|
"The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro delves considerably deeper into the motives of human behavior than the standard romance novel or love triangle scenario. The novel’s true message lies in the suffocating and emotionally stagnating rules that stifle the true nature of the main character, Lord Darlington’s butler, Stevens. However it is the relationship between Stevens and the housekeeper, Miss Kenton that ultimately defines the significance of Stevens’ choices. The character of Stevens demonstrates how adhering to strict rules of self-containment deters one from being true to himself and enjoying life in the manner in which it was meant to be enjoyed. The contradictions and hypocrisies that loom like a dark cloud over Stevens’ mentality are apparent in his ability to remain virtually oblivious to any type of real human emotion.
Stevens is not only a servant to Lord Darlington but to his profession in general. The only life he has ever known is based on dignity, honor, and a lack of emotional expression. Every observation Stevens makes about life, including those he makes about Miss Kenton, are rooted in his ingrained system of behavior, rather than an acquired system of beliefs. Stevens’ personal opinions are irrelevant, in his mind, because he is merely an extension of his employer, not a separately functioning human being who is allowed to form and express individual thoughts. There is no logical argument here, only a personal, ethical one.
Miss Kenton is also trained to be dignified at all costs, however she is much more able to recognize and express her humanness than Stevens is. She acknowledges her feelings of attraction to Stevens, sharing hidden parts of herself and encouraging him to do the same, but she gets frustrated when he does not observably return her affections. In the end, Miss Kenton offers her heart to Stevens on a silver platter, but he never finds the courage to lift the lid. Stevens is so concerned about maintaining his role as the dignified Butler that he is unable to fathom being himself, as the following passage so eloquently illustrates:
There is one situation and one situation only in which a butler who cares about his dignity may feel free to unburden himself of his role; that is to say, when he is entirely alone. You will appreciate that in the event of Miss Kenton bursting in at the time when I had presumed, not unreasonably, that I was to be alone, it came to be a crucial matter of principle, a matter indeed of dignity, that I did not appear in anything less than my full and proper role (p. 169)
What is ironic, however, is that the role of a butler is that of a servant and there is very little dignity, and even less respect, associated with servitude. It is also human nature not to respect those who are not able to think for themselves. Thus in Steven’s misguided attempts to maintain dignity at all costs, he is actually stripping himself of the opportunity for any type of reverence. To the observing eye, Stevens is not respectable; he is only so well thought-of in his own mind.
Stevens attempts to define dignity early on in the novel, by explaining that it is a "rather hard thing to explain in a few words sir, but I suspect it comes down to not removing one's clothes in public" (p. 10). In his conversation with Miss Kenton in the greenhouse, Stevens reinforces this ideal, or what is actually a lack of ideals, by admitting that despite his silence, he had objected to the firing of the Jewish employees. This leads Miss Kenton to exclaim in frustration, "Do you realize how much it would have helped me? Why, Mr. Stevens, why, why, why do you always have to pretend?”
Though Stevens continually claims that his role as a Butler can be turned on an off at will, the fact is, he has taken on the Butler persona not merely as a professional identity, but as a personal one as well. Otherwise, he would have no qualms about opening his heart to Miss Kenton, because that is a personal action, not a professional one. If he truly were able to separate the two identities, he would be able to enjoy his personal life to a much greater extent without such constant concern over his “image”.
The primary elements that seem to be lacking in Stevens’ life are all related to sentimentality. He does not like flowers in the pantry because flowers are maudlin symbols that disrupt the order of his efficient, sterile working environment. The flowers are also a reminder of the beauty of life that he has let escape him, as well us the love between he and Miss Kenton that he knows will never be allowed to fully blossom. The lack of sentimentality in Stevens’ life can also be seen in his detached observations of others.
What makes Stevens’ perceptions hypocritical is that the judgments he makes of others are based on outrageously high standards that not even he is able achieve without faltering in some manner. By perpetuating society's superficial values and stringent codes of conduct, Stevens is viewing himself as superior to those, like Miss Kenton, who allow their emotions to breathe. However to the outside observer, it is a lack of true human emotion and independent thinking that renders one a second-rate human being far more than their professional status, social class or degree of dignified behavior.
It is Miss Kenton’s ability to see these hypocrisies that terrifies Stevens the most. If he were to allow her ideals and perceptions of life to infiltrate his, he might have to face the fact that everything he has lived for and strived for is not nearly as noble or worthy of his efforts as he had always assumed. A realization such as this would shatter him, so he goes to great lengths to avoid making this connection.
Of course, whether his decisions are to be respected or pitied depends on one’s perception of honorability. In some ways, Stevens is making the admirable choice to stand by his commitments and live up to his responsibilities. Yet in doing this, he is sacrificing his responsibility to himself, and is forfeiting any chance at true happiness. Thus this intricate tale of unrealized love, is essentially a scale that asks us to weigh our priorities in the light of personal preference and individual perception.
|
| |
