Stevens The Remains Of The Day

The initial impression Stevens in The Remains of the Day is that of an emotionless instrument of his master lacking the ability to make decisions or even feel emotions for himself. This image evolves as Stevens reminisces about his life-long career as a butler; as the initial image of an emotionless and servile Stevens is broken down, it becomes less clear for the reader whether or not Stevens’ role as a butler truly accomplished anything worthwhile. For Stevens, life is regulated by standards he believes all butlers should follow. However, it is questionable whether Stevens successfully follows these standards. One of the main criteria Stevens specifies for a “great butler” is the “moral status of an employer… furthering the progress …show more content…
This demonstrates Stevens’ belief that the people he serves are in a level above the average person, which he claims entitles them to a monopoly on government affairs. Darlington has demonstrated that the wealthy aren’t necessarily the most well qualified to lead a nation and without someone to oppose the wealthy, decisions such as supporting Nazi Germany would go unquestioned. To Stevens the idea of common man participating in government affairs is so foreign that he ridicules members of a village where people think it is important to have an opinion on politics. Stevens perceives a politically active member of the village a “comic figure” (209). Upon hearing this, Dr. Carlisle, a man whose stature is admired in his village, gives a defensive response, “‘Hmm, That’s taking it a little too far, I’d say. People do have a political conscience of sorts here…they’re no different from people anywhere’” (209). To Dr. Carlisle, the “political conscience” of the village isn’t odd but instead reflects what many people in Britain possess, a desire for a voice. In contrast, Stevens