English Literature (9675) | Kazuo Ishiguro - Remains of the Day

Welcome to your Study Guide for The Remains of the Day!

Hello there! This chapter is one of the most fascinating texts on the syllabus, especially when viewed through the lens of Place. Don't worry if the book seems quiet or slow; Ishiguro uses the physical locations—specifically the grand house, Darlington Hall—to explore massive concepts like regret, class, and identity.

In this unit, we aren't just looking at scenery. We are analyzing how Place shapes people, locks them into roles, and becomes a symbol of history and memory. Let's dive in and unlock the meanings hidden in Stevens' meticulously ordered world.

Unit Focus: Place in Literary Texts (Syllabus 3.2)

Remember, the core task is to analyze how locations (places and times) drive the narrative and shape meaning. For Remains of the Day, we will focus on three key locations: Darlington Hall, The Open Road, and The Past (a location in time).

1. Darlington Hall: The Geography of Professional Dignity

The House as an Identity

For Stevens, the narrator and chief butler, Darlington Hall is more than just his workplace; it is the center of his universe and the embodiment of his identity. He has spent his entire life dedicated to maintaining its physical and social stature.

• Specific Geographical Location: Darlington Hall, a large English manor house, represents the traditional English aristocracy and the era between the two World Wars.
• Place and Social Class: Stevens’ definition of his "greatness" is tied entirely to the Great House itself. He believes that to serve a great house is to achieve true professional dignity. This physical place literally defines his position in society—he is 'placed' below the aristocracy but above the general public.

Analogy Alert: Think of Darlington Hall as Stevens' uniform. When he is inside the house, wearing his perfect uniform, he is secure and knows his purpose. If the uniform gets dirty, or if the house loses its reputation, Stevens himself feels dirty and lost.

Place as "Home" and "Homeland"

Ishiguro complicates the idea of home. Stevens finds comfort and order in the rigidity of the Hall, treating it as his true home, yet it is a deeply impersonal space. He prioritizes his professional role over finding emotional connection.

• Stevens never expresses a desire for a traditional personal home. His "homeland" is the professional sphere of the English gentry.

• The new American owner, Mr. Farraday, represents a modern, less rigid view of place. Stevens struggles to reconcile the Hall's political past with its current, relaxed atmosphere.

2. The Journey West: Place, Relationships, and Discovery

The Grand Tour: A Change of Scenery

The central plot device is Stevens' road trip through the west of England, undertaken to find Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn) and persuade her to return as housekeeper. This physical journey allows Stevens to encounter the world outside the Hall’s closed gates.

• Locations Where Stories Take Place: The inns, villages, and seaside towns Stevens visits (like Taunton, Dorset) are significant because they pull him away from the controlled environment of the Hall.
• Place as a Setting for Human Relationships: It is only outside Darlington Hall that Stevens can truly, briefly, attempt to connect with others (like the locals who mistake him for a retired gentleman). The journey forces him into situations where his professional mask slips.

The Natural World vs. The Artificial World

The English countryside is frequently described, often in terms of its beauty and changing light. This natural world contrasts starkly with the interior, polished, artificial environment of the Hall.

• The landscape is fluid, beautiful, and sometimes desolate, reflecting the emotional chaos Stevens avoids.

• Stevens often struggles to appreciate the scenery, often comparing natural beauty to the fine architecture of the Hall. His professional eye dictates his view: "The landscape is indeed fine... but one is constantly reminded of its essential Englishness." This suggests he filters even nature through the lens of national and class expectations.

Did you know? Ishiguro often uses the weather and landscape to signal emotional shifts. When Stevens finally meets Mrs. Benn, the descriptions of the dismal, rainy pier reflect the melancholy of their reunion and his final realization of regret.

3. Place as a Political and Historical Container

Darlington Hall is not just a house; it’s a political space that played a vital, albeit morally dubious, role in 1930s European politics. This links the personal place of Stevens to the wider national and international world.

The Taint of the Past

Lord Darlington, the previous owner, used the Hall to host international diplomatic conferences, many of which supported the appeasement of Nazi Germany. This history means the place is permanently stained by the moral failures of the interwar period.

• The Significance of Time and Location: The Hall is located at a crucial point in British history. Stevens’ refusal to admit that the political actions enacted in his dining room were wrong means his dedication to the Hall is also dedication to a failure.
• Moral Landscape: The physical grandeur of the house initially masks the moral ugliness of the political decisions made within it. The magnificence of the place stands in ironic contrast to the petty prejudices and flawed ideologies of its owner.

Important Point: When analyzing place in *Remains of the Day*, always ask: Is the physical beauty of the place (the Hall) distracting Stevens (or the reader) from the political and moral decay within?

Place and Moral Value

Stevens' tragedy is that he chose to serve the 'greatness' of the place (Darlington Hall) over moral judgment, believing that the setting conferred automatic dignity. This shows how place can dictate moral behaviour and lead to ethical blindness.

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first. The concept is that the physical location (the Hall) became a justification for Lord Darlington’s political actions, and therefore, Stevens felt honor-bound to support them, no matter how questionable.

4. Language and the Representation of Place

The way Stevens narrates and describes his surroundings is a crucial element of the Unit 2 requirement: The language and representation of place.

Filtered Reality

Stevens’ highly controlled, stiff, and formal narrative voice acts as a filter through which the reader experiences the world. He rarely uses emotionally evocative language to describe places. Instead, he focuses on order, maintenance, and perfection.

• Objectivity over Emotion: When describing the Hall or the English countryside, Stevens uses objective, almost technical language. This avoidance of sensory or emotional detail demonstrates his repression.
• The Language of Class: His descriptions reinforce the ideas of social class. The Hall is described with reverence and precision, while the smaller, common places (like the houses of the general public) are often noted only for their lack of "dignity" or order.

Memory Aid: Stevens’ descriptions are polished, like his silver. They look perfect on the surface, but they lack warmth or genuine human feeling.

Key Takeaway for Analysis

When writing about place, look for juxtaposition. The Hall’s external magnificence is juxtaposed with the internal failures of its inhabitants. The open, beautiful road is juxtaposed with Stevens’ closed, rigid mind.