Summary of The Remains of the Day (1989) by Kazuo Ishiguro,

Summary of The Remains of the Day (1989) by Kazuo Ishiguro, which won the Booker Prize the same year.

It is a deeply moving and subtle novel about memory, duty, and lost opportunities — told through the quiet, restrained voice of an English butler.

📘 Overview

Protagonist: Mr. Stevens, an aging English butler.

Setting: Post–World War II England, mainly at Darlington Hall, a grand English estate.

Narrative Style: First-person, reflective narration — Stevens recounts his life during a road trip in the 1950s.

🧳 Plot Summary

1. The Journey Begins

The story takes place in 1956.

Mr. Stevens, the long-time butler of Darlington Hall, decides to take a road trip across the English countryside in his new employer’s car. His current employer is Mr. Farraday, an American gentleman who encourages him to take a short holiday.

Stevens plans to visit Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn), the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall, whom he hasn’t seen for about 20 years. He hopes to persuade her to return to work — though deep down, he also feels unresolved emotions toward her.

As Stevens drives, he reflects on his past years of service under Lord Darlington, a nobleman who hosted important political gatherings between the two World Wars.

Stevens takes immense pride in professional dignity, believing that a great butler must serve with perfect composure and loyalty — never showing personal emotion, no matter the circumstance.

Through his memories, we learn about:

Miss Kenton’s arrival: She was efficient and spirited, often challenging Stevens’s strict professionalism.

Their unspoken affection: Miss Kenton sometimes tried to draw out Stevens’s feelings, but he always responded with cold formality, choosing duty over love.

Lord Darlington’s political involvement: He sympathized with Germany after World War I and tried to arrange meetings between British and Nazi officials — decisions that later ruined his reputation.

3. Tragedy and Regret

Stevens’s devotion to Lord Darlington blinds him to moral and emotional truths:

He dismisses two Jewish maids on Lord Darlington’s orders, though he feels uneasy about it.

During his father’s deathbed, Stevens continues serving guests instead of being with him, believing that “duty must come first.”

Later, after World War II, Lord Darlington dies disgraced, his reputation destroyed for supporting Nazi sympathizers.

Stevens, however, continues to defend his former master — though it becomes clear he secretly doubts the worth of his loyalty.

4. The Meeting with Miss Kenton

When Stevens finally meets Miss Kenton (now Mrs. Benn), they reminisce about the old days.

She confesses that she sometimes wondered what her life would have been like if she had stayed at Darlington Hall — a subtle hint that she once loved him.

However, she also admits that she has made peace with her life and will return to her husband.

Stevens realizes too late that he loved Miss Kenton but repressed his feelings in the name of dignity and duty.

5. The Ending

In the final scene, Stevens sits alone on a seaside bench, reflecting on his life as the day ends — a metaphor for the “remains of his day.”

He finally accepts that much of his life was wasted in blind service and emotional restraint.

Yet, he resolves to learn how to “banter,” as his new American employer likes to do — a small but touching sign that he hopes to reclaim some warmth and humanity in his remaining years.

💡 Themes

Duty vs. Emotion: Stevens sacrifices personal happiness for professional duty.

Repression and Regret: The novel explores how emotional control can lead to loneliness.

Memory and Self-Deception: Stevens’s reflections reveal how people reshape memories to protect themselves from guilt.

Decline of the British Aristocracy: The fall of Darlington Hall mirrors the fading of traditional class structures in post-war Britain.

🌅 Symbolism

The Journey: Represents self-discovery and reflection on one’s past.

The Evening/“Remains of the Day”: Symbolizes aging, lost time, and the final stage of life.

Darlington Hall: A symbol of the old world — grandeur, order, and moral blindness.

💬 Famous Quote

“What is the point in worrying oneself too much about what one could or could not have done to control the course one’s life took? Surely it is enough that the day has been spent productively?”