The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day Plot Summary

Introduction

In the shadows of grand English country houses, where history was quietly shaped by the powerful, there worked a figure whose own story reveals as much about 20th century Britain as those of the aristocrats he served. Stevens, the consummate English butler, represents an archetype now largely vanished from our world—a man who defined himself entirely through service, who found purpose in invisibility, and who measured success by his ability to maintain dignity while catering to every need of his employer. His story unfolds during a pivotal period of British history, spanning the interwar years through the aftermath of World War II, as the old social order crumbled and a new world emerged. Through Stevens' meticulous eyes, we witness a life dedicated to an unwavering ideal of professional service. His journey offers profound insights into the nature of dignity, loyalty, and the sometimes devastating consequences of devotion taken to its extreme. As we follow Stevens on his rare motoring holiday through the English countryside, we are invited to consider what it means to give one's life in service to others, the cost of emotional repression, and the quiet tragedy of opportunities missed in pursuit of a professional ideal. His reflections raise universal questions that resonate far beyond the walls of Darlington Hall: How do we define our worth? What constitutes a life well-lived? And can we ever truly reconcile our professional duties with our personal needs?

Chapter 1: The Dedicated Professional: Stevens and His Calling

From his earliest days at Darlington Hall, Stevens demonstrated an unwavering commitment to his profession that bordered on the religious. For him, butlering was not merely an occupation but a calling that demanded complete devotion. He approached his duties with a monk-like dedication, believing that through perfect service he could contribute, albeit indirectly, to the great affairs of the world. This conviction stemmed partly from his upbringing under his father, himself a butler of considerable reputation, whose influence shaped Stevens' understanding of professional excellence. Stevens' conception of his profession was deeply rooted in a particular philosophy of service. He repeatedly articulated his belief that the essence of being a great butler lay in maintaining "dignity"—a quality he defined as the ability to inhabit one's professional role completely, never abandoning it regardless of circumstance. For Stevens, this meant suppressing personal feelings, desires, and opinions in favor of seamless, invisible service. He took immense pride in moments when, despite personal tragedy or emotional turmoil, he continued to perform his duties flawlessly. One such moment occurred when he continued serving at an important international conference even as his father lay dying upstairs. Stevens' professional identity was inextricably tied to the status of his employer. He firmly believed that to achieve greatness in his profession, a butler must serve a distinguished household—specifically, one involved in shaping world affairs. In Lord Darlington, Stevens found an employer who satisfied this criterion, a gentleman dedicated to international diplomacy whom Stevens considered morally upright and worthy of his service. This alignment with Lord Darlington's cause gave Stevens' work meaning beyond mere domestic management; it allowed him to feel he was contributing, in his small way, to the betterment of humanity. The meticulousness with which Stevens approached every aspect of his duties was legendary. From the impeccable polishing of silver to the precise management of staff, he left nothing to chance. His obsession with perfection extended to his language and deportment; he studied books to improve his command of English and maintained a formal demeanor at all times. These habits were not merely professional requirements but expressions of Stevens' innermost self—his way of creating order in a world he could not otherwise control. Through decades of service, Stevens developed an extraordinary capacity for anticipating needs and solving problems before they arose. He took pride in orchestrating complex household events with such efficiency that the intricate mechanisms remained invisible to guests. In his mind, this invisibility was the highest form of service—allowing the important work of his employer to proceed unimpeded by domestic concerns. Yet this same invisibility would ultimately extend to Stevens himself, rendering him almost ghostlike in his own life, present but never fully participating in the human drama unfolding around him.

Chapter 2: Lord Darlington's Shadow: Serving a Controversial Master

Lord Darlington emerged as a significant political figure in interwar Britain, motivated by what he perceived as the unjust treatment of Germany following World War I. His lordship's friendship with a German officer, Herr Bremann, profoundly influenced his political outlook. After witnessing his friend's deterioration and eventual suicide due to the harsh economic conditions imposed on Germany, Lord Darlington dedicated himself to improving Anglo-German relations and revising the Treaty of Versailles. Stevens observed this transformation in his employer with admiration, believing him to be acting from the noblest of motives. Throughout the 1930s, Darlington Hall became a hub for diplomatic activity, hosting informal gatherings that brought together influential figures from across Europe. Stevens took immense pride in facilitating these meetings, viewing his role as essential to his employer's important work. He meticulously prepared the house for visits from ambassadors, ministers, and even the occasional royal, ensuring that the domestic arrangements were flawless so that matters of "global significance" could be discussed without distraction. For Stevens, these occasions represented the pinnacle of his professional achievement—moments when he could feel closest to "the hub of this world." As the decade progressed, Lord Darlington's sympathies increasingly aligned with Nazi Germany. His lordship developed a relationship with the German Ambassador, Herr Ribbentrop, and became an advocate for appeasing Hitler's regime. During this period, Stevens faithfully carried out his duties, including the morally questionable dismissal of two Jewish housemaids at Lord Darlington's instruction. Though momentarily troubled by this action, Stevens suppressed his misgivings, rationalizing that it was not his place to question his employer's decisions. His loyalty remained steadfast even as others, including the housekeeper Miss Kenton, voiced their objections. The consequences of Lord Darlington's political activities became apparent after World War II, when he faced public disgrace. Accused of Nazi sympathies and treasonous behavior, his lordship attempted to clear his name through a libel action that failed disastrously. Stevens witnessed his employer's reputation destroyed and his health decline rapidly in the aftermath. Yet even as Darlington Hall fell quiet and Lord Darlington became virtually an invalid, Stevens maintained his devotion, serving his employer until death with the same dedication he had shown during the house's grand days. Years later, as Stevens reflects on his service to Lord Darlington, he struggles to reconcile his unwavering loyalty with the knowledge that his employer had been "misguided" in his political judgments. He defends Lord Darlington as a gentleman who had the courage to follow his convictions, even if they proved wrong. More poignantly, Stevens grapples with his own role, wondering if blind loyalty to a flawed master diminishes the value of his life's work. The question haunts him: what dignity can be found in devoting oneself to a cause that history has judged harshly?

Chapter 3: The Relationship with Miss Kenton: Opportunities Missed

The arrival of Miss Kenton as housekeeper at Darlington Hall marked the beginning of a complex relationship that would span decades. From their first encounter, a subtle tension existed between them—she with her forthright manner and emotional expressiveness, he with his rigid professionalism and emotional restraint. Their early interactions were characterized by professional sparring as they established the boundaries of their respective domains within the household. Miss Kenton would challenge Stevens' authority in small ways, such as bringing flowers to brighten his austere pantry or pointing out minor oversights in his work, while he maintained a cool, detached demeanor that frustrated her attempts at connection. Despite their differences in temperament, Stevens and Miss Kenton developed a productive working relationship based on mutual respect for each other's professional capabilities. They established a routine of meeting each evening over cocoa to discuss household matters, sessions that gradually evolved to include more personal conversation. These meetings became a central part of Stevens' daily routine, though he consistently maintained that they were "overwhelmingly professional in tone." Yet beneath this professional veneer, there existed an unacknowledged current of attraction that neither party was willing or able to address directly. A pivotal moment in their relationship occurred when Stevens discovered Miss Kenton crying in her parlor after receiving news of her aunt's death. Rather than offering comfort, he retreated into formality, later approaching her only to discuss work matters. This pattern repeated itself throughout their years together—moments of potential emotional connection thwarted by Stevens' inability to step outside his professional role. Perhaps the most revealing incident was Stevens' reaction when he found Miss Kenton reading a romance novel in his pantry. His discomfort at being seen engaged in such a personal activity led him to respond with cold formality, creating yet another missed opportunity for genuine connection. As the years passed, Miss Kenton began taking regular days off to meet an acquaintance—a former butler with whom she was developing a relationship. Stevens observed these changes with discomfort, though he refused to acknowledge even to himself that his feelings might be jealousy. When Miss Kenton finally informed him of her suitor's marriage proposal, Stevens responded with characteristic detachment, congratulating her professionally while revealing no personal reaction. Yet in private, the news affected him deeply, causing him to make uncharacteristic errors in his service during an important diplomatic meeting occurring the same evening. The culmination of their unfulfilled relationship came when Miss Kenton left Darlington Hall to marry. Though she later revealed in a letter that she sometimes wondered what life might have been like had she remained, neither she nor Stevens ever directly expressed their feelings for one another. Years later, when they reunite briefly during Stevens' motoring trip, Miss Kenton—now Mrs. Benn—admits to moments of wondering what might have been, but acknowledges that one cannot forever dwell on the past. For Stevens, this confirmation of what might have been represents both a validation of his unspoken feelings and a painful recognition of all he sacrificed for his professional ideals.

Chapter 4: Dignity and Duty: The Butler's Philosophy

The concept of dignity stands as the central pillar of Stevens' professional philosophy. Throughout his career, he constructs an elaborate framework for understanding what constitutes a "great" butler, with dignity as its essential component. For Stevens, dignity is not simply about maintaining proper decorum or performing one's duties efficiently; it is about possessing the capacity to remain in character regardless of circumstances. He explains it as the ability to wear one's professionalism like a gentleman wears his suit—never allowing it to be torn off in public, no matter how challenging the situation. This commitment to maintaining one's professional facade becomes, in Stevens' mind, the defining characteristic of excellence in service. Stevens illustrates his understanding of dignity through several anecdotes about his father, who served as an under-butler at Darlington Hall in his final years. He recounts how his father once continued to serve impeccably despite having been severely insulted by a house guest, and on another occasion maintained perfect composure while serving the very general responsible for his eldest son's death in an ill-conceived military maneuver. These stories serve as parables for Stevens, demonstrating the pinnacle of professional achievement—the ability to suppress personal feelings entirely in service of one's duties. For him, these moments represent dignity in its purest form. The philosophy of service that Stevens embraces is deeply hierarchical. He believes firmly that society functions best when each person recognizes and accepts their proper place within the social order. For a butler, this means acknowledging that one's purpose is to serve those "great gentlemen" who bear the responsibility of shaping the world. Stevens conceptualizes the social structure as a wheel, with influential households like Darlington Hall at the hub, their decisions radiating outward to affect all levels of society. By serving effectively at this hub, Stevens believes he contributes meaningfully to humanity's progress, even if his contribution remains invisible to most. Central to Stevens' professional ethos is the conviction that a butler must place unwavering trust in his employer's moral judgment. He repeatedly asserts that it is not a butler's place to question the decisions of his master or to form independent opinions on complex matters of politics or ethics. When challenged about this position by younger staff or outsiders, Stevens maintains that the best service comes from complete loyalty to an employer one has determined to be worthy. This philosophy allows him to abdicate personal moral responsibility, placing the burden of ethical decision-making entirely on his employer's shoulders. The limitations of Stevens' philosophy become increasingly apparent as his narrative unfolds. His rigid adherence to professional standards prevents him from developing meaningful personal connections, most notably with Miss Kenton. More troublingly, it blinds him to the moral implications of Lord Darlington's actions, allowing him to participate in ethically questionable activities—such as the dismissal of Jewish staff members—without confronting his own complicity. By the end of his career, Stevens is forced to reckon with the possibility that dignity as he has defined it may be ultimately hollow if disconnected from personal moral responsibility and human connection.

Chapter 5: The Blind Loyalty: Political Naivety in Turbulent Times

Stevens' unwavering loyalty to Lord Darlington occurred against the backdrop of one of history's most volatile periods. As Europe moved inexorably toward World War II, Darlington Hall became a nexus for political activity that, in retrospect, aided the rise of Nazi Germany. Stevens, focused entirely on providing impeccable service, remained deliberately oblivious to the implications of the meetings he facilitated and the conversations he overheard. His professional philosophy dictated that a butler should not concern himself with the substance of his employer's affairs, only with ensuring they proceeded smoothly. This self-imposed ignorance allowed Stevens to maintain his dedication even as Lord Darlington became increasingly entangled with dangerous political forces. The extent of Stevens' political naivety is revealed through his interactions with young Mr. Cardinal, a godson of Lord Darlington who works as a journalist. During a crucial diplomatic meeting at Darlington Hall, Mr. Cardinal attempts to awaken Stevens to the reality that his employer is being manipulated by Nazi officials. He explains that Lord Darlington has become "the single most useful pawn Herr Hitler has had in this country for his propaganda tricks." When confronted with this information, Stevens reacts with characteristic detachment, insisting that it is not his place to question his lordship's judgment and expressing complete confidence in Lord Darlington's good intentions. This exchange highlights the dangerous limitations of Stevens' approach to service—his loyalty prevents him from recognizing or responding to moral dangers that are apparent to others. Stevens' blindness extends beyond politics to encompass basic moral judgments. When Lord Darlington instructs him to dismiss two Jewish housemaids due to their heritage, Stevens carries out the order despite his personal discomfort and Miss Kenton's passionate objections. He justifies his actions by insisting that it is not his place to question his employer's decisions, even when they clearly violate basic ethical principles. Though Lord Darlington later regrets this action and asks Stevens to try to locate the maids to make amends, Stevens never acknowledges his own moral responsibility in carrying out the dismissals. This incident starkly illustrates how his professional philosophy enables moral abdication under the guise of loyalty. The political consequences of the activities at Darlington Hall eventually become impossible to ignore. After the war, Lord Darlington is publicly denounced as a Nazi sympathizer, and his attempt to clear his name through a libel suit fails disastrously. Stevens witnesses his employer's decline into disgrace and ill health, yet even then he cannot bring himself to critically evaluate his own role in these events. Instead, he continues to insist on Lord Darlington's good intentions and to frame his own service as honorable contribution to important historical processes. Only years later, during his motoring trip, does Stevens begin to acknowledge the possibility that his loyalty may have been misplaced. In his conversations with ordinary citizens during his journey, Stevens encounters different perspectives on dignity and civic responsibility. A local political activist, Mr. Harry Smith, challenges Stevens' hierarchical worldview by asserting that dignity belongs to every citizen in a democracy, not just to elites and their servants. This encounter forces Stevens to confront the limitations of his understanding of dignity as mere professional excellence divorced from moral agency. Slowly, he begins to recognize that his political naivety, far from being a neutral professional stance, may have made him complicit in historical events he failed to comprehend.

Chapter 6: The Road Trip: A Journey of Self-Discovery

Stevens' decision to embark on a motoring trip across the English countryside marks a rare departure from his lifelong routine. Ostensibly undertaken to resolve a staffing issue—possibly recruiting the former housekeeper Miss Kenton to return to Darlington Hall—the journey represents something much more significant: Stevens' first opportunity in decades to step outside his professional role and reflect on his life. As he sets out in his employer's Ford, he experiences an unfamiliar sense of freedom mixed with apprehension. Having spent his entire adult life within the confines of Darlington Hall, the open road presents both liberation and disorientation, a physical manifestation of his tentative steps toward self-examination. The English landscape becomes a catalyst for Stevens' introspection. Standing on a hilltop overlooking rolling countryside on the first morning of his journey, he is struck by what he perceives as the "greatness" of the English landscape—its restraint, its lack of dramatic features, its quiet dignity. This moment reveals Stevens' deeply internalized values; he admires in nature the same qualities he has cultivated in himself. Yet as his journey progresses, encounters with the actual England beyond the walls of Darlington Hall begin to challenge his rigid worldview and the professional philosophy that has guided his life. Stevens' interactions with ordinary people along his route force him to navigate social situations without the protective framework of his butler's role. When car trouble strands him in the village of Moscombe, he finds himself mistaken for a gentleman of high standing by the locals. Rather than correcting this misapprehension, he allows it to persist, even embellishing his importance by implying involvement in "international affairs." This masquerade reveals both Stevens' discomfort with his actual social position and his deep-seated yearning for the significance he has always accessed only vicariously through his employer. The experience becomes increasingly uncomfortable when the village doctor recognizes his true status, leaving Stevens to confront the hollowness of his pretensions. Throughout the journey, Stevens' mind repeatedly returns to the past, particularly to his relationship with Miss Kenton. The physical distance from Darlington Hall creates emotional space for him to reconsider moments of connection he had previously suppressed. He recalls with new clarity instances when Miss Kenton had reached out to him—bringing flowers to his pantry, offering condolences when his father died, attempting to engage him in personal conversation—and his own steadfast refusal to respond. These recollections gradually lead Stevens to recognize the opportunities for human connection he sacrificed in service of his professional ideals. The culmination of Stevens' journey comes in his meeting with Miss Kenton—now Mrs. Benn—in the seaside town of Little Compton. Though he has harbored hopes that she might return to Darlington Hall, he discovers that despite some marital difficulties, she has built a life with her husband and anticipates the joy of becoming a grandmother. During their conversation, Mrs. Benn acknowledges that she sometimes wonders what life might have been like had she made different choices, but recognizes that "one can't forever dwell on what might have been." This meeting forces Stevens to confront not only his unacknowledged feelings for Miss Kenton but the wider pattern of his life—his subordination of personal happiness to professional duty, and the ultimate cost of his unwavering devotion to Lord Darlington.

Chapter 7: Looking Back: The Cost of Unwavering Service

As Stevens' journey draws to a close, he finds himself seated on a pier bench at dusk in the seaside town of Weymouth. This quiet moment of reflection becomes the crucible in which he finally confronts the true cost of his lifelong devotion to service. For the first time, he allows himself to articulate what has long remained unspoken—that he gave everything he had to Lord Darlington, a man whose reputation has been irreparably tarnished by history. The painful recognition that his years of perfect service were in service to a "misguided" cause forces Stevens to question whether his life's work has any lasting value. In a rare moment of emotional vulnerability, he admits to a stranger that "I cannot even claim that I made my own mistakes. Really—one has to ask oneself—what dignity is there in that?" The most poignant aspect of Stevens' reckoning is his acknowledgment of what he sacrificed personally for his professional ideals. His conversation with Mrs. Benn has confirmed what he had long denied—that there had been the possibility of love between them, a chance for companionship and connection that he had systematically rejected in favor of his duties. As twilight settles over the sea, Stevens confronts the emptiness of his personal life, the absence of intimate relationships, and the realization that, approaching the end of his career, he has "not a great deal more left to give." This recognition of his emotional poverty stands in stark contrast to the professional pride that has sustained him throughout his life. Stevens' reflections are interrupted by the switching on of the pier lights, an event greeted with spontaneous cheers by the holidaymakers around him. This simple celebration of the evening's arrival becomes symbolic, as a stranger on the bench has just advised Stevens that "the evening's the best part of the day... You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it." The metaphor is unmistakable—Stevens is in the evening of his life, and must confront whether there is still time to find some measure of personal fulfillment or whether such opportunities have passed irretrievably beyond his reach. In his final moments of reflection, Stevens attempts to reconcile himself to the path he has chosen. He wonders if perhaps the fundamental error was not in his dedication to service but in his choice of whom to serve. "For the likes of you and I," he muses, "there is little choice other than to leave our fate, ultimately, in the hands of those great gentlemen at the hub of this world who employ our services." Yet even in this rationalization, there is a new recognition of the necessity for individual moral judgment in choosing whom to serve—an acknowledgment that blind loyalty is insufficient without ethical discernment. As darkness falls and the pier fills with people enjoying their evening, Stevens observes the easy warmth and connection between strangers engaged in casual "bantering"—the kind of light, friendly exchange he has always found challenging. In a final gesture toward change, he resolves to improve his bantering skills for his return to Darlington Hall, suggesting a modest opening toward human connection. Though this aspiration may seem pitifully small given all he has lost, it represents Stevens' first tentative step toward embracing the human interactions he has so long subordinated to professional duty.

Summary

Stevens' life stands as a profound meditation on the nature of dignity and the price of devotion carried to its extreme. His unwavering commitment to an ideal of perfect service—giving his entire being to his professional role while suppressing his humanity—ultimately leaves him with the hollow recognition that he cannot even claim ownership of his mistakes. The tragedy of Stevens lies not in his dedication to service, which contains elements of genuine nobility, but in his failure to balance this dedication with personal judgment and human connection. His story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of abdicating moral responsibility in the name of loyalty and the profound emptiness that can result from denying one's emotional needs in pursuit of professional perfection. What makes Stevens' journey so universally resonant is that his particular form of self-sacrifice echoes broader human tendencies. Many of us subordinate personal fulfillment to professional achievement, defer happiness to some future moment that never arrives, or allow our lives to be defined by institutions or ideologies rather than intimate connections. His belated recognition—that the evening of life might still offer opportunities for warmth and enjoyment if one can cease "looking back so much"—offers a glimmer of hope amid the melancholy of opportunities missed. For those struggling to balance duty with personal fulfillment, Stevens' story provides a poignant reminder that dignity must ultimately encompass not only professional excellence but also the courage to acknowledge one's own needs and moral convictions.

About Author

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Kazuo Ishiguro

Sir Kazuo Ishiguro (カズオ・イシグロ or 石黒 一雄), OBE, FRSA, FRSL is a British novelist of Japanese origin and Nobel Laureate in Literature (2017). His family moved to England in 1960. Ishiguro obtained his Bachelor's degree from the University of Kent in 1978 and his Master's from the University of East Anglia's creative writing course in 1980. He became a British citizen in 1982. He now lives in London.His first novel, A Pale View of Hills, won the 1982 Winifred Holtby Memorial Prize. His second novel, An Artist of the Floating World, won the 1986 Whitbread Prize. Ishiguro received the 1989 Man Booker prize for his third novel The Remains of the Day. His fourth novel, The Unconsoled, won the 1995 Cheltenham Prize. His latest novel is The Buried Giant, a New York Times bestseller. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature 2017.His novels An Artist of the Floating World (1986), When We Were Orphans (2000), and Never Let Me Go (2005) were all shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.In 2008, The Times ranked Ishiguro 32nd on their list of "The 50 Greatest British Writers Since 1945". In 2017, the Swedish Academy awarded him the Nobel Prize in Literature, describing him in its citation as a writer "who, in novels of great emotional force, has uncovered the abyss beneath our illusory sense of connection with the world".

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