SerranoNotes+-+Remains+of+the+Day+-+Background

Background-Information – The remains of the Day

- Historical background of the preceded time-period

In the 20th century, there had been a lot of dramatic changes not only in geographical transitions of borders, but also a change in the cultural and economic domination of Europe over the other continents, because of the two World Wars.

After the relatively peaceful era “Belle Époque” the rivalry situation in Europe began to escalate and with this, the First World War started. The horrible bloodletting in the dugout took four years when the Treaty of Versailles finally could end the war in 1819. First, the treaty adopted Germany to be the alone culprit of the War, then it provided hard reparation payments and territorial assignation and finally the demilitarization of entire Germany except for a 100.000 men army.

During the time between the First and the Second World War, Adolf Hitler was building up his regime and the organization of his party. During this he built up an air force and re-militarized the area along the Rhein. With this, among other things he hurt the treaty, but the allies did not attend to their duty, to punish Germany for the violation. But instead, they pursued the appeasement politics what finally can be seen as an important factor that made the Second World War able to begin.

- Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954 and moved to Britain in 1960. Ishiguro attended the University of Kent at Canterbury and the University of East Anglia. All three of his novels have received critical acclaim – The Remains of the Day seems to be an exercise of self-justification. But besides the criticism, you will find some comedy parts, too. However, in all three of his books the protagonist looks back on his or her life, trying to assess the events that have shaped it. Characteristically, Ishiguro tells the story **The Remains of the Day** as a present time setting with back-flashes.

“What I'm interested in is not the actual fact that my characters have done things they later regret. I'm interested in how they come to terms with it [. . .] On the one hand there is a need for honesty, on the other hand a need to deceive themselves -- to preserve a sense of dignity, some sort of self-respect. What I want to suggest is that some sort of dignity and self-respect does come from that sort of honesty.” Ishiguro in the //New York Times Book Review// (October 8, 1989).