The Self-Contradictory Narrative of Mr Stevens In Kazuo Ishiguro’s "The Remains of the Day"

Abstract

One of the features which makes "The remains of the Day" such a rich novel is its narrative. The narrator, Mr Stevens, undertakes a motoring trip around the English countryside and begins to dwell on his past as butler at Darlington Hall. As a part of his narrative style, Stevens attempts to initiate a dialogue with the reader to gain understanding and make us share his perspective of the various thoughts and recollections he discusses. However, the further he progresses in his story, the more contradictions we see in his narration. The purpose of this investigation is to demonstrate how Stevens' self-contradictory narrative weakens and deconstructs the points he attempts to make, which consequently leads his attempt to gain the reader's empathy unsuccessful.