1. Facts
a. Kazuo Ishiguro
b. The remains of the day
Faber and Faber Limited, London
First published in 1989
245 pages 2. First Reaction a. I chose this book because I had seen parts of the film. It is a very good film starring Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins. I really loved it. It is a slow film
but it does not bother you. The tension between the butler and the housekeeper are enjoyable to watch. Because of this I was curious at the book. Actually I did not know that the film came from a book, but when I was searching for a book with 240 pages or more, I found this one and I immediately took it. b. The story in the book is slightly different from the story in the film. There is still some tension between the butler and the housekeeper but it’s deeper hidden. I think I would not have seen this ‘relationship’ between them if I had not seen the film. The main character, Mr Stevens, reflects on his life and gives his opinion on several topics. This is quite different from the film because of course you can not film thoughts or opinions. But I did not care about this, I found it a surprise. I liked the way he reflects on things ,it really does not get boring. The end is very touching, when he finally decides he will give himself some freedom, and will not give everything for fulfilling the job perfectly. Because this is what he has done his whole adult life. 3. Getting in to depth a. Summary * Mr. Stevens is the one who is talking. The story is told from the I-perspective. The book is about the butler Mr. Stevens. He now works for an American gentleman, Mr Farraday. Things are not exactly the way they used to be and he has a shortage of staff. When he realizes this he remembers his old housekeeper, Miss Kenton who suddenly left the house in the past to marry but who has written him. He comes up with the idea to visit her and to ask her if she might want to come back. Especially when he has read in the letter she often thinks nostalgically back at Darlington Hall. His employer at this time is going away to the United States for some time and he offeres Mr. Stevens to take a vacation. A motoring vacation, that is. He could borrow his car then and he would pay the bill for the gas.. Mr. Stevens takes this offer and motors through England to get to Miss Kenton ( Now called Mrs. Benn). While motoring through a picture like England he thinks about ‘the old times’. In which he managed a grand staff and in which there were a lot of important things going on in the house. It was all before the second world war, and his Lord tried to be of importance in the foreign politics. He wanted to reconsider the pact of Versailles and because of this he organized a number of ‘informal’ conferences. Through time he also came involved with the Germans and grew sympathy for them. But, Mr. Stevens, carefully unfolds for his readers, he was not really a nazi. He only sympathized with them for a very short time. He did fire two Jewish girls that were on his staff, but later on he showed his regret. He was not really a bad man, concludes Mr. Stevens. And he goes on by questioning himself if he were wrong supporting this. But for himself he does not think this is so. He only did his duty. He just served his Lord. And this is what a ‘great’ butler should do according to him. He actually analyses in detail what a ‘great’ butler is, and what kind of qualities such a person should have. The most important thing according to him is ‘dignity’. A butler should always serve his master, and he should support him, so that he can do his job in the best way. Personal matters should not interfere with the job. He finds that he himself has achieved to get at a certain level of ‘dignity’ as he did not leave the table to serve the guests at a very important conference for his Lord while his father ( who was also on his staff) was very ill and even died. He also analysis the behaviour of Miss Kenton who grew further away and away from him. This started when the two Jewish girls were fired. This was something Miss Kenton thought was very wrong. But Mr. Stevens did not show any regret at all. He did not show his feelings. Actually he never did so. He was always the perfect gentleman. This was something she could not cope with. And from that point on she goes out more and she meets a man where she falls in love with. Or maybe the marriage is just a way to escape from Darlington Hall. Mr. Stevens questions this. When he has thought this all over he arrives at the town where Mrs. Benn lives. They meet each other in the hotel where he is staying at that moment. Mrs. Benn explains her situation. She has now left her husband three times for a short time but she has always returned to him. She has grown to love him. And she really does now. At first she was very unhappy,( she sometimes thought about the life she could have had with him) but now she is happy. And a grandchild is on the way. Even now Mr. Stevens stays a perfect gentleman. He does not ask her to come back to Darlington Hall but wishes her a lot of happiness for the future for her and her husband who is getting retired. That evening he sits next to the pier in the same town. A man walks by and starts talking to him. Mr. Stevens responds by telling how hard he works for his master. The man points out to him that nobody can be perfect for ever and that everybody should relax. And that people should enjoy themselves. At this point he decides that he will make the best of the remains of his day and he motors home the next day. b. The narrative techniques
1.The story is told with very informal language. It is really the language of Mr. Stevens. The words are carefully chosen.
2.The story takes place in England, at Darlington Hall and in Salisbury, Dorset, Taunton (Somerset), Moscombe (Devon), Little Compton (Cornwall), Weymouth.( These are places Mr. Stevens motors through and where he spends the night). The story itself takes place in the summer of 1956. Mr. Stevens looks back at the period 1930-1940.The motoring trip takes six days.
3. -Mr. Stevens. A real old fashioned English butler. He works for Mr Farraday. He does not really understand his jokes, as he is a American, but he is working to understand him. He is the main character in the book. You can say he develops from a man who does not think about his own pleasure to someone who does. Even if it is in the most tiniest way. He has his own personal vision of what a perfect butler should be: someone who possesses a dignity in keeping with his position. He is a man who does not show his feelings at all and who is very, very polite to everyone around him. He does everything to keep his employer satisfied and content. He trains himself for instance to have more witticism to please Mr. Farraday. He is not married and he has no children.
- Miss Kenton. The housekeeper of Darlington Hall. The right hand of Mr. Stevens in the ‘old’ days. She is a woman with more passion and she is not as ‘stiff’ as Mr. Stevens. She does show her feelings; she gets angry, she cries, she does not hide all this. She is a really good housekeeper and she does want to get closer to Mr. Stevens. She feels kind of attracted to him. And because of this she brings flowers to his office and she makes hot cocoa every day which they drink together. But unfortunately it does not work out and she marries an ‘acquaintance’, Mr. Benn. She has a daughter, Catherine, who lives in Dorset. She herself lives in Weymouth now. She is slim and has an upright posture.
- Lord Darlington. The old master of Mr. Stevens. The Lord of Darlington Hall. He is a noble man who thinks he still has some influence in the world politics. Although England is now a democracy. He organizes several conferences with fellow nobleman and noblewomen from Germany and France and even the United States. He tries to have some influence on the ‘real’ conferences in this way. He actually thinks the democracy is not really a good thing for England as the people do not know anything about politics. He thinks the country should be run by people who do know about it, such as himself. As the world war approaches he does choose the wrong side at first but later on he changes his mind. According to Mr. Stevens he has a shy and modest nature.
There a lot of flat characters:
- Mr. Farraday
- Mr. Stevens senior ( he is the role model for Mr. Stevens junior)
- Mrs. Clements ( the new housekeeper who assists Mr. Stevens)
- Dr. Meredith ( the ‘house’ doctor)
- Mr. David and Reginald Cardinal ( Mr. Stevens is asked to tell Reginald about the ‘facts of life’)
- Mr. M. Dupont ( A key person in one of Lord Darlington’s conferences)
- Mr. Lewis (an American gentleman who calls lord Darlington an amateur concerning the world politics)
- Mr. Harry Smith ( a man Mr. Stevens meets during his motor trip and who has a very strong opinion about democracy. He thinks everybody should develop their own opinions on political matters)
There are more flat characters but they are not important enough to mention them here.
4.The situations are told precisely. As Mr. Stevens looks back at his own past he analyses every emotion he had at the time. And he tells his readers what kind of a situation it was, with their background history.
5.The story is told slowly. The writer takes his time. It really is not about a plot but about theories that are formed and finding oneself. It is really about describing characters. And to make them develop.
c. Theme
1. I believe the theme of this book is ‘finding your self’.
2. Motives for the theme are:
- analysing one’s past
- love – concerning the relationship between Miss Kenton and Mr. Stevens and their quarrels.
- confrontation with oneself – as Mr. Stevens meets different people during his motoring trip he meets a lot of different people who make him think of himself. For example about what kind of butler he has been and about his loyalty to Lord Darlington.
Other motives in the book itself are:
- the second world war – the story does not take place in the war but Mr. Stevens constantly thinks about the question if Lord Darlington had been on the nazi side or not. He eventually thinks he did not.
- Politics – should there be a democracy or not? A several visions are given. Lord Darlington thinks there should not be and Harry smith really does think there should be. And what is the role of the noblemen in politics? Mr. Lewis thinks there should not be one. Harry Smith thinks they can be useful as ordinary people can learn a great deal from them. But Lord Darlington himself in convinced they should have their share.
- Holding on to your dignity – This is Mr. Stevens’ motto. He thinks that is something that every butler should do. He gives some fine examples of what he thinks a butler should do in some particular situations.
‘One afternoon, evidently, this butler had entered the dining room to make sure all was well for dinner, when he noticed a tiger languishing beneath the dining table, The butler had left the dining room quietly, taking care to close the doors behind him, and proceeded calmly to the drawing room where his employer was taking tea with a number of visitors. There he attracted his employer’s attention with a polite cough, then whispered in the latter’s ear. ‘I am very sorry, sir, but there seems to be a tiger in the dining room. Perhaps you will permit the twelve-bores to be used?’
After the gun shots the butler returns and the employer inquired if everything was well.
‘Perfectly fine, thank you, sir’ , had come the reply. ‘Dinner will be served at the usual time and I am pleased to say there will be no discernible traces of the recent occurrence by that time’. ( page 36)
3. The link between theme and title is, that at the end of the book Mr. Stevens finally discovers that he can relax a bit more. That he is allowed to be a little less perfect. Because that is what he had been his whole life. Perfect. He know decides he will become more human and will enjoy the rest of his days. He has found himself.
‘Perhaps, then, there is something to his advice that I should cease looking back so much, that I should adopt a more positive outlook and try to make the best of what remains of my day’.
(page 244)
d. Place in literary history
1. The book was first published in 1989. 2. Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan in 1954 and came to England in 1960. He grew up in Guildford, Surrey, where he attracted attention in the neighbourhood by being the only Japanese child. In his teens he wanted to be a rock star - in fact, in 1973, Ishiguro worked for a time as a grouse beater for the Queen Mother at Balmoral Castle, in Aberdeen, Scotland - but in 1983 he became a full-time writer. He studied at the university of Kent at Canterbury and at the University of East Anglia. He now lives in London. His first short stories were published in 1980. He wrote several novels: - A pale view of hills ( 1982) – awarded with the Winifried Holtby prize by the Royal Society of Literature - An artist of the floating world ( 1986) – awarded with the Whitbread Book of the Year. - The unconsoled ( 1995) He has also written a number of screenplays for television. He received the 1989 Booker Prize for ‘Remains of the day’. And in 1995 he was awarded the Officer of the British Empire for literature. 3.In the eighties and nineties there is not one genre or style of writing books. Everything is possible, everything is allowed. The books do tend to be ‘easier’ to read. Writers do not only concentrate on their own country but also on other countries. They do not let borders stop them to find themes for their books. 4. Kazuo Ishiguro has written different types of books. His first book ‘A pale view of hills’ is about a Japanese woman on England, a survivor of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, who looks back on her horrible experiences. ‘An artist of the floating world’ is about a Japanese artist who had contributed his talent to his country but experienced that in post-war Japan there was not any room for art. I found these small summaries on the internet. ‘Remains of the day’ is the only book form Kazuo Ishiguro that I have read. It seems that it is a whole different book then the two described above. For instance, it is not about Japan. And the story does not take place in Japan. But I do see two resemblances; all three books are about people who look back on their pasts and draw their conclusions and they have something to do with the second world war. 5. It is a easy to read book. It is a nice story that does not bore you and is enjoyable to read. Something that was important in the eighties and nineties. But because there were not really genres and styles that were custom in that time you can not really say if it belongs in that time. It could also belong in the time of Jane Austen. Because of the very polite manners that are described in the book. And that was something that was very important in that time and what she also used in her books. 4.Judgement 1. The fact that Mr. Stevens eventually does change. Because I felt kind of sorry for him and I was kind of annoyed by him, being the ‘perfect’ butler. Being such a person you do not tend to get a lot of sympathy. Because it is not human. So I was very glad that at the end, he did become a little more human. Miss Kenton’ character also had positive influence on me. I think she is a very strong woman. In those times things were not easy for women. But she does stand up to Mr. Stevens. She beliefs in her own personal values and she is not afraid to express them. For example in the issue about the Jewish girls: ‘ Mr. Stevens, I am outraged that you can sit there and utter what you have just done as though you were discussing orders for the larder. I simply cannot believe it. You are saying Ruth and Sarah are to be dismissed on the grounds that they are Jewish? (…) Does it occur to you, Mr. Stevens. that to dismiss Ruth and Sarah on these grounds would be simply – wrong? I will not stand for such things. I will not work in a house in which such things can occur.’ (page 149) I think it is very brave of her to say such things. Unfortunately she does not do what she threaded to do because she is afraid she will not find any other job. I still think she is a brave woman. 2. The part of the book that appeals to me most is the part, somewhere at the end of the book, when there is an important meeting going on in the house and Miss Kenton goes out to meet her ‘aquintance’. She comes back at night and tells Mr. Stevens she is engaged. He does not react emotionally on this information. But later on, when he walks by her parlour door he almost certainly knows she is crying and he almost entered her parlour to comfort her. ‘As I approached Miss Kenton’s door, I saw from the light seeping around its edges that she was still within. And that was the moment, I am sure now, that has remained so persistently lodged in my memory – that moment as I paused in the dimness of the corridor, the tray in my hands , an ever-growing conviction mounting within me that just a few yards awat, on the other side of the door , Miss Kenton was crying, (…) I remember being quite certain tat were I knock and enter, I would discover her in tears. I do not know how long I remained standing there, at the time it seemed a significant period, but in reality, I suspect, it was only a matter of seconds. For, of course, I was required to hurry upstairs to serve some of the most distinguished gentlemen of the land and I cannot imagine I would have delayed unduly’. ( page 227) In this passage he almost lets the man inside of him lose. He almost admitted to himself that he really did have feelings for Miss Kenton. I found it a very moving and touching. Especially because he almost did all of these thing. It becomes a very tragic scene. 3.The fact that Mr.Stevens does not do anything for himself, but everything for his masters to please them. He reads romantic love stories for example ( but just on the purpose to learn from the beautiful language that is used in such books). And he beliefs he should develop some kind of witticism to please his American master. At the end he decides he will enjoy himself more but right after that he concludes that this will also please him American master. He is kind of a slave but on free will. He cannot live without his masters, he needs their needs to develop himself . I thinks this is wrong. A person should be independent. He should express his own feelings and find his own passions. I makes me afraid when I realize that you always have to compromise with yourself to please your boss. And your boss is an important figure for your life. He decides if you will make a career. I guess you can never be yourself and that you always have to please people. So that you will not fall out of the group for example. 4. I can kind of compare this book to Sense and Sensibility, because in both books people are not expressing their feelings ( Elinor and Mr. Stevens). They are both very afraid to do that and they both want to please their environment. There are also in both books figures who do express their feelings and confront those figures with that who do not. ( Marianne and Miss Kenton). 5.Finding yourself. I think that is a very universal theme. Because everybody is looking for themselves. To find out what kind of person you really are. I believe only old people know who they really are. The theme did appeal to me. Because I am a teenager and finding yourself is what teenagers do! We are trying to become a ‘real’ person with our own ideas. And I can tell you it is a very hard thing to do. I realize that my ideas come from my parents and that I do not have any significant ideas from myself. I think this will become better when I move out and start my own life. 6. The use of the language was very formal, but it was not difficult or aloof. It is the language of Mr. Stevens. That is the way how he thinks and speaks. Because of this you could more easily identify yourself with the butler. So I think it was a good choice to write the book in that kind of language. 7. I think it is a good book. It is very different from other books as it does not really have a climax or a plot. Yes, of course, it is about finding Miss Kenton and to try to get her back to Darlington Hall. But this is not really important in the book. It is more kind of a road movie-book. It is about Mr. Stevens who thinks back. And there does not really happen a lot. But although the book is not very ‘fast’ or full of action, it is not a boring book. It really gets to you. But the book also has some very dry humour in it. Well, at least I thought it was funny. For example the time that Mr. Stevens is asks to tell a young man about the facts of life. Mr. Stevens deals with this in his own personal way, staying the formal butler. I thought it was funny to read in what a peculiar situation he got into. So although it is a serious book, it can put itself a bit in perspective. 8. Yes, In would recommend others to read the book. When you have seen the film you have not seen the whole story. You do not know how Mr. Stevens exactly thinks about being a perfect butler. Because this is something that is not really expresses in the film. And this does add another dimension to the story.
b. The remains of the day
Faber and Faber Limited, London
First published in 1989
245 pages 2. First Reaction a. I chose this book because I had seen parts of the film. It is a very good film starring Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins. I really loved it. It is a slow film
but it does not bother you. The tension between the butler and the housekeeper are enjoyable to watch. Because of this I was curious at the book. Actually I did not know that the film came from a book, but when I was searching for a book with 240 pages or more, I found this one and I immediately took it. b. The story in the book is slightly different from the story in the film. There is still some tension between the butler and the housekeeper but it’s deeper hidden. I think I would not have seen this ‘relationship’ between them if I had not seen the film. The main character, Mr Stevens, reflects on his life and gives his opinion on several topics. This is quite different from the film because of course you can not film thoughts or opinions. But I did not care about this, I found it a surprise. I liked the way he reflects on things ,it really does not get boring. The end is very touching, when he finally decides he will give himself some freedom, and will not give everything for fulfilling the job perfectly. Because this is what he has done his whole adult life. 3. Getting in to depth a. Summary * Mr. Stevens is the one who is talking. The story is told from the I-perspective. The book is about the butler Mr. Stevens. He now works for an American gentleman, Mr Farraday. Things are not exactly the way they used to be and he has a shortage of staff. When he realizes this he remembers his old housekeeper, Miss Kenton who suddenly left the house in the past to marry but who has written him. He comes up with the idea to visit her and to ask her if she might want to come back. Especially when he has read in the letter she often thinks nostalgically back at Darlington Hall. His employer at this time is going away to the United States for some time and he offeres Mr. Stevens to take a vacation. A motoring vacation, that is. He could borrow his car then and he would pay the bill for the gas.. Mr. Stevens takes this offer and motors through England to get to Miss Kenton ( Now called Mrs. Benn). While motoring through a picture like England he thinks about ‘the old times’. In which he managed a grand staff and in which there were a lot of important things going on in the house. It was all before the second world war, and his Lord tried to be of importance in the foreign politics. He wanted to reconsider the pact of Versailles and because of this he organized a number of ‘informal’ conferences. Through time he also came involved with the Germans and grew sympathy for them. But, Mr. Stevens, carefully unfolds for his readers, he was not really a nazi. He only sympathized with them for a very short time. He did fire two Jewish girls that were on his staff, but later on he showed his regret. He was not really a bad man, concludes Mr. Stevens. And he goes on by questioning himself if he were wrong supporting this. But for himself he does not think this is so. He only did his duty. He just served his Lord. And this is what a ‘great’ butler should do according to him. He actually analyses in detail what a ‘great’ butler is, and what kind of qualities such a person should have. The most important thing according to him is ‘dignity’. A butler should always serve his master, and he should support him, so that he can do his job in the best way. Personal matters should not interfere with the job. He finds that he himself has achieved to get at a certain level of ‘dignity’ as he did not leave the table to serve the guests at a very important conference for his Lord while his father ( who was also on his staff) was very ill and even died. He also analysis the behaviour of Miss Kenton who grew further away and away from him. This started when the two Jewish girls were fired. This was something Miss Kenton thought was very wrong. But Mr. Stevens did not show any regret at all. He did not show his feelings. Actually he never did so. He was always the perfect gentleman. This was something she could not cope with. And from that point on she goes out more and she meets a man where she falls in love with. Or maybe the marriage is just a way to escape from Darlington Hall. Mr. Stevens questions this. When he has thought this all over he arrives at the town where Mrs. Benn lives. They meet each other in the hotel where he is staying at that moment. Mrs. Benn explains her situation. She has now left her husband three times for a short time but she has always returned to him. She has grown to love him. And she really does now. At first she was very unhappy,( she sometimes thought about the life she could have had with him) but now she is happy. And a grandchild is on the way. Even now Mr. Stevens stays a perfect gentleman. He does not ask her to come back to Darlington Hall but wishes her a lot of happiness for the future for her and her husband who is getting retired. That evening he sits next to the pier in the same town. A man walks by and starts talking to him. Mr. Stevens responds by telling how hard he works for his master. The man points out to him that nobody can be perfect for ever and that everybody should relax. And that people should enjoy themselves. At this point he decides that he will make the best of the remains of his day and he motors home the next day. b. The narrative techniques
1. The book was first published in 1989. 2. Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan in 1954 and came to England in 1960. He grew up in Guildford, Surrey, where he attracted attention in the neighbourhood by being the only Japanese child. In his teens he wanted to be a rock star - in fact, in 1973, Ishiguro worked for a time as a grouse beater for the Queen Mother at Balmoral Castle, in Aberdeen, Scotland - but in 1983 he became a full-time writer. He studied at the university of Kent at Canterbury and at the University of East Anglia. He now lives in London. His first short stories were published in 1980. He wrote several novels: - A pale view of hills ( 1982) – awarded with the Winifried Holtby prize by the Royal Society of Literature - An artist of the floating world ( 1986) – awarded with the Whitbread Book of the Year. - The unconsoled ( 1995) He has also written a number of screenplays for television. He received the 1989 Booker Prize for ‘Remains of the day’. And in 1995 he was awarded the Officer of the British Empire for literature. 3.In the eighties and nineties there is not one genre or style of writing books. Everything is possible, everything is allowed. The books do tend to be ‘easier’ to read. Writers do not only concentrate on their own country but also on other countries. They do not let borders stop them to find themes for their books. 4. Kazuo Ishiguro has written different types of books. His first book ‘A pale view of hills’ is about a Japanese woman on England, a survivor of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, who looks back on her horrible experiences. ‘An artist of the floating world’ is about a Japanese artist who had contributed his talent to his country but experienced that in post-war Japan there was not any room for art. I found these small summaries on the internet. ‘Remains of the day’ is the only book form Kazuo Ishiguro that I have read. It seems that it is a whole different book then the two described above. For instance, it is not about Japan. And the story does not take place in Japan. But I do see two resemblances; all three books are about people who look back on their pasts and draw their conclusions and they have something to do with the second world war. 5. It is a easy to read book. It is a nice story that does not bore you and is enjoyable to read. Something that was important in the eighties and nineties. But because there were not really genres and styles that were custom in that time you can not really say if it belongs in that time. It could also belong in the time of Jane Austen. Because of the very polite manners that are described in the book. And that was something that was very important in that time and what she also used in her books. 4.Judgement 1. The fact that Mr. Stevens eventually does change. Because I felt kind of sorry for him and I was kind of annoyed by him, being the ‘perfect’ butler. Being such a person you do not tend to get a lot of sympathy. Because it is not human. So I was very glad that at the end, he did become a little more human. Miss Kenton’ character also had positive influence on me. I think she is a very strong woman. In those times things were not easy for women. But she does stand up to Mr. Stevens. She beliefs in her own personal values and she is not afraid to express them. For example in the issue about the Jewish girls: ‘ Mr. Stevens, I am outraged that you can sit there and utter what you have just done as though you were discussing orders for the larder. I simply cannot believe it. You are saying Ruth and Sarah are to be dismissed on the grounds that they are Jewish? (…) Does it occur to you, Mr. Stevens. that to dismiss Ruth and Sarah on these grounds would be simply – wrong? I will not stand for such things. I will not work in a house in which such things can occur.’ (page 149) I think it is very brave of her to say such things. Unfortunately she does not do what she threaded to do because she is afraid she will not find any other job. I still think she is a brave woman. 2. The part of the book that appeals to me most is the part, somewhere at the end of the book, when there is an important meeting going on in the house and Miss Kenton goes out to meet her ‘aquintance’. She comes back at night and tells Mr. Stevens she is engaged. He does not react emotionally on this information. But later on, when he walks by her parlour door he almost certainly knows she is crying and he almost entered her parlour to comfort her. ‘As I approached Miss Kenton’s door, I saw from the light seeping around its edges that she was still within. And that was the moment, I am sure now, that has remained so persistently lodged in my memory – that moment as I paused in the dimness of the corridor, the tray in my hands , an ever-growing conviction mounting within me that just a few yards awat, on the other side of the door , Miss Kenton was crying, (…) I remember being quite certain tat were I knock and enter, I would discover her in tears. I do not know how long I remained standing there, at the time it seemed a significant period, but in reality, I suspect, it was only a matter of seconds. For, of course, I was required to hurry upstairs to serve some of the most distinguished gentlemen of the land and I cannot imagine I would have delayed unduly’. ( page 227) In this passage he almost lets the man inside of him lose. He almost admitted to himself that he really did have feelings for Miss Kenton. I found it a very moving and touching. Especially because he almost did all of these thing. It becomes a very tragic scene. 3.The fact that Mr.Stevens does not do anything for himself, but everything for his masters to please them. He reads romantic love stories for example ( but just on the purpose to learn from the beautiful language that is used in such books). And he beliefs he should develop some kind of witticism to please his American master. At the end he decides he will enjoy himself more but right after that he concludes that this will also please him American master. He is kind of a slave but on free will. He cannot live without his masters, he needs their needs to develop himself . I thinks this is wrong. A person should be independent. He should express his own feelings and find his own passions. I makes me afraid when I realize that you always have to compromise with yourself to please your boss. And your boss is an important figure for your life. He decides if you will make a career. I guess you can never be yourself and that you always have to please people. So that you will not fall out of the group for example. 4. I can kind of compare this book to Sense and Sensibility, because in both books people are not expressing their feelings ( Elinor and Mr. Stevens). They are both very afraid to do that and they both want to please their environment. There are also in both books figures who do express their feelings and confront those figures with that who do not. ( Marianne and Miss Kenton). 5.Finding yourself. I think that is a very universal theme. Because everybody is looking for themselves. To find out what kind of person you really are. I believe only old people know who they really are. The theme did appeal to me. Because I am a teenager and finding yourself is what teenagers do! We are trying to become a ‘real’ person with our own ideas. And I can tell you it is a very hard thing to do. I realize that my ideas come from my parents and that I do not have any significant ideas from myself. I think this will become better when I move out and start my own life. 6. The use of the language was very formal, but it was not difficult or aloof. It is the language of Mr. Stevens. That is the way how he thinks and speaks. Because of this you could more easily identify yourself with the butler. So I think it was a good choice to write the book in that kind of language. 7. I think it is a good book. It is very different from other books as it does not really have a climax or a plot. Yes, of course, it is about finding Miss Kenton and to try to get her back to Darlington Hall. But this is not really important in the book. It is more kind of a road movie-book. It is about Mr. Stevens who thinks back. And there does not really happen a lot. But although the book is not very ‘fast’ or full of action, it is not a boring book. It really gets to you. But the book also has some very dry humour in it. Well, at least I thought it was funny. For example the time that Mr. Stevens is asks to tell a young man about the facts of life. Mr. Stevens deals with this in his own personal way, staying the formal butler. I thought it was funny to read in what a peculiar situation he got into. So although it is a serious book, it can put itself a bit in perspective. 8. Yes, In would recommend others to read the book. When you have seen the film you have not seen the whole story. You do not know how Mr. Stevens exactly thinks about being a perfect butler. Because this is something that is not really expresses in the film. And this does add another dimension to the story.
REACTIES
:name
:name
:comment
1 seconde geleden