The Remains of the Day II

Howdy..yes computer access at last!!

Well to start off I have to be honest in saying that this story is moving along quite slowly for me. I understand that the main point of Stevens' journey is to think back on his past but I would like to know more about what he is doing at the moment. Why is it that he is so troubled by his past that he cannot enjoy the present? Could it be that Stevens feels guilty for having served Lord Darlington...(after all, not stopping someone from doing something bad makes you just as much at fault as if you had done the action yourself). Maybe I have to keep reading further.

A few of you already mentioned this, but I also thought it was "interesting" how Stevens denied having worked for Lord Darlington. At first I was confused as to what was going on but then as I read further I realized it. If Stevens is all about "dignity" and pride in being a butler, then he should not have hidden the fact that he had worked for Lord Darlington.

Another thing that I have noticed (along with many of you) is that Stevens' character is unchanging. He continues to bottle up his emotions and even his employer, Mr. Farraday, has taken notice, such as in page 125.

One passage that really caught my eye was that on page 139. Stevens starts off the paragraph by saying, "But perhaps one should not be looking to the past so much." It is ironic that Stevens would say such a thing because throughout the entire novel, he dwells on what was rather than on what is. I think that maybe he is realizing something about his character and how the issues of the past or not letting him fully move on to the future.

One final part I wanted to comment on was when Stevens met up with some people in the village during his journey. Stevens was confused for a gentleman when in fact he is merely a butler. Why does Stevens not clarify the misconception? Is it because he would be ashamed if the people found out about his occupation? And if so, doesn't that completely contradict his entire "I take pride in being a butler" attitude?