The Remains of the Day: Regret and Repression

"What I'm interested in is not the actual fact that my characters have done things they regret. I'm interested in how they come to terms with it." –Kazuo Ishiguro

Mr. Stevens, the proper English butler of Darlington Hall, has done something he regrets. He has let Miss Kenton, the woman he loves, slip away and marry another man. Because of his stiffness, he has never been able to tell her how he feels; in fact, he can't even admit it to himself. However, as he tells his story, the reader realizes his affection for Miss Kenton and how much her absence has hurt him.

The Remains of the Day, Kazuo Ishiguro's extraordinary third novel, tells the story of Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton, servants in a large English manor. Miss Kenton's vibrancy contrasts sharply with Mr. Stevens' formality, causing more than one spat between them. Still, the sexual tension between them is obvious to everyone but Stevens. By the time he realizes his affection for her, it is too late: she has left the manor and married. Years later, spurned by a letter Miss Kenton has written to him, Mr. Stevens embarks on a road trip to visit her under the pretense of re-hiring her. In the letter, she hints at marital trouble, which motivates Stevens even further. However, when Stevens arrives at Weymouth, he finds that Miss Kenton is making amends with her husband, that she does not desire a position at Darlington Hall, and that there can be no future between them. His regret deepens as he realizes that he has let the woman he loves seep through his fingers.

Through his relationship with Miss Kenton, Stevens seems to realize other ways in which his life has been a failure. Lord Darlington, for instance, turns into a laughingstock; Stevens does not publicize the fact that he worked for the once great man. Stevens has also kept himself in his social class, paying no attention to the outside world. Thus, Stevens is the picture of repression and the owner of a wasted life. Not only has he let love slip by him, but he has let his entire life wile away.

Brilliantly plotted, The Remains of the Day is a frame story, or a story within a story. The framework is Mr. Stevens' trip to Weymouth, while the interior consists of his relationship with Miss Kenton and the comings and goings at Darlington Hall. The technique is so masterfully used that the reader often gets so caught up in Mr. Stevens' memories that they forget they are traveling through the countryside with him. Ishiguro's talent in plotting and generating unforgettable characters is obvious in this book.

Go To Page: 1 2

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic