The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day

Author	Kazuo Ishiguro
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre	Historical novel
Publisher	Faber and Faber
Publication date	May 1989
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	245 pp (hardback edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0-571-15310-0 (hardback edition)

This article is about the novel. For the film based on the novel, see The Remains of the Day (film).

The Remains of the Day (1989) is the third novel by Japanese-British author Kazuo Ishiguro. It won the Booker prize in 1989.

Plot introduction

Like Ishiguro's previous two novels, the story is told from the first person point of view with the narrator recalling his life through a diary while progressing through the present. Various activities in the narrator's contemporary life make him recall more and more from his past.

The novel was Ishiguro's first not based in Japan or told from the point of view of a Japanese person, although his first novel, A Pale View of Hills, was told from the point of view of an elderly woman living in Britain and recalling her past in Japan.

Explanation of the title

In the last pages, the narrator suggests that, in spite of his disillusionment, he has to make do with 'the remains of the day' - in other words, his life isn't over and he can still improve what is left of it.

Plot summary

The novel The Remains of the Day tells the story of Stevens, an English butler who dedicates his life to the loyal service of Lord Darlington (mentioned in increasing detail in flashbacks). The novel begins with Stevens receiving a letter from an ex co-worker called Miss Kenton, describing her married life, which he believes hints at her unhappy marriage. Stevens' new employer, Mr. Farraday, who Stevens fails to hold in high esteem, then grants permission for Stevens to borrow the car to take a break. As he sets out on the motoring trip and meets the long since retired housekeeper, Miss Kenton, he ponders (via numerous flashbacks) his previous actions and his feelings of love for Miss Kenton, which she silently reciprocated. Both characters failed to ever fully admit their true feelings for one another. Arguably this is due to the lack of communication between the pair; throughout the flashbacks, the majority of their interactions are through conflict and confrontation. This reflects their frustration about their inability to communicate effectively with one another. Miss Kenton, it later emerges, has been married for over 20 years and therefore is no longer Miss Kenton, but Mrs. Benn, yet Stevens still refers to her as Miss Kenton. He refuses to accept the fact that he has missed his chance, now that she has moved on and is married. Many of Stevens' memories are extremely biased, leaving the reader with the impression that he is an unreliable narrator. Yet throughout the novel, he prides himself on his attention to detail, which leads the reader to believe that Stevens deliberately mis-remembers or alters his recollections so that they cast him in a better light. These purposefully altered memories support what he wants to believe, that there is still a chance for him and Miss Kenton. Stevens is left with a vague feeling of loss and regret, culminating in his breakdown at the end of the novel.

Characters in "The Remains of the Day"

• Stevens – an English butler who serves in Darlington Hall
• Miss Kenton – housekeeper, after her marriage Mrs. Benn
• Lord Darlington – the previous, and now deceased owner of Darlington Hall
• Mr Farraday – the new American employer of Stevens
• Young Mr Cardinal – a journalist and the son of one of Lord Darlington's closest friends

Major themes

• The novel is primarily concerned with the life of a British butler - his terseness and "dignity".
• The British aristocracy is portrayed from within (through the butler himself). Lord Darlington holds conferences on international politics with ambassadors and politicians.
• Anti-Semitism is expounded, with regards to Hitler. Under the influence of an outspoken Blackshirt supporter, Lord Darlington goes as far as to dismiss some of his staff because they are Jewish; he later regrets this action, and is troubled by his inability to redress the wrong. Later it is revealed that he attempted to improve Churchill's rapport with Hitler.
• Conflict is another major theme within the novel, most of the interaction between the main characters, Mr Stevens and Miss Kenton is via the process of conflict and confrontation through their use of arguments.

Allusions/references to actual history, geography and current science

The major theme of the decline of the British aristocracy can be linked to the 1911 Parliament Act, which reduced the powers of the House of Lords, and to the substantial inheritance tax increases imposed after WWII which forced the break-up of many estates that had been passed down for generations.

The pro-Hitler stance of Lord Darlington has parallels in the warm relations with Germany favoured by some British aristocrats in the early 1930s, such as Lord Londonderry.

Awards and nominations

In 1989 the novel won the Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious literary prizes in the English speaking world.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

• The novel was adapted into a 1993 film by Merchant Ivory Productions starring Anthony Hopkins in the lead.
• A BBC Radio 4 adaptation in two hour-long episodes starring Ian McDiarmid was broadcast on August 8 and August 15, 2003.

External links

• Reading guide from Faber and Faber