PDF
Published
2023-12-31 — Updated on 2023-12-31
Versions
- 2023-12-31 (2)
- 2023-12-31 (1)
Section
Article
Human Relationships and Memory in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day: A Critical Analysis
Noora Mazin Shakir
Tikrit University- College of Education for Women
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25130/lang.7.4.13
Keywords: Human relationships, Kazuo Ishiguro, Memory, Miss Kenton, Stevens, The Remains of the Day
Abstract
This study offers a critical analysis of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day, and focuses on its portrayal of human relationships, specifically those associated with the main character, Stevens. Ishiguro, a well-known figure in contemporary English literature, is known for his insightful exploration of missed opportunities, a theme central to this novel. Within the narrative, Stevens inability to express his love for Miss Kenton, represents one of these missed chances. Like Ishiguro’s other novels, this one shows a large interest in the relationship between individual and collective memory. This study adopts a character analysis approach to examine Stevens' personality throughout his life career at Darlington Hall. The analysis aims to highlight the complexities he encounters in his relationships and demonstrate how he becomes aware of them by the end of the novel. This self-awareness develops as Stevens reflects on his past, helping him identify the errors he made in his relationships. This paper is structured into three sections. It starts with an introduction which addresses Ishiguro’s status as a novelist, with special attention on his main novels, including The Remains of the Day. The second part discusses the relationships in the novel by conducting a textual analysis of its important passages. Finally, the paper ends with the conclusion which sums up the findings.
References
Works Cited
"Books you can’t live without: the top 100." The Guardian, 1 March 2007, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2007/mar/01/news .
Freud, Anna. The Ego and the Mechanisms of Defense. Hogarth Press and Institute of Psych-analysis, 1936.
Freud, Sigmund. Project for a Scientific Psychology. Standard Edition, Hogarth Press, vol.1, 1895, pp.295-397.
Hunnewell, Susannah. “Kazuo Ishiguro, The Art of Fiction No. 196.” The Paris Review, vol. 184 (Spring 2008):
Ishiguro, Kazuo. The Remains of the Day. Faber and Faber, 1989.
Jung, Carl Gustav. Two Essays on Analytical Psychology. Trans. G. Adler & R. F. C. Hull. Princeton University Press, 1972.
Macmillan, Malcolm. Advances in Psychology. Monash University, 1991.
Odeh, May. "Theme of Dignity in The Remains of the Day." Academia., 12 March 2018,https://www.academia.edu/5388379/Theme-of-Dignity-in-The-Remains-of-the-Day.
Ray, Kasturi Sinah. "Personal and Professional: Exploring the Father-Son Relationship in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day." American International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, vol. 22, no.1, 2018, pp. 33-37.
Rushdie, Salman. "Rereading The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro." The Guardian, 17 August 2012, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazuo_Ishiguro.
Shaffer, Brain W. Understanding Kazuo Ishiguro. University of South Carolina Press, 1998.
Sim, Wai-chew. Kazuo Ishiguro: A Routledge Guide. Taylor & Francis, 2009.
Toe, Y. Kazuo Ishiguro and Memory. Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.
Vorda, Allan, and Kim Herzinger. "An Interview with Kazuo Ishiguro." Mississippi Review, vol. 20, no. 1/2, 1991, pp. 131-154.
Vyas, Sagar. "Id, Ego and Super Ego in Stevens’ Personality." International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology, vol. 3, no. 2, April 2023, pp. 204-207.
Webb, Jen. "Nobel-winner Kazuo Ishiguro shows us the illusion of connection with the world." Academic Rigor, Journalistic Flair, 6 October 2017, pp. 1-3.
Wong, Cynthia. "Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day." A Companion to the British and Irish Novel, 1945-2000, edited by Brain W. Shaffer, Blackwell Publishing, 2005, pp. 493-503.
