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ANALYSIS OF THE POETICS IN KAZUO ISHIGURO’S THE REMAINS
OF THE DAY
Isomiddinov Eldor Botirovich
Independent researcher of NamSPI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15613575
Abstract:
This article analyzes the poetics of memory, self-deception, and
social influence in Kazuo Ishigura's The Remains of the Day. The work shows not
only through the inner psychological journey of the main character - Butler
named Stevens, but also through poetic means how society's influence and class
norms were formed in his life views. The article highlights Stevens's style of
speech, the structure of time and space, symbols, landscapes, and self-awareness
through key images, fragmentarity of memory, and reflections of social pressure
in consciousness. The metaphor "remnants of the day" in the work expresses the
experiences and regrets that occur at the last stage of life.
Keywords:
Kazuo Ishiguro, poetics of memory, social influence, class
system, elegiac tone, symbolic image, narrative distrust, aesthetic analysis
Introduction
Structural Poetics: Juxtaposition and the Journey Motif
In The Remains of the Day, the structural choices are indistinguishable from
its thematic depth and emotional resonance. The novel, framed as the diary of
English butler Stevens on his motor trip in 1956, employs a non-chronological
structure and makes the physical journey a rich metaphor, creating a subtle
interweaving of past and present that somehow draws a parallel with the inner
life of the central figure and the evolving social hierarchy of England.
The most conspicuous structural feature of The Remains of the Day is the
constant alternation between Stevens's immediate experience on his motoring
holiday and his extended recollections of events from his long working life at
Darlington Hall, largely between the two wars.This non-linear narrative is not a
mere stylistic fashion, but a purposeful structural poetics that demonstrates the
same memory process.
Memory, as Stevens's narrative depicts, is not a linear, chronological past,
but a fragmented, associative past. Individuals and objects in the present remind
him of specific, and often seemingly unrelated, details of the past. A conversation
about dignity in a pub, for instance, may lead to a lengthy reflection on some
particular episode involving Lord Darlington or Stevens's father. This is a mirror
of human memory, in which present stimuli act as cues for accessing stored
information, not in a chronological manner and in line with present
preoccupations and emotional state. Stevens's attempts to record and justify his
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past actions in his narrative highlight the selective and potentially unreliable
nature of memory, particularly when employed in constructing a desired self-
portrait (Arcak, n.d.; Memon, 2024).
The tension between past ideals and events and present realities creates a
profound poetic resonance. Stevens recalls the grandeur and perceived
significance of Darlington Hall during its political the golden age, which
contrasts sharply with its decreased state in 1956 when it was taken over by an
American. Similarly, Stevens's unbending adherence to a rigorous code of
professional propriety, forged in the class-divided society of the past, comes to
appear anachronistic or even tragically misplaced in the more informal, post-
war world. The implicit contrast throughout serves to underscore themes of loss
– the loss of a way of life, the loss of youth, and most movingly, the loss of
potential human connection, and above all with Miss Kenton. The past, as it is
strained through Stevens's nostalgic and not uncommonly self-deceiving eye, is
contrasted with a present that reveals the fallout and constraints of the
decisions he has made in the past, establishing an effect of pathos and
illustrating the inexorable forward march of change (IISTE.org, n.d.).
The literal road trip Stevens makes through the English countryside stands
meaningfully alongside the metaphorical inner trip through his memory. The
shifting landscape outside the car window perhaps mirrors Stevens' inner life
and the broader socio-political evolution of England. As he drives through idyllic
village after idyllic village, through undulating countryside, there is a sense of
both an old-fashioned England disappearing, and the demise of the aristocratic
world that Stevens served as well as the emptying of his own inner emotional
life by repression. The "greatness" Stevens recognizes in the English landscape -
it's subtlety and wholesome absence of overt drama - literally overlaps with his
ideal of restrained dignity, and resonates with a yet-to-be-formed perhaps even
unconscious, identification with national character that favors repression over
expression (Reddit, 2020).
Moreover, encounters along the route—with villagers, with customers in
pubs, or with fellow travellers—act as catalysts, stirring up specific memories
and forcing Stevens, however indirectly, to confront aspects of his past that he
has suppressed or misconstrued for decades. Such interactions, often marked by
Stevens's social awkwardness and inability to engage in genuine "banter," act to
highlight the limitedness of his formally constructed identity and professional
function beyond the walls of Darlington Hall (Booker Prizes, n.d.). The journey,
therefore, is a "poetic engine" for the exploration of the past, with the outward
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journey through space prompting inward regressions through time. The road
trip provides a framework within which it becomes possible to recover and
examine those moments of crisis, such as the dismissal of the Jewish maids or
the pivotal interviews with Miss Kenton, that bring to the surface the repressed
emotional landscape of Stevens's life (DiVA portal, n.d.)
In brief, Ishiguro uses a non-chronological narrative structure, as well as
the allegorical motoring trip in The Remains of the Day, to create a complex,
multi-layered exploration of memory, identity and human experience in a
historical time and place. The juxtaposition of past and present is continuously
accomplished through the physical journey, providing a subtle presentation of a
man who is coming to terms with the "remains" of his day, as well as the regrets
and missed opportunities he hides behind his impeccable professional
competence.
Imagery and Symbolism: The Poetic Landscape of Memory and Class
In Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day, imagery and symbols are tightly
woven into the fabric of the text, which creates a poetic landscape that reflects
upon memory and class, and the dusk of a particular English age. With the
central symbol of Darlington Hall, the lyrical depictions of the English
countryside, and the repetitive symbolic objects and instances, Ishiguro travels
through the inner life of his protagonist, Stevens, and the general socio-historical
transformations of the mid-20th century.
Darlington Hall is the novel's commanding central symbol for the glory and
the eventual decline of the English aristocracy and the class-oriented social
hierarchy to which Stevens has entrusted his life in service. Its imposing
structure and expansive grounds initially represent a sphere of fixity, tradition,
and supposed "greatness" (Vincent). Stevens's identity is wrapped up in the
house; it is the universe in which he has striven to achieve professional
perfection and a sense of function (Vincent).
The interior of Darlington Hall are sites of memory and tangible reflections
of Stevens's meticulous devotion, more often than not to the degree of
obsession. The constant polishing of the silver, for instance, is not only a
domestic task but a ritual that underscores Stevens's unwavering commitment
to maintaining the facade of dignity and order even when the foundations of that
order begin to collapse (Inverarity). These details, irrelevant as they may
otherwise be, assume significance, representing the lofty standards Stevens sets
for himself and his staff in allegiance to his conception of a "great" house and
master. According to one scholarly interpretation, Stevens's preoccupation with
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the physical care of the house, including the silver, can be interpreted as an
attempt to exercise control and demonstrate worth within the narrow
framework of his social role (Inverarity).Nevertheless, the novel also quietly
depicts the possibility that Darlington Hall, along with its owner (Lord
Darlington) and an entire aristocratic system, may partake in ethical
compromise.
The house's eventual sale to an American, Mr. Farraday, stands as a
metaphor referring to an evolution in world power and the irrelevance of the old
English establishment (Drag, as cited in ResearchGate). The glory the house has
lost, combined with the fact it now employs on a reduced scale, echoes the
reduced state of the house compared to the world it represented
(ResearchGate).The decline is not only physical but also symbolic of Lord
Darlington's lost reputation and the compromised ideals Stevens served so
obediently.
The descriptions of the English countryside that punctuate Stevens's
journey through the West Country offer a contrasting, and largely idealized,
vision that is inseparable from notions of Englishness. Stevens himself
frequently compliments the subdued, subtle beauty of the countryside, linking it
to a supposed inherent "greatness" that he also sees in the ideal butler
(LitCharts). This idealization of the landscape helps to reinforce a nostalgic and
perhaps insular view of England, one that undergirds the very social hierarchy
that is undergoing radical change. The landscape is made into a character in
itself, reflecting Stevens's inner life and his attempts to come to terms with his
past and the present (LitCharts).
The use of light and weather is particularly poetic in evoking mood,
nostalgia, and the theme of diminishing time and opportunity. The theme of the
"remains of the day," often associated with the late afternoon light, is central to
this. This imagery evokes a sense of there being beauty in the dying light, but
also one that is heavy with the melancholy of time past and opportunities lost.
The journey itself takes place in the "evening" of Stevens's life and career, and
the changing light is comparable to his reflecting on a receding past (Kelly
Browne Fernández). Weather, too, can represent emotional states or
foreshadow events, assisting in the establishment of the novel's overall elegiac
mood (Bartleby). The gentle, even elegiac, beauty of the English landscape,
illuminated by the soft light of evening, provides a poignant backdrop for
Stevens's introspective sojourn and his growing acknowledgment of the
"remains" of his own life.
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Besides the larger symbols of house and landscape, Ishiguro employs
smaller, recurring images and moments as poetic motifs that reveal greater
depths of character and theme. The silver polishing, as outlined above, is also
more than a chore; it is a testament to Stevens's fastidious dedication to his
work and his allegiance to a rigorous code of conduct that seems to override
personal feeling (Inverarity). It is a physical manifestation of his commitment to
maintaining the appearance of perfection. Stevens's few references to reading
romance novels, seemingly a minor detail, may be interpreted as a discreet
metaphor for his repressed longings and his vicarious access to emotional lives
unavailable in his own strictly disciplined life.
This quiet, private activity implies a desire for connection and emotional
life denied by his professional function. Although not fully explored in the
provided search results, this data gives an understanding of Stevens's hidden
characteristics, suggesting a contradiction between his outward demeanour and
his internal, perhaps unaware, passion (EBSCO Research Starters refers to his
internal struggle with feelings). Some of the dialogue exchanges, particularly
with Miss Kenton, are charged with unspoken meaning and are motifs of
miscommunication imposed by social conventions and Stevens's emotional
restraint.
Their inability to freely declare their feelings for each other, often masked
by the proprieties of professional relationship or concealed behind a veil of
ostensibly practical discussion, operates to highlight the human cost of the strict
social stratification and of Stevens's own unwavering commitment to his butler
profession (ResearchGate, "Loss In Kazuo Ishiguro's Novel The Remains Of The
Day"). These near-confessions or missed opportunities function to underscore
the tragedy of their relationship and the profundity of their loss to a
commitment of perceived obligation rather than personal joy. The absence of
dialogue, by extension, then, comes to represent the emotional chasm wrought
by their environment and their own internal defenses.
Ishiguro's masterful use of imagery and symbolism in The Remains of the
Day transforms the novel's physical world into a rich tapestry of meaning.
Darlington Hall symbolizes the social and historical environment, its condition
mirroring the fate of the English aristocracy. The English countryside provides
an idyllic backdrop that reinforces themes of national identity and the passage of
time. Finally, recurring objects and the dynamics of dialogue are also moving
motifs, tracing the complexities of duty, repressed emotion, and the profound
impact of social constraints on human lives. With these intersecting symbols,
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Ishiguro composes a richly evocative and insightful examination of memory,
class, and the "remains" of a life lived in unyielding, but maybe ill-fated, duty.
Conclusion
Kazuo Ishiguro's book is far more than a simple narrative; it is a skillfully
crafted poetic analysis of the way in which individual memory is largely
determined and constricted by social influences.The essay has illustrated how
Stevens' unique narrative voice, defined by its formal register, intrinsic
unreliability, and intentional understatements and ellipses, behaves as a
multilayered "social armor", revelations of being lived in the narrow confines of
professional propriety and repressed feelings. In addition, structurally the
poetics of the novel, particularly the non-chronological sequencing of past and
present and the metaphor of a journey, examined the discontinuous nature of
memory, while underscoring the inevitable passage of time and social change.
The review of the key symbols and imagery, from Darlington Hall's
crumbling grandeur to the idealized English pastoral and repeating motifs such
as polishing silver, demonstrates how imagery and symbolism convey the
novel's themes of class, duty, loss, and the end of the age. Last, the pervasive
elegiac tone, woven throughout the language and narrative form, snares the
overwhelming feeling of sadness, nostalgia, and regret that marks Stevens's
glance backward over a life shaped by implacable loyalty and lost personal
opportunity. The Remains of the Day, in Ishiguro's masterful deployment of
these poetic devices, is a compelling and moving testimony to the complex
dynamic between individual consciousness and the crushing force of social
influence, revealing the poignant "remains" of a life and a world undergoing
transformation.
References:
1.
Arcak, S. (n.d.). “forever looking back”: memory and unreliability in kazuo
ishiguro's the remains of the day. Başkent University Journal. Retrieved from
http://bas.journals.uvt.ro/wp-content/uploads/DOI-10.35923-BAS.29.06-p61-
68.pdf
2.
Booker Prizes. (n.d.). How The Remains of the Day changed the way I think
about England. Retrieved from https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-
library/features/how-the-remains-of-the-day-changed-the-way-i-think-about-
england
3.
DiVA portal. (n.d.). A New Original - The Adaptation of The Remains of the
Day. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:174369/fulltext01.pdf
