Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day: A Butler’s Englishness from 1923 to 1956

Abstract

This essay explores an idea of Englishness that a butler, Stevens presents in the novel of Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. An English butler Stevens’ idea of dignity in his attempt to advocate the great butlership is told and this paper relates his idea of dignity to English taciturnity and silent conversational practice and reads how this English practice is played out in his relationship with Miss Kenton. This practice is viewed as cultural inheritance especially bloomed in the nineteenth century handing down to early twentieth century. This essay takes it to what happened in 1956 when Stevens narrates his life as a butler serving an American master, Farraday holding Darlington Hall, who enjoys bantering. This paper discusses his Englishness is faced at a new visage during his journey to meet Miss Kenton and bantering is everywhere in England and it is now a part of Englishness. Conclusion is drawn to where rigid Englishness is not what is it anymore moving ahead to 1960s Britain where commercialism is widespread and different idea of freedom is rampant.