurate portrayal. This shows our protagonist is maturing, or rather, using that "second chance" he is being given, as Foster mentions in "How to Read Like a Professor, due to the fact that he is able to push aside his own lifestyle and change himself.
You know, the journey he undertakes, can be viewed as a journey of self discovery. Maybe it's only me but as I see it, I view Stevens' little adventure as an exploration into his life and into his heart. After each location he visits, which also includes a particular situation in memory lane; it seems he leaves the memory with more thought or insight and with the knowledge of how he feels about it now that he ponders of his past endeavors. More and more, he reminisces and discovers those he has lost throughout his life.
I somehow wish to find a connection between the places he visits (I will have to do some research about England during the time the novel took place and their mentality) to possibly see if they correspond to his observations and the customs of England at the time. It will be interesting to observe what and how Stevens concludes his journey.
Diverging from the previous topic, during the morning of his third day in Taunton, Somerset, Stevens recollects two particular guests, Lord Halifax and Herr Ribbentrop, becoming a bit acquainted with and easing relations between each other. The interesting thing about this is that "these were-I recollect it clearly-his lordship's actual works and so it is not simply my fantasy that the state of the silver had made a small, but significant contribution towards" (136) having both parties form a trust between each other.
It is quite interesting and symbolic how Ishiguro chooses to mention how these two particular guests formed an "alliance" because they both liked the silverware at the Darlington residence.
Silver is a different type of metal that may seem shiny and appealing but with time, silver rusts into something completely disgusting and not very attractive.
Also, when silver rusts, it can leave a certain tint to your skin which wears off with time yet is there for some time. This is significant because later we find that Herr Ribbentrop was working under Hitler to "deceive England for as long as possible concerning his true intensions".
Ishiguro could've mentioned GOLD silverware, but no, he chose the material in which the dining ware would be made of very selectively. Gold is pure (unless it is fake) and its color seldom fades. Therefore, this would not be the appropriate material because it would signify Ribbentrop to be trustworthy and truly, he is far from.
I just found it fascinating how symbolism is incorporated within the actual setting and environment of the story. It is clearly extensively thought out because this symbol, and I bet there are others, that are so neatly incorporated in the text that I hadn't noticed before.
This novel really opens my eyes to the realities of life, that sometimes people actually do trade in as much as their entire lives, to a certain cause, and when they look back, they realize it was not worth it at all. A bit of a depressing thought but quite absorbing to ponder about.
I'm looking forward to seeing how Stevens completes his journey. I wonder if Miss Kenton will return to Darlington Hall. My guess-she'll never go back.
Hello. I am aware I am not supposed to consecutively blog, I apologize, but I have made some observations about the novel that I would like to address. Through quite an interesting and enlightening conversation with a friend, I think I somewhat realized what Ishiguro's message might possibly be.
First off, I think I have unraveled the significance of Stevens' reference to Mrs. Jane Symon's The Wonder of England. This selection of detail significantly plays an important part in Ishiguro's novel. In reality, this is where Stevens' quest all begins; he believes his (original) destination to be a "great" butler. To achieve this goal, he believes he must willingly disassociate from any personal relationships, including family. Mrs. Symon's books, "a series running to seven volumes, each one concentrating on one region of the British Isles" (11) which Stevens heartily recommends, describes flattering landscapes throughout England.
Must I note that he neither mentions her describing any of the locations she mentions in a negative light nor describes the inhabitants of each location? These two key elements, which are not mentioned, are extremely important. Stevens never once in the start of the novel mentions the downfalls and sacrifices he has had to make in order to try and achieve the honor of being known as a "great" butler nor does Mrs. Symon mention once the negative aspects of the regions portrayed in her encyclopedias. As the reader finds out subsequent to reading the start of the novel, he does not believe in personal relationships as I have mentioned before which is interesting because Mrs. Symon also does not mention or describe the inhabitants of each region she discusses in her books.
Intriguingly enough, while Stevens goes off to discover these flawless and beautifully conveyed areas which include "alluring details" (11), he finds that in some of these areas, such as in Taunton, Somerset, the local townspeople are not typically people Stevens expected to find in such beautiful places. In his case, he realizes that even achieving the honor of being a “great” butler (which can be viewed as Darlington Hall for the sake of this parallel) can have its downfalls (which can be seen throughout Stevens' journey because he discovers that the places he visits and the people he meets are not at all what was described by Mrs. Symon) which corresponds to how he realizes how much he has missed out on certain aspects in his life and neglected those he loved for his career. This makes him realize that even the most appealing thing can have a disclaimer. Well then, haven’t we heard this before? Again, Foster is right when he says, “there is only one story.”
As he continues to embark on his journey, he begins to get extremely honest and brings up details about Lord Darlington and his guests, significantly Anti-Semitism, and questions truly if he has served humanity by serving these men. He begins to display doubt and insecurity concerning Lord Darlington, after careful examination, and wonders whether or not he actually served a "distinguished gentleman".
During his trip to the city of Taunton, Somerset, we see Stevens struggling between what he wants to believe about his past and the true realities it beholds. As he states, "Anyone who implies that Lord Darlington was liaising covertly wish a known enemy is just conveniently forgetting the truth climate of those times"(137) to try and deny what he is realizing. It shows the struggle he is facing and he is somewhat creating an excuse for himself for why he believed it to begin with. Later he states, "One should not be looking back to the past so much. After all, I still have before me many more years of service I am required to give" (139) to emphasize the fact that Stevens knows he is unraveling a truth yet he seems to be slightly afraid or feeling awkward of doing such a thing and demonstrates it by expressing to his audience that the past should have no baring effects on his future yet he knows this to be false.
As for Ishiguro's message, he is trying to portray to his reader what may happen to his reader if they were to follow in the footsteps of Stevens, displacing "life" itself for a goal that may be proven to be of little significance in the future. Stevens is now full of regret and doubt because he did not try to pursue or mend the relationship he had with his father and did not try and pursue his true love, Miss Kenton. In the end, he finally realizes all he has displaced for a gentleman not even viewed by him to be anymore of a "great gentleman" than he is. It is quite a heartrending story. It kept me pondering last night. I didn't understand the depth and heart of the novel until I realized Ishiguro's message. It was just so intriguing to realize that such a story of a butler and a trip out to the countryside can have such a deep and profound meaning. It is a bit frightening to think that it may well be possible that any one of us can take part in the same mistake as Stevens had done. I really enjoyed this book although it really made me think, unwillingly if I may add, about the possibilities in life and how one must see what truly means most to them. I think Stevens learned his lesson, although he suffered because he had to learn the hard way.
Angela i also thought the same thing. Their relationship is very interesting it got me also thinking that these two may have feelings for eachother. Based on the way that they act towards eachother most of the time it reminds me of young kids when they first start to realize the opposite sex. They are very confused and dont really know why they are feeling the way they do. So they act mean to eachother and annoy eachother. It think it is a way for both people to try to persuade themselves that they cant possibly have feelings for this person. But yes Miss Kenton and Stevens definitely have a funny way of treating eachtother and acting towards eachother when they are in a close vacinity. Its weird but i too have a feeling that if the dont get together it is solely because they both value their jobs and they dont want anything to interfere with it but other than that i definitely think that they each have a thing for eachother. And when i think about it is kinda creepy because i jus dont seem to think that it will ever be able 2 happen.
In a way I find Miss Kenton to be a hypocrite. She one time was talking about how many housekeepers leave their profession when they have alot going for them. And then she ends up doing the same thing. She had a very good position at Darlington Hall and she in a way according to her own sayings throw it away. She decided to run off with her husband and abandon her job at Darlington Hall. She finally admits at the meeting with Stevens that she still thinks about what if she stayed at Darlington Hall. So yes those are my conclusions about Miss Kenton because I knew that i didnt really like her character from the beginning and I still dont like her character in the end. She's weird to me.
Fist off I would like to state that I am a little confused about how Steven's talks about himself and the way he switches from reality to past. It sometimes confuses me than I realize that is it past or present.
Next I want to discuss what I think and believe dignity is. Dignity to me is something that one has and really and truly cannot gain. Dignity is to me doing what needs to be done in your life without a frown, knowing that what your doing will make things better in your life and showing people that your proud of what you do. I believe Stevens has a lot of dignity. He presents himself as a butler who can basically do everything and anything. He does all of his work with pride. He knows that at the end of the day he has accomplished something and he feels good about it.
I also what to discuss what a great butler is. I personally have no idea how a butler should be or how one would be great, but I would like to take a guess at it. I believe with the dignity that Stevens has he also has great butler status. He serves Darlington as well as he can and he is extremely well at it. He also serves any other guest in the house just as well. When his father died he also postponed seeing him because he was busy taking care of guests. Now I am not saying that work comes before family, but he is that serious about his job and wants every guest to be as comfortable as possible.
Finally I would like to make a conclusion about Darlington Hall. Stevens is very fond of Darlington Hall because he has worked there most of his life under Darlington and Farraday. He is very attached to this place and it is basically his own. When he leaves to go on the trip to Salisbury he is very insecure about leaving the place alone because he thinks something will happen or that he did not keep it clean enough. I feel as though because he does not have a spouse or lover or partner that maybe his love is actually his work and his place Darlington Hall. It only makes sense because of the ironic name of the place Darlington, which it has the name darling in it. For now I cannot make anymore conclusions or assumptions because I must read more of the book.
-- Lauren Katz
So I've got just about 100 pages left in The Remains of the Day, and I thought it was a good place to comment.
I see alot of similar features in this and Things Fall Apart. For example, Stevens is working extremely hard to be a "great" butler, whereas his father is in such poor health that he cannot manage to be such a great butler anymore.(like Okonkwo and his father) Also, the underlying need to have "dignity" by serving a highly well known and esteemed household identifies with Okonkwo's need to have many titles and be seen as a force to be reckoned with.
I find The Remains of the Day to be rather unorganized. The benefit of writing a book rather than telling a story aloud, is being able to fix what you have already said, and make it into what you meant to say. Stevens does alot of correcting himself and it confuses me to the point where I have to reread what he has already said and then replace it with "what he meant." Ishiguro's style of writing, to me, doesn't seem right for the book. Stevens is supposed to be an esteemed English butler but he speaks, in the sense of the narration of the book, like a regular English "joe-schmoe."
As for what's being said between the lines of the storyline, I think it might be more clear after finishing the book, but I'll find out soon enough.
Hi guys,
Casey, I'd just like to resppond to your comment because I found our reactions to the style of writing interesting.
You say that you don't like the way Ishiguro chose to have Stevens speak, that it is unorganized and not "Fixed" the way most novels are. Personally, that's where I see the depth of Stevens' character.
Remember how Ms. Pettit stressed upon us the idea that an author never does anything accidentally? I feel that the way Stevens think-speaks throughout the book is the main tool used to creat and define his character; it's for a reason that Ishiguro doesn't make his private thoughts perfectly coherent and scholarly. If Ishiguro had put everything in an organized pattern of what the reader thinks ought to happen, I think the feeling of reality would be lost. I think we would have an even more robotic Stevens than we do now because the fact that he DOES go back on what he said shows his humanity.
Plus, naturally, don't we edit our own thoughts? I know that I deny things to myself sometimes and then later, when I'm ready to admit it and face it, I can look back and see the reality. Also, we remember things differently after having lived through certain obstacles. Stevens' life, as he goes through the novel, leaves an impression on his memories, thus creating the unorganized feeling. He's like us.
I’d first like to comment on the first impressions I had about the personalities of Stevens and Mr. Farraday and their cultural implications. In the beginning of the book, Mr. Farraday seems to act as a foil to Stevens. Through these characters, author Kazuo Ishiguro provides readers with some of the distinctions between American and European culture in the 1950s.
Mr. Farraday is an American who took ownership of Darlington Hall in England after the previous owner, Lord Darlington. He is known especially for his inclination to joking and “bantering” as Stevens calls it. Much of American culture is very liberal. Founded on the principles of “liberty and the pursuit of happiness” this country’s overall attitude and customs are much less strict than those of many other areas of the world including Europe. Life in America seems to be much more carefree and people are usually more interested in achieving comfort and pleasure than adhering to strict moral codes that seem to govern many European societies, which is seen as a sign of dignity. Mr. Farraday embodies this “American” image.
Stevens, on the other hand, is English and has worked as an English butler for quite some time. He is very “proper” and adheres to a strict code of honor that is prevalent in the traditions of European societies (and Stevens learned firsthand through his father). He believes that his employer’s casual attitude lacks the “dignity” that he believe he has. It is ironic that Stevens actually wishes to conform to Mr. Farraday’s personality even though he believes that he himself is more dignified. The reason being that he thinks his employer will think of his own moral strictness and formality as a sign of disrespect. Stevens is afraid that Farraday will interpret his lack of making jokes as an indication of his disinterest. By painting a picture of Mr. Farraday’s and Stevens’ personalities in the beginning section of this book, Ishiguro elicits many cultural implications that readers will immediately recognize.
First off I would like to say that I have about 45 pages left until I leave my last and final comment ever! I was also reading some of the previous comments and I totally agree with Michelle. At first I was completely confused with how he talked but now I realize that it is because most of this is a recollection of his thoughts and past. I actually like the way the novel is written because as Michelle said it would make Stevens robotic if it was “fixed.”
The first question I would like to ask if anyone can clarify is why do butlers or housemaids like to talk about who the previously served? I do not get it at all. Lord Darlington seemed like a very respectable man and very nice, so why wouldn’t Stevens say that he worked for him? I was terribly confused by that. He is very distant and shy about talking to people about his past. When he stays with the Taylor’s, he truly does not want to speak about who he has met and so on. Harry Smith asks him if he has met Churchill. Stevens admits it, but he does it reluctantly. I also liked the part when Stevens said that they are “all on the stage to play”, it reminded me of Shakespeare.
I really am enjoying this book even though I did not understand it at the beginning, but to my understanding Steven’s was very fond of Lord Darlington. It seems to me that maybe because Farraday is American, Stevens seems to clash with him a little bit. English customs and American customs are far different, even though we both speak English (haha). I do not believe that it will pose any threat to either of the men, I just believe that is where Stevens feels out of place.
Well almost done with the book cant wait!
--lauren :]
To answer one of your questions Lauren, I am not exactly sure why Stevens does not tell the people he meets that he worked for Mr. Darlington, but it might have something to do with Darlington's tarnished reputation. Darlington was accused of sympathizing with the Nazies and although he filed a libel suit, he did not win. Darlington's image became completely sullied. Stevens had great respect for Darlington and adhering to his strict code of dignity, he might not have wanted others to remember Darlington in that way, which would be the case if he had mentioned that he worked for him.
After completing the book, I feel that the relationship between Stevens and Miss Kenton is very odd to the say the least. When they worked together in Darlington Hall, they maintained a good professional relationship. However, Stevens was never able to speak to her about anything besides work. Even when Miss Kenton's aunt passed away, Stevens was so indecisive that he was not even able to offers his condolences despite her obvious grief. When Miss Kenton announces that she is getting married, Stevens merely briefly congratulates her and immediately reverts back to talking about work. On Miss Kenton's part, she seems to enjoy teasing Stevens' social misgivings, but then sincerely apologizes for them later. What really surprised me was the revelation at the end of the book that both Stevens and Miss Kenton had romantic feelings for each other. Miss Kenton even states that she wonders how her life would have been if she had been with Stevens instead of her current husband who she hadn’t loved for a long time. I am very confused on the true nature of their relationship. Can someone please help me?
So, I've just finished the book, and I have to say that I was mildly suprised with how I feel about the ending.
Throughout the book, I wondered what it was the title meant-and I was pleasantly suprised to have the meaning laid flat out for me. Stevens has lived his whole life according to someone else, whether it was his father, or his employer. His journey to find Miss Kenton almost acts as the metaphorical "sunset" into the "night" of his life. He realizes while sitting on the pier that he has wasted most of his life looking back on things, and not really enjoying them until much, much later. Stevens represents most of mankind. It's kind of like "you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone."
Though I didn't enjoy the style of writing, the overall plotline of the book was better than I expected it to be. And though at the beginning I wanted to slap Stevens, near the end I began to genuinely like Stvens.
This post contains information that could spoil the plot for Day 1/ the first third of the book/ in my book, up to page 110.
Well, to answer the question of his “voice”, I didn’t find it nearly as annoying as everybody else. I mean, yes, the comments he made about say, being a perfect server at dinner for a party of two and on serving “great” ladies and gentlemen could be perfectly ridiculous and almost difficult to swallow, but I interpreted that as and accepted it as part of his personality/character as a “perfect English butler”.
Rather, instead of annoying me, some of the ways he spoke and the actions he took disturbed me. In particular, his relationship with and death of his father revealed characteristics about him that were simply unbelievable to me. Throughout the books we’ve read this summer, a good father/son relationship seems unattainable- with all having their own unique flaws, which were understandable and explainable in most cases, however with Steven and his father’s relationship, as many others have already noted, it wasn’t their personalities, struggles, nor their backgrounds that ruined their relationship, but was rather, the fact that they strived for and were English Butlers. They compromised any relationships they could have, any affection and love for each other, in order to distance themselves from emotion, a valued butlering characteristic.
What disturbed me the most about their relationship was the fact that Steven/both of them were able to justify their treatment of each other. Though he recognized his conversation with his father about reducing his workload, an extremely touchy and emotional subject for his father, formerly a dignified and esteemed butler, was “blunt and cold”, he could brush it off simply because an “important international conference was to take place at Darlington Hall” (70).
Up until the time of his death, when he had time to reminisce and reflect, Steven’s father possessed the same cold butlering characteristics. However, when he states that he hoped he’d “been a good father” and that he was “proud of [his son]” (97), it seems as if he had changed, at least a little. However, though He was trying to make up/connect with his son before he died his son continued to distance himself. To everything his father spoke of, his reply was always I hope father is feeling better and/or I must get back downstairs. Though Stevens was in the beginning of his butlering years, I would hope and think that once he reflects during this motoring trip of his, he will reach the same point his father did of becoming more human.
-Winnie
Stevens seems to value nothing more than “dignity.” Ever since that night that his father passed away from a stroke, Stevens seems to engage in an incessant pursuit for this “dignity.” I believe that Stevens knows his goals well, but goes about attaining them completely in the wrong way. His relentless and sometimes even blind pursuit of dignity has cost him his personality. He had indeed become, as some have already mentioned, robotic in attitude.
Stevens seems to believe that dignity involves a professional attitude almost everywhere. Therefore, as Nicole had mentioned before, he seems not to know how to talk about anything besides topic related to work with anybody. As a result, he effectively alienates himself from all other people because he doesn’t have the ability to engage in a casual conversation with anyone. This lack of ability to socialize with others costs him any possibility of becoming close to anyone, especially Miss Kenton, who he has romantic feelings for. Stevens’ pursuit of dignity actually denies him any hope of actually attaining it. Dignity itself is in large part concerned with respect for others. Because Stevens tries too hard to be too professional all the time, he has actually denied himself the ability to respect others. When Miss Kenton’s aunt dies, the only relative that she had left, because Stevens is so determined and wrongfully guided in his search, he is unable to “respect” her and is unable to offer his condolences.
Mr. Stevens falls into a trap in his pursuit of “dignity.” Due to the robotic nature that he has developed, he seems to always pretend to act consent (following his father) even though he isn’t. Stevens is unable to speak his mind or communicate to others any personal feelings and beliefs.
For a while, I was undecided about my opinions of Ms. Kenton. Originally, Stevens describes as a girl that invades his personal butler space when they first met and later bickers with him. However, as I’ve seen her act throughout the novel, such as in the situation when Steven’s father died (which was the absolute turning point for me), I’ve begun to see her as the more reasonable and realistic of the two. When presented her opinion and then Steven’s viewpoint/representation of the same situation, I find myself trusting and relying on Ms. Kenton’s opinion more. She seems the most like, one of us.
Especially as shown by the situation of the dismissal of the 2 Jewish workers, I related best to Ms. Kenton’s sentiments and actions rather than those of Stevens. While Ms. Kenton was disturbed by the decisions through and through and allowed her actions and thoughts to express it, Stevens changes/only truly expresses his thoughts on the subject when his thoughts are in accordance with those of his employer. Can you say robot/pet?
He again, justifies this because though his “every instinct opposed the idea of their dismissal”, he saw “nothing to be gained at all in irresponsibly displaying such personal doubts…It was a difficult task, but as such, one that demanded to be carried out with dignity” (148). It seems to always be dignity (which can almost by synonymous with an high-class English butler) that is the justification. And, well, by now I have come up with a different definition for dignity then that Stevens defines it as. Every time Stevens shows us an example dignity on his part, it comes from a subjugation of any personal belief or emotion for “professionalism”. The immense sense of triumph and dignity he felt at the conclusion of the important international conference was the result of his ability to work through and remain downstairs despite the death of his father. He was, in his opinion, “dignified” because he continued his butler duties without giving away the suffering he felt inside, and without going up to see his father until everything in his duties was taken care of first. And, now with the dismissals, he carries it out with “dignity” by not displaying any emotion of his disagreement with the decision-instead just relating and carrying it out as dictated by his employer.
It’s vexing how this is Stevens’ perception of what dignity really means… I hope that by the end of the book, this might be one of those “self-deceptions” that he discovers and eventually will question…
-Winnie
So, I finished the book and I have to say I liked the ending. I was very confused in the beginning because of the way in which Stevens talked but I understood after reading further into the book.
This is what I think about Stevens at the end of the book:
1. He really did love Ms. Keaton. Anyone could tell the way they fought with each other and the way he looked at her or she looked at him when then worked together. Also at the end when she says to him that she wonders what a life would have been like with him. I feel bad because I think that Stevens really deserved her.
2. He was a very decieving man to himself. He believed that because he gave up much of his own judgement for Lord Darlington's judgement he thought it made him dignified. All it really did was make him lose someone in his life that could have made it so much better.
3.We realize that Stevens finally shows emotion to something in his life when the stranger he is talking to hands him a tissue, but we can only make an inference that he is crying over his miserable life. In the end the book seems to be a tragic story about missed opportunity and wishes.
-- seee everyone in a week
lauren k :]
After finishing the Remains of the Day, I like Casey, was pleasantly surprised that the symbolism behind the title made sense instantly. So, finally, after giving up his prime and most of his life to serving Lord Darlington, he realizes now the deception he’s forced onto himself and lived through. He has little time left but at least he realizes and has time before the even more wondrous night approaches.
It seems that he really has changed… He now understands that he shouldn’t blindly follow an employer in hopes that they choose the right path. He trusted rather then choose his own path to follow. I’m glad that he finally realizes that there is no dignity in blindly following and serving. Whether they are genteel or not, there is always a possibility of making a mistake.
And he seems to realize that bantering is not a trait that can be picked up and robotically learned and analyzed… rather, it is the “key to human warmth”, the reason why he couldn’t understand and failed repeatedly in the beginning of the book.
I was surprised how much I ended up liking this book. At first, I couldn’t imagine anything remotely interesting about reading about the life of a robotic old English butler… but his own self-discovery and the action of reading beneath what he was really saying, was actually a lot of fun..
-Winnie
Although I’ve only read a little more than 80 pages of the book so far, I can already tell it’s a great piece of literature. Although Stevens is only a butler (which in his opinion seems to be a great job), his life seems so interesting, especially when written in the first person. This first person perspective is refreshing because it allows the audience to see into another’s mind. I can feel his passion for his job as he describes the flaws in his well thought out staff plan, claiming “I had given myself too much to do” (9) and his pride that he “did actually ‘see’ more of England than most, place…in houses where the greatest ladies and gentlemen of the land gathered” (4), many of whom he mentions.
I also enjoy his voice. I agree with Winnie that his voice is customary of an English butler. It seems formal, calm, and intelligent. At the same time, it seems conversational—like he’s talking to the reader. This is even evident in the first sentence of the book when he says “It seems increasingly likely that I really will undertake the expedition that has been preoccupying my imagination now for some days” (3). I also like how he goes on to explain everything about this trip and his reasons for embarking on this journey, or what he thinks are his reasons (I’ll have to find out!).
Plus, by introducing a topic and then explaining it (in great detail by the way) the reader is able to understand more of Stevens’ personality. I agree with you all that he is a bit timid and a workaholic, but at the same time, he puts a great deal of effort into everything he does. This is shown through his repeated efforts to clarify what his thoughts and actions. For example, he writes, “…I feel I should return to just a moment to the matter of my father; for it strikes me I may have given the impression earlier that I treated him rather bluntly over his declining abilities” (70), and goes on to explain his rationale for approaching his father the way he did, which seemed really formal to me—like the weren’t really father and son, despite Stevens calling him Father. At any length, he takes the time to recall memories (although sometimes it appears he’s digressing, but we all do that, don’t we?) to support what he says.
After reading “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”, does anyone else notice that the story seems to have a quest? Obviously Stevens is the quester (since he makes the trip), the place to go is the West Country, and the stated reason is to visit Miss Kenton and ask her to come back to Darlington Hall to sort out the staffing problems. (He already thinks she’ll say yes though since in her letters, she seems depressed, writing “ ‘The rest of my life stretches out as an emptiness before me.’ ” (49) because she’s now getting a divorce.) I’ll just have to keep reading to discover if Stevens meets any challenges on this excursion and also the real reason why he goes to see Miss Kenton (the other elements of a quest), because unlike he says, I don’t believe this visit is for purely “professional” reasons.
I just get the feeling that Stevens likes Miss Kenton. Perhaps it’s because she’s the only female he mentions (why does he not discuss his mother?) or because it seems she’s the only person to send him letters. Maybe it’s because he’s been referring to her as Miss Kenton when she’s been Mrs. Benn for the part twenty years. Anyways, these speculations aside, it seems too much of a coincidence that Stevens finally goes to visit her when she’s in the process of getting a divorce and is very vulnerable.
First off, at the beginnig part of the Book, the onlt thing I can really focus on is the development of Stevens. Being that he is the narrator, it is the job of the reader to be able to anticipate his biases and the interpert them once they come in to play. One of Stevens biggest ideals is of the perfect butler, and in being loyal to his employer (or ex. in this case)and with any detail that might call that into question its clear the narrator will be leaving that out. Therefore there is a lot left to the reader to infer. The best way to infer in the case of this book-for me atleast- is by reading the actions of the others around him or picking up his subtle hints. Such as when he mentions Miss Kenton's letter he says, "...rather unrevealing passages, an unmistakable nostalgia for Darlington Hall, and-I am quite sure of this-distinct hints of her desire to return here..." (9)it is clear in his further description of Miss Kenton that Stevens has many feelings that go beyond his proclaimed "proffesional" relationship. The reader is left to infer that there is more than a staff member to staff member relationship going on.
I finally finished! This book dragged by but all in all it was a good book. I'd like to make a comparison between back then and today. Considering he loved Miss Kenton, he never let that get in the way of his work. Since he honored his job with such "dignity". Now a days, you hear about work-related relationships all over the place. I belive that over time, people began to value love alot more. Because back then it was simply absurd to let anyting get in the way of work, especially the kind of work that Stevens was doing. But now, people will do almost anything for love. Seems to me that if things were done back then the way they are done now, Stevens would go after Miss Kenton. I believe that he will live his life with much regret.
I’m now 180 pages into the novel (Day 3 evening), and unlike many of you, I am intrigued by Stevens. Like Michelle, I’m not a huge fan and disagree with him on several issues, but he is a very interesting, perhaps even complex, character. (I mean look at how much passion he is able to invoke from the reader.) On one hand, he is a butler, clutching to the English customs of how a proper and “great” butler should be (while trying to adapt to a new employer, like by devising witty remarks, which he seems to have no luck with, which is quite amusing). But on the other hand, I can see that he is simply trying to “clear up” things for himself (which could ultimately be his reason for writing). In the midst of this self searching and reminiscing, I think (feel free to disagree) Stevens tries to clarify himself as much as possible (what jingle bellz refers to making excuses because he knows the audience isn’t “buying into him) because he is hiding the truth—from himself.
Although like Jingle bellz and Angela I agree that Stevens places his notion of “dignity” and his job above everything and everyone else—including his father—Stevens does this because he wants to compose himself of the highest standards in order to be a great butler. This includes having “dignity.” To me, it seems that he’s defined this as always maintaining a “professional” stance and committing oneself to his job, never letting anything disrupt the task at hand—especially nothing in one’s personal life. (This mentality seems to be his tragic flaw.)
This explains why Stevens acts the way he does and seems apathetic in certain situations (like the deaths of his father and Miss Kenton’s aunt). Regarding the incident when Stevens had to let go of two Jewish employees, I disagree with Angela that he was insincere when saying “the whole matter caused me great concern, great concern indeed” (153). Stevens is just so consumed with his job that he is determined to fulfill any request to the fullest extent of his abilities, regardless of his personal feelings. If Lord Darlington says it needs to be done, then Stevens will do it because that is what a great butler does, especially since apparently he regards Lord Darlington above himself, telling Miss Kenton that Lord Darlington “is somewhat better placed to judge what is for the best” (149). Because he claims that being a great butler is a “matter so close to my heart” (113), I believe this causes him to be blind to any other areas in his life or his character since the “great” title is what he hopes to attain.
So in short, everything Stevens does, including being “bossy,” elegant and formal, and a bit impersonal, is motivated by the prospect of being considered “great.” In my opinion, this has led to him being in denial about some things. The reader realizes that he’s in denial about his father no longer being great. Miss Kenton has to point out Stevens’s father’s mistakes in order to make Stevens see what work plus old age is doing to his father. (However, it’s “the fall” and Lord Darlington’s comments that finally force Stevens to realize his father isn’t what he claims he used to be.) Similarly, Stevens seems to be in denial about Lord Darlington, always making excuses for his actions and claiming what others say about him is “utter nonsense” (25). Stevens refuses to see the wrongs Lord Darlington has committed (instead he impresses upon us Darlington’s “concern for the poor” (146) and fight for justice) because he wants to think his employer has great moral status. This fulfills his definition that “an applicant [must] be attached to a distinguished household” (113), another quality of a great butler.
Most of all, I think he’s in denial about his feelings for Miss Kenton. Although they have a rocky relationship, Stevens insists that his relationship with Miss Kenton is strictly “professional” (with occasional lapses in private). To him, being a great butler does not involve developing intimate feelings for another employee. He’s unable to realize that these trips down “memory lane” prove that he cares for Miss Kenton. If he didn’t care about her, these memories about Miss Kenton (especially those pertaining to trivial matters) wouldn’t have resonated in him as they have. Sadly, he is too stuck in his realm of professionalism and dignity to rise from this denial.
At the same time, something is bothering me about him. I find it odd (and a bit funny) that Stevens always says he is doing something around the house and has few spare moments, commenting “I was busy with some task out in the hall” (177), yet the reader never discovers what he is doing. (What is “some task”?) At one time, as Stevens is nitpicking about Miss Kenton’s work, she is even compelled to sarcastically point out “ ‘It is most curious to see that you have so much time on your hands that you are able to simply wander about this house bothering others with gratuitous comments’ ” (79). Like her, I don’t know what Stevens does around the house. What is he constantly doing? So far, in my opinion, it seems Stevens just makes his job as the head butler seem more important than it really is (once again relating to the theme of being a “great” butler).
On Alicia's last post, she mentioned that Stevens is dedicated first and formost to his job as butler. This is a major point of the book, and I elaborate how I took it, since it is clearly a defining characteristic of the narrator. Stevens, for a large part of the book is loyal beyond belief to his previous employer. Even in the incindents where a loose memory of Stevens hints to the reader that Lord Darlington might not be what we imagined, Stenvens never seems to admit that he too shares these doubts. Throughout the media scandls ruining the Darlington name, it seemed that Stevens is determined to remain loyal. His pride in the postion of head butler at this prestigious house is clear from the first page and really defines Stevens and many of his attitudes. Like alicia said, Stevens hides behind his job. He avoids having to deal with any personal issue by putting his "work" first. Many of the faults we see in Stevens, and i have to admit made me want to hate the character, can be seen as an effect of his dedication to his employers and as an effect of his highly defined idea of what the perfect butler should be. Forever trying to become this ideal employee, Stevens finds himself stuck between not being able to acceept himself as a great butler and yet knowing he has surpassed his prime. He admits that he finds himself making more and more mistakes and this is beginnign to have a serious efeect on how he is percieving himself. However, no matter what he has managed to gracefully hide all his insecurities behind is need to perform for his employeers.
While I was reading the book i found myself constantly trying to find information that i could use and refer that information back to the title, so that i could see what the message of this book was. So at one point, somewhere around Day 1, Stevens mentions something about the remains of the day. It was then that i began to become more aware about what was trying to be said. So basically all of Steven's professional life as a butler he was too preoccupied with trying to achieve his ideal of a "great" butler. Based on the things that he relays to the reader it seems that his definition of a "great butler" is being extremely obedient to your employer, for that is all he does. When ever Lord Darlington has anything to say Steven's without question follows. It seems that it has even got to the point that Stevens disregards his on problems and insecurities. When his father was dying Stevens was unable to give his full attention to this matter because he was too concerned with serving Darlington and his company. At this point I realized that Stevens was way to into his job as a butler. Like when i think about a butler i dont think of someone that is that high in society because to some extent you are like a slave just with more freedom but basically the same duties. He constantly mentions dignity and how important it is and to me his character doesnt seem to have to much dignity within himself. He believes that he recieves his dignity from strictly obeying the orders of his employer. But atleast he comes to relieve by the end that it is important to, even thought there might not be too much time, that he has to live his life instead of constantly following the orders of someone else.
So this is my blog about 'end of book' yay. In retrospect- idon't think the ending has led the reader to some great new insight aobut Stevens or Miss Kenton. Though we have come to see the truths about Lord Darlington and his higher societal business, little is revealed about Stevens or how if at all these realizations have changed him. Though it seems Stevens has decided to be less cruel to himself in the way that he thinks he will never be the good butler, he still has many of his ideals. Thea mentined the significance of the title in her last blog, and i wanted to also comment on it. Stevens is at a point in his life where he is being forced to look back on the good/bads of it and decide whether it was as fulfilling as he wold have liked. I think that the significane of the title is that it is the first hint we have that this book would be about the past. Loking back at the book as a whole, i think the title is very appropriate, becuase we never know the whole picture of Stevens' past, we only have pieces. And generally they are the big pieces, the parts that have greatly impacted him. The days of Stevens' prime have passed and now it is time for him to take in reflection.
I agree with Gen that the title is appropriate. I also agree with Thea (her last comment) that, at the end of the novel, Stevens finally realizes that he needs to live his life instead of just accepting orders and others’ opinions, especially Lord Darlington’s. It’s in his revelation that the central message/moral of the book is revealed: “…I should stop looking back so much…adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day” (244). Clearly, author Kazuo Ishiguro hopes readers (most likely those who aren’t gentlemen) will learn from Stevens’s story to live life to the fullest and to choose one’s own path instead of simply allowing other to do so because, as Stevens sadly discovers, “what dignity is there in that?” (243).
Although I’m glad that Stevens had finally realized that he needs to change his outlook on life, I can’t help but feel sorry for him. (Like I said in an earlier blog, I like him because he’s an interesting, and complex, character.) I mean, I predicted at the start of Stevens and Miss Kenton’s meeting that it would not have a favorable outcome due to the meeting’s atmosphere, which was “gloomy on account of the rain” (232), but I never thought the book would end with such sadness and regret. They both seem to wish they were together. (In this case, although the rain acted as a symbol of a gloomy mood, it was also a cleansing rain because after it, we come to learn of Stevens’s revelations and hope to live out the “remains of the day”.)
I feel sorry for Stevens because even in the midst of it all, after so many years, and Miss Kenton herself stating that she had been thinking about a life she could have led with Stevens (239), he cannot bring himself to confess his true feelings to her. Instead he wishes her all the best and tells her not to let “any more foolish ideas come between” (240) her and the happiness she deserves. Only to the reader does Stevens reveal that during this time his “heart was breaking” (239). This unexpected statement made me feel even sorrier for Stevens since I can’t think of a time when he expressed sorrow, anger, or elation. Instead he always maintained the customary calmness and composure his job warranted, showing no emotion.
Like Danielle, I too had thought, where’s day 5?, but after their encounter (and this line in particular), I realized it might have been too hard for Stevens to convey his feelings at that time since he was unsuccessful at getting Miss Kenton to return to Darlington Hall and since he was never able to tell her how he truly feels about her (I wonder if she ever sensed it. She probably has though since it’s clear that she didn’t choose the right person to marry since she has left three times, and is largely unhappy and thinks of Stevens to the point of telling her husband and daughter about him. This makes me wonder why she ever left to be married at all, especially since she didn’t love Mr. Benn to begin the marriage. She said she’s “grown to love him” (239).)
So, in a way, Stevens’ story is like a quest (like I mentioned in my first post). The real reason he took the trip was obviously to rekindle a relationship with Miss Kenton. The challenges he faced include realizing that he may have read more into Miss Kenton’s letter than was really there, recalling various memories, and running out of gas and staying with the Taylors. The last example was really the first instance to me that Stevens hinted he wanted to be something other than a butler because at that point I believe he was beginning to understand more and more things due to his memories. I realized this as the Moscombe people kept referring to him as sir, because they thought he was a gentleman. It puzzled me at first (especially since he failed to correct them) but the book’s conclusion tells me he just wished that he had chosen his own way in life, like gentlemen do.
Overall, I loved this book and still feel about Stevens situation. But at the same time, although he’s given his best years to Lord Darlington, Stevens might be able to live out the remainder of his days happily, choosing his own path (while engaging in bantering, which I believe is good because “laughter is food for the soul”). The only thing that still bugs me is that I’m still not sure of what England’s scenery symbolizes. I would not think anything of it, had I not read “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” which said that if something’s mentioned more than once, it’s important. So does anybody know what Stevens’s frequent mentioning of the scenery/landscape means?
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