"I always considered it my duty to develop a good accent and command of language" Stevens' Language in 'The Remains of the Day.'

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Tutor; John Roe.        Claire Newburn.

“I always considered it my duty to develop a good accent and command of language” Stevens’ Language in ‘The Remains of the Day.’

Language is immensely important, by listening to a person speak just a few words we assume a great deal about their economic and social background assigning them a stereotype and life. In ‘The Remains of the day’ we are presented with a first person narrative of Stevens an old English Butler quite archaic for his time. His language is adopted and his mannerisms reflect that of the Victorian society from which his language was formed. Stevens’ use of language is vital in the story as the narrator his unreliable and self deluding, as readers we see this early on in the novel and learn to look for subtle hints from the narration as to what is happening. We analyse Stevens’ language in order to extract truth and reason in his narrative. In order for us to understand the novel we find ourselves playing psychiatrist, with Stevens lying on our couch we examine his narration, his language, and his mannerisms and try to offer explanations for his actions. I think Stevens' language is extremely important in understanding his character, as it is self-styled and conscious, therefore he uses this language for a reason however, the unconscious and social effects it has on Stevens carry equal importance when summarizing his character.

People often adopt a different style of speaking when expressing a certain viewpoint; by way of stereotype we affix a certain ideology with a certain type of language. This is called Style-shifting. Most commonly people living on the Lower-middle class/Upper-Working class borderline of society use it due to being in constant contact with people in higher and lower social groups than themselves. In order to integrate and conduct business with people either side, style-shifting is used, whereby people adopt the language from the group of the person they are addressing. (Suzanne Romaine)

Stevens Style-shifts throughout the novel adopting the language of the Upper-class Victorian era. However language plays a crucial role in the transmission of culture and carries this culture’s ideology and values within it. Every Language is representative of the society and culture it belongs to, and carries that society’s ideology. For example the terms upper-class lower-class in England. They assign people into social categories based on income and breed connotations that those with most money are better/above those with less and by using these terms ourselves we ascribe to this ideology, as people strive for a better income in order ‘to move up in the world’ we see this English colloquialism demonstrates the ideology running through society enforced by language that we move up to the upper-class by gaining more money. (Suzanne Romaine) Steven style-shifts in order to achieve his idea of Dignity, which he believes stems from serving your employer with the utmost of “professionalism” (Ishiguro) an idea that stems from the Victorian ideology Stevens also adopts when taking on the language.

This Victorian society was one in which the Church exorcised a considerable influence and had a great effect on the ideology of the time. The values of self-control and self-denial were shaped by both Evangelicalism and Utilitarianism Representing the ideals. (Dr. Nancy Fix Anderson) Both the Evangelical movement, concerned with salvation, and the Utilitarian movement, concerned with efficiency, valued self-control and self-denial; That one should at all times be in total control of oneself was of utmost importance to the Victorians. As Joseph Kidd, a Victorian journalist for the Contemporary Review said, "To be able to rule self and transmit to children an organization (Victorian England) accustomed to self-restraint and moderation in all things is one of the chief delights and aspirations to the moral nature of a true man." (Kidd) These churches operated the ideology of the hierarchy of life, which teaches the doctrine of elevation above their basic primitive instincts craved by the body to attain the goodness of the soul. This leads to the British ideology of detachment; stiff upper lip in the face of diversity to be detached from emotions is to be civilized and not primitive. The attitudes of the Victorian upper-class reflected this ideology of hierarchy, believing they were better capable of performing this emotional detachment than the ‘common man’ the ‘dark masses’ who needed to be ruled over by their social betters, for their own protection as due to their nature, they were unable to avoid their basic human instincts like the people of ‘better society and noble blood’ England was still a believer of Divine right to rule.  (Newman, Arnold, and Pater) With this information of Victorian beliefs Stevens becomes an easier character to analyse.

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Stevens sees himself as socially inferior to the noblemen, and feels he is only fit to serve them, though strives to attain the values they ‘exemplify’ of dignity and honour. Knowing however he cannot achieve them due to his social rank he believes the best way to achieve dignity for himself is by serving the great and noble men and allowing them to operate at the “hub of the world” the best they can, as he explains to Miss Kenton he will never be satisfied until Lord Darlington has accomplished all he wishes. In his language these values are ...

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