Examine how Ishiguro presents the character of Stevens in the opening part of the novel (up to p45)
During the opening of The Remains of the Day, Ishiguro presents the character of Stevens through a first person narrative. Readers are presented with a character that is often quite pretentious, putting on a façade in order to present himself as a “great” butler. Through the first person narrative Ishiguro lets the character gradually reveal himself to the readers and in doing so, lets Stevens show his absurdities to the reader himself. In the opening of the novel, Ishiguro shows the readers how absorbed Stevens is with his profession as a butler, believing it to be the most important profession in the world. Also within the introduction of the novel, Ishiguro presents the readers with Stevens’s feelings of nostalgia through the retrospective structure of the novel.
From the very beginning of the novel it is clear to the readers that Stevens is a very reserved and formal character. The language he uses is very precise and correct. Although the novel starts with a proposition from Mr Farraday that is quite unconventional, the way in which Stevens reacts to the idea of a trip shows him to be a very conventional character to the readers. Stevens does not want to seem “presumptuous.” Ishiguro presents the readers with a character that wants to behave in the conventional manner, in a way that is most acceptable in society. By making Stevens reveal himself in this way, Ishiguro is also showing the readers that Stevens will do anything to be the perfect employee, even if it means not being himself. Throughout the opening part of the novel, there are often suggestions Stevens is not being himself in order to please his employer. Ishiguro shows the readers that Stevens does not have particularly good social skills, perhaps as Mr Farraday suggests very early in the novel because Stevens is always “locked up” in Darlington Hall. Yet Stevens still strives to be the best butler he can possibly be for Mr Farraday, which is emphasised through his attempts to “banter” with his employer. Stevens believes that it is “good professional service that an employee provide some entertaining banter.” By including Steven’s joke about gypsies Ishiguro shows the readers that Stevens is socially inept yet also Ishiguro illustrates how Stevens is willing to put on a façade and act in a way that he in uncomfortable with in order to please his employer. Stevens’s desperation to be the best butler he can be is also emphasised here because he actually believes he can teach himself to be funny, yet it is an intuition to know whether or not to make a joke.
