Ayla
asked:
I'm currently listening to this and I am not sure if it was mentioned?. He talks about his father but I don't remember hearing about his mother and wonder what his relationship was like. He seems very efficient but he comes across as a man who is not able to express his feelings especially around MIss Kenton.
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The Remains of the Day,
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Thomas Jr.
That's a great observation, Ayla. Stevens's mother is conspicuous by her absence. Vanita is right about his father playing a key role in his life in lots of ways. I find it especially interesting how Stevens claims to respect his father a great deal (and lights into Miss Kenton for referring to him by his first name) but, at the same time, resents the older man's continuing assertiveness with him and also seems to pity his aging and decline. Stevens seems MUCH more comfortable standing up to his father than he ever does to his employers. But you're right. Mom's never there (except in the equally wonderful film version, where the father tells Stevens that she had an extramarital affair.) I think the fact Ishiguro never has his main character mention her 1) makes a general point about Steven's caring far more abut the powerful men in his life than about any women and 2) makes it very clear why he does such an awful job relating to Miss Kenton. "The birds and the bees" (part of a very funny but somewhat unlikely scene in the novel) may drive his interest in Miss Kenton, but, at base, he can't effectively give women the time of day. His mother was a cipher in his life and, sadly, he makes Miss Kenton the same, despite our knowing he really loves her.
Vanita
He is proud of the fact that he can ignore his own feelings, as an expression of those would not be adequate for a great butler. His father played an important part in Stevens becoming a butler and forming his ideal image of a great butler, and he serves to show how un-emotional Stevens reacts on the job. His mother is probably just not relevant to the story.
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Mar 06, 2018 07:25AM · flag
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