Kazuo Ishiguros Remains of the Day Essay -- Kazuo Ishiguro Remains of

Kazuo Ishiguros trunk of the DayKazuo Ishiguros Remains of the Day gives an eloquent treatment of the issue of how a stoic English butlers unemotional reaction to the emotional world around him is damaging and painful, and how he resolves to make the best of the remains of the daythe remainder of his life. Ishiguro explores some of the differences between the over-the-hill English Victorian culturethat of the stiff upper lip, no show of emotion, and repression of someoneal opinion and the no-holds-barred American culture of free expression of opinion and emotion. The American cultures spread into England is hastened with the two world wars, and it ends St planes old way of work, if not the job itself. Although Remains of the Day concentrates on a particular culture, and an obsolescent one at that, Ishiguro makes many insightful observations on human behavior in general. I will explore a few of these observations here, and attempt to show that Ishiguros work possesses nitty-gri tty far beyond an examination of one emotionally-repressed servant. Ishiguro illustrates Stevens, and all of the old English butlers, as characters who basically amount to machines, unable to think for themselves. They see loyalty to the superscript as the only thing that matters in the world. Every time Stevens ends his lines with sir, he is repressing his true identity. Ishiguro makes the reader wonder how on earth a person could get to be like this, for the sole reward of having the best silver in the house or the best-starched suits. The old service culture of butlers in England was destine to change dramatically after the two world wars by the time Stevens decides to change his lifestyle the old ways are already gone forever.Stevens even relates the subdued nature of English scenery to the proper way of dignified behavior, in his observation that the English countryside is more dignified than the showy American landscape, in its lack of obvious drama or spectacle (28). Obviou sly, most regular people in England did not act like the butlers. The behavior of the old butlers represents stereotypes which persist directly in our conception of the people of England. After all, butlers onlyexist in England (43). Indeed, Farraday judges the worth of Stevens, and Darlington Hall, according to stereotypical ideals of genuine Englishness. In a blink of an eye of panic, Farraday dem... ...ing purely like a machine, and at least Stevens had good intentions behind his repetitive Yes,sirs. On his motoring trip, Stevens meets a man named Harry Smith, who argues his own explanation of dignity theres no dignity in being a slaveno matter if youre rich or poor, youre born(p) free andyoure born so that you can express your opinion freelythats what dignitys really about (186). Stevens, naturally, merely said, Of course, youre kinda correct. Even in this frank atmosphere hecould not spill his thoughts candidly. Stevens is a very affecting character whose battles with his emotions are far from unique, either to himself or to his culture. Most people, even Americans, sometimes find it difficult to say honestly what they feel, even when it is in their own best interests to do so. Occasionally they cannot even get laid what they feel, let alone put it into words. They are, then, like Stevens perhaps full of feelings, but not recognizing quite what they are, or how to reveal them if they ever do seize their identity. Remains of the Day is a novel that anyone concerned about the difficulty of communicating openly and honestly should find rewarding.