SerranoNotes+-+Remains+of+the+Day+-+Themes


 * Themes: A brief explanation of the major topics and conflicts in the plot**

The following subtopics are the most important toeholds of criticism in The Remains of the Day:

- Dignity and Duty: The different characters approach their professional lives and how the word “professional” gets used, positively and negatively. A lot of scenes show what duty and dignity means to the characters (for example the situation, when Stevens father stops the car, to defend his master.). Stevens’ ideal of professionalism cannot be combined with his private happiness.

- Denial: During and between the flashbacks, Stevens (although he is the narrator) presents facts in the way he would like them have been. Finally he met with Mrs. Benn, to catch up, what they did not do because of his pursuit of being a perfect butler and his insularity. However, they met, but the reader does not get the wished happy end, because he is not couraged enough to start a new life with his great love, although he realized doing the same, irreparable mistake in his life a second time.

- Sacrifice: In association with denial, there is certain sense of sacrifice. Again, it is Steven’s fanatic wish to be a perfect and faultless servant that leads him into the biggest sacrifice he made: not recognizing Ms. Kenton’s love-sings, and therefore becoming happy with the love of his life. Miss Kenton and later Mrs. Benn is wasting over 20 years with being together with a man, whom she does not love, because she could not make clear to Mr. Stevens, how intense her love to him was.