Thanks Jared. So far I'm really enjoying the book and I love your observations. Two other things stood out to me from these first 100+ pages.
One is the comedic element. Some of the situations that Mr Stevens narrates are... kind of funny. The attempt at the "facts of life" conversation with that young scholarly boy is one example. Of course, this is then contrasted by the sadness of Stevens' inability to form relationships that are not work-related - the situation with his father being the most devastating one. I don't know what to make of this but it gives the novel a certain rhythm. And it gives Stevens' story a certain absurdity.
Another is how Stevens is simply unable to focus his narration on his motoring trip for very long. In fact, he only tells us about a random "incident" involving almost running over a hen before diving into his recollection of the 1923 conference at Darlington Hall. It's almost as if Stevens' can't allow himself to spend too much time thinking about his simple, pleasant trip and must instead go back to musing about his value as a butler. Or perhaps it is that this inflection point in his career left (with good reason) some nagging scars.
He’s absolutely obsessed with work, which is in a weird way a self-obsession because he has completely defined himself by his role as butler at Darlington Hall.
I read that the Japanese traditionally had a complex code of duties and loyalties, with rigid rules that vary with the participant’s station in society (see “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” by Ruth Benedict for example). Mr. Steven’s seems trapped in a world view where the highest virtue is an old-style Japanese single minded devotion to Honor and Duty, albeit expressed in an English ancien régime environment.
Having grown up in a former British colony, it is impossible for me to read about British “nobility,” “honor,” “duty,” or “loyalty” with anything less than a jaundiced pair of eyes.
Edward Said, the influential Palestinian-American cultural studies professor, says in Culture and Imperialism, the companion to his classic, Orientalism, that underneath the surface of almost all famous modern works of British literature, such as those by Austen, Dickens, Defoe, Maugham, etc., there always lurks the assumption of the Great British Empire. The most enriching, prestigious career path for British aristocrats was through the Foreign Service; that is, the governing of territories and colonies all over the world, in the name of “nobility,” “honor,” “professionalism,” and “loyalty.” Indigenous populations were handled as “the less civilized,” by “superior” British colonial officers educated in the elite public schools. A brilliant depiction of the misunderstandings and conflicts between the two sides is the novel A Passage to India by E. M. Forster. One should never forget that behind the shiny facade of the British nobility lies ugly, bloody oppression and suppression.
I am in no way advocating the politicization of literature in any narrow sense. Rather, I am only arguing that the nature, purpose, and technique of literary creation must be adequate to the reality it tries to communicate. The reality of The Remains of the Day is extremely complicated. The author is writing in the 1980s about a head butler ruminating in the 1950s about his life in the 1920s! During that span of 60 years, the Great British Empire disintegrated! So does “the remains of the day” refer to the twilight of Darlington Hall and butlerism or that of the Empire? An important question to ask is how does the decline of the Empire affect the affairs of a great noble household and, ultimately, the identities and affairs of the individuals within it? Finally, and this is the question I am ultimately concerned about: is the author’s chosen writing strategy adequate for this task?
In the chapters we’ve read so far two related issues strongly catch my attention–the question “what is a great butler?” and the membership standard of the Hayes Society. Both clearly revolve around the concept of “dignity” but, somehow, nobody is quite able to define the quality clearly and precisely. And in the end Stevens has to admit that it is all a matter of intuition. It appears that in the heart of the tradition of nobility that the British was so proud of for so long, what we find is the utter absence of a solid ethical foundation. The noble is as the noble defines it.
Edward Said, in criticizing imperialism, never describes the phenomenon as one-dimensional. On the contrary, he goes out of his way to describe the benefits that indigenous people are often able to receive from the colonization. He had personally benefited in many ways from the colonial education he had received and were consequently able to appreciate many fine Western cultural traditions, especially classical music and literature. Likewise, I had attended an excellent missionary school for both my primary and secondary education. And I am grateful that English literature has become my life!
There's a real subdued horror in these first chapters. When he walks into his father's tiny, cramped room full of mould I felt chills. Nothing was ever really said, but beneath the surface is (at least for me) a feeling that something is not quite right. Someone said once that Ishiguro writes english stately stories crossed with Kafka, and I can see what they were aiming at with that.
Also, it's a pleasure to read. Very easy to go through the pages, and still lots of depth in what is being said.
I'm enjoying it. I haven't read this book before, so I'm curious how some of the themes will play out. Some things I noticed:
* "Professionalism" as a system or practice and its consequences is important. There's the the professionalism of Stevens and Mr. Lewis, who uses 'professionalism' as an excuse for their behavior, but Miss Kenton, also a professional, does not use 'professionalism' as an excuse.
* "Classism" -- I'm curious if we see how the views of the class system changes as Stevens meets others further away from Darlington Hall.
* I'm not sure I see the resentment that Rushdie speaks of. Sure, there's an emotional gulf between Stevenses father and son, and the only respect they have for each other seems to be professional respect, but I don't think I've seen resentment.
It was sad to see Mr. Stevens Sr. persistently practicing to walk steadily so he could keep his responsibilities.
This book has been a real pleasure thus far. I recently went to London for the first time and was shocked to find that I enjoyed all parts of the city from the ease of the tube to the pace of city as a whole. I liked it so much that I put "The Tale of Two Cities" on my to read next list, until I realized this book has a very authentic English feel.
At the beginning of the narration I think Stevens comes off as a very likable and witty character that very clearly enjoys being a butler to an almost comical sense throughout the first chapter. The obsession with work becomes harder to justify when he turns his free vacation into a work related journey to re-connect/hire Miss Kenton, which I feel Stevens has a repressed crush of some kind.
Stevens behavior and his rigid dedication to work according to Stevens is what an Englishmen ought to do with his time and life. I find it a bit interesting that the idea of sacrificing your life to a job that allows you to have "dignity" as Stevens would say about his father feels like an American byproduct of the last few decades. I feel increasingly bad for Stevens throughout the first few chapters the same way I would feel bad for someone who's entire life was wrapped up in a job, however dignifying, that prevented them from living in the "social" aspect of the world.
Great read so far, loving the deeper dive into work and the relationship it has with our lives.
Besides the narrative, I am very much enjoying the level of detail in describing scenes and Stevens’ thoughts. I kind of understand his thoughts as they seem similar to mine when I have to work, particularly when it comes to customer service. Still, it pains me too that Stevens had to sacrifice some of his humanity for a fantasy-type ideal.
Stevens feels less arrogant than Lewis with his deference to “professionalism.” This could no doubt be my view because the US professional-managerial class has been a complete and demonstrable failure in the 100 years since this story took place (ESPECIALLY as regards foreign relations!); but it also demonstrates Stevens’ assertions about the quiet British dignity and the bombastic bantering showboating American.
Today is the 4th of July though so to hell with Stevens and his nonsense!!
One theme that I found Ishiguro hinting towards is the contrast between two worlds and their value systems. Through characters like Mr. Faraday (whose statements are almost airquoted by Stevens like 'foot the bill for gas') or Mr. Lewis, the difference between the feudal values still dominant in Britain and the emerging capitalist values of America. This is similar to say The Canterville Ghost of Oscar Wilde or large portions of the Gothic genre. This is of special interest to me because as Capitalism today crumbles, we find a parallel genre emerging primarily in internet subcultures.
In fact the peculiar (and nearly) infuriating way thay Stevens and Kenton talk to each other reminds one of the infamous corporate lingo.
Jared, if I may ask a meta-question: I like your write-ups on the readings. Do you find writing them up helps you with your understanding or enjoyment of the work? Would you recommend it?
Thanks Jared. So far I'm really enjoying the book and I love your observations. Two other things stood out to me from these first 100+ pages.
One is the comedic element. Some of the situations that Mr Stevens narrates are... kind of funny. The attempt at the "facts of life" conversation with that young scholarly boy is one example. Of course, this is then contrasted by the sadness of Stevens' inability to form relationships that are not work-related - the situation with his father being the most devastating one. I don't know what to make of this but it gives the novel a certain rhythm. And it gives Stevens' story a certain absurdity.
Another is how Stevens is simply unable to focus his narration on his motoring trip for very long. In fact, he only tells us about a random "incident" involving almost running over a hen before diving into his recollection of the 1923 conference at Darlington Hall. It's almost as if Stevens' can't allow himself to spend too much time thinking about his simple, pleasant trip and must instead go back to musing about his value as a butler. Or perhaps it is that this inflection point in his career left (with good reason) some nagging scars.
He’s absolutely obsessed with work, which is in a weird way a self-obsession because he has completely defined himself by his role as butler at Darlington Hall.
I read that the Japanese traditionally had a complex code of duties and loyalties, with rigid rules that vary with the participant’s station in society (see “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword” by Ruth Benedict for example). Mr. Steven’s seems trapped in a world view where the highest virtue is an old-style Japanese single minded devotion to Honor and Duty, albeit expressed in an English ancien régime environment.
One cannot help sympathizing with his plight.
Having grown up in a former British colony, it is impossible for me to read about British “nobility,” “honor,” “duty,” or “loyalty” with anything less than a jaundiced pair of eyes.
Edward Said, the influential Palestinian-American cultural studies professor, says in Culture and Imperialism, the companion to his classic, Orientalism, that underneath the surface of almost all famous modern works of British literature, such as those by Austen, Dickens, Defoe, Maugham, etc., there always lurks the assumption of the Great British Empire. The most enriching, prestigious career path for British aristocrats was through the Foreign Service; that is, the governing of territories and colonies all over the world, in the name of “nobility,” “honor,” “professionalism,” and “loyalty.” Indigenous populations were handled as “the less civilized,” by “superior” British colonial officers educated in the elite public schools. A brilliant depiction of the misunderstandings and conflicts between the two sides is the novel A Passage to India by E. M. Forster. One should never forget that behind the shiny facade of the British nobility lies ugly, bloody oppression and suppression.
I am in no way advocating the politicization of literature in any narrow sense. Rather, I am only arguing that the nature, purpose, and technique of literary creation must be adequate to the reality it tries to communicate. The reality of The Remains of the Day is extremely complicated. The author is writing in the 1980s about a head butler ruminating in the 1950s about his life in the 1920s! During that span of 60 years, the Great British Empire disintegrated! So does “the remains of the day” refer to the twilight of Darlington Hall and butlerism or that of the Empire? An important question to ask is how does the decline of the Empire affect the affairs of a great noble household and, ultimately, the identities and affairs of the individuals within it? Finally, and this is the question I am ultimately concerned about: is the author’s chosen writing strategy adequate for this task?
In the chapters we’ve read so far two related issues strongly catch my attention–the question “what is a great butler?” and the membership standard of the Hayes Society. Both clearly revolve around the concept of “dignity” but, somehow, nobody is quite able to define the quality clearly and precisely. And in the end Stevens has to admit that it is all a matter of intuition. It appears that in the heart of the tradition of nobility that the British was so proud of for so long, what we find is the utter absence of a solid ethical foundation. The noble is as the noble defines it.
Edward Said, in criticizing imperialism, never describes the phenomenon as one-dimensional. On the contrary, he goes out of his way to describe the benefits that indigenous people are often able to receive from the colonization. He had personally benefited in many ways from the colonial education he had received and were consequently able to appreciate many fine Western cultural traditions, especially classical music and literature. Likewise, I had attended an excellent missionary school for both my primary and secondary education. And I am grateful that English literature has become my life!
There's a real subdued horror in these first chapters. When he walks into his father's tiny, cramped room full of mould I felt chills. Nothing was ever really said, but beneath the surface is (at least for me) a feeling that something is not quite right. Someone said once that Ishiguro writes english stately stories crossed with Kafka, and I can see what they were aiming at with that.
Also, it's a pleasure to read. Very easy to go through the pages, and still lots of depth in what is being said.
I'm enjoying it. I haven't read this book before, so I'm curious how some of the themes will play out. Some things I noticed:
* "Professionalism" as a system or practice and its consequences is important. There's the the professionalism of Stevens and Mr. Lewis, who uses 'professionalism' as an excuse for their behavior, but Miss Kenton, also a professional, does not use 'professionalism' as an excuse.
* "Classism" -- I'm curious if we see how the views of the class system changes as Stevens meets others further away from Darlington Hall.
* I'm not sure I see the resentment that Rushdie speaks of. Sure, there's an emotional gulf between Stevenses father and son, and the only respect they have for each other seems to be professional respect, but I don't think I've seen resentment.
It was sad to see Mr. Stevens Sr. persistently practicing to walk steadily so he could keep his responsibilities.
All great points. I’m enjoying the book and pondering your comments had increased my understanding and appreciation of it. Thank you!
This book has been a real pleasure thus far. I recently went to London for the first time and was shocked to find that I enjoyed all parts of the city from the ease of the tube to the pace of city as a whole. I liked it so much that I put "The Tale of Two Cities" on my to read next list, until I realized this book has a very authentic English feel.
At the beginning of the narration I think Stevens comes off as a very likable and witty character that very clearly enjoys being a butler to an almost comical sense throughout the first chapter. The obsession with work becomes harder to justify when he turns his free vacation into a work related journey to re-connect/hire Miss Kenton, which I feel Stevens has a repressed crush of some kind.
Stevens behavior and his rigid dedication to work according to Stevens is what an Englishmen ought to do with his time and life. I find it a bit interesting that the idea of sacrificing your life to a job that allows you to have "dignity" as Stevens would say about his father feels like an American byproduct of the last few decades. I feel increasingly bad for Stevens throughout the first few chapters the same way I would feel bad for someone who's entire life was wrapped up in a job, however dignifying, that prevented them from living in the "social" aspect of the world.
Great read so far, loving the deeper dive into work and the relationship it has with our lives.
Besides the narrative, I am very much enjoying the level of detail in describing scenes and Stevens’ thoughts. I kind of understand his thoughts as they seem similar to mine when I have to work, particularly when it comes to customer service. Still, it pains me too that Stevens had to sacrifice some of his humanity for a fantasy-type ideal.
Stevens feels less arrogant than Lewis with his deference to “professionalism.” This could no doubt be my view because the US professional-managerial class has been a complete and demonstrable failure in the 100 years since this story took place (ESPECIALLY as regards foreign relations!); but it also demonstrates Stevens’ assertions about the quiet British dignity and the bombastic bantering showboating American.
Today is the 4th of July though so to hell with Stevens and his nonsense!!
One theme that I found Ishiguro hinting towards is the contrast between two worlds and their value systems. Through characters like Mr. Faraday (whose statements are almost airquoted by Stevens like 'foot the bill for gas') or Mr. Lewis, the difference between the feudal values still dominant in Britain and the emerging capitalist values of America. This is similar to say The Canterville Ghost of Oscar Wilde or large portions of the Gothic genre. This is of special interest to me because as Capitalism today crumbles, we find a parallel genre emerging primarily in internet subcultures.
In fact the peculiar (and nearly) infuriating way thay Stevens and Kenton talk to each other reminds one of the infamous corporate lingo.
Jared, if I may ask a meta-question: I like your write-ups on the readings. Do you find writing them up helps you with your understanding or enjoyment of the work? Would you recommend it?
I highly recommend it. It only deepens my enjoyment and understanding.