In this last scene between Mr. Stevens and Miss Kenton, Mr. Stevens makes an act of sacrifice to protect the happiness and stability of Miss Kentons life. In the process of doing so, he abandons his last remaining hope of ever achieving a fulfilling and wholesome life. Unable and too late to express the feelings he has bottled up within him behind his prim faade, Mr. Stevens must forever carry the weight of his regrets until the day he dies. He will never be able to fill the holes in his heart and be content with his life, destined to live out the remains of his days gloomily. Kazuo Ishiguros novel is a poignant story of human regret.
Ever since the end of Lord Darlingtons days, Mr. Stevens has been looking forward for this very confrontation between Miss Kenton and him and in it he has invested all his hopes of any optimistic future. Since her departure, Mr. Stevens has been in disarray, haunted by feelings of longing and regret; he has lost Lord Darlington, his father, and Miss Kenton. This is visibly conveyed in his statement "there was surely nothing to indicate at the time that such evidently small incidents would render whole dreams forever irredeemable" (Ishiguro 179).
Early on, Mr. Stevens discusses the qualities that make up a great butler and arrives at the conclusion that dignity is the key ingredient. He adheres to the strict belief that dignity is the ability to not abandon the professional being one inhabits. This, he takes to heart only too well and it is precisely this thought process that leaves him denying his own personal feelings and beliefs. So obsessed is he with the pursuit of dignity that he never achieves any true intimacy with another person. This act prompts Miss Kenton to ask, "Why, Mr. Stevens, why, why, why do you always have to pretend?" (Ishiguro 154) Though he tries hard to conceal it under a mask of duty, Mr. Stevens harbors restrained feelings of love for Miss Kenton. He attempts to deny himself of any such feelings however as realizing this would jeopardize his long sought dignity. It is not until the end of the novel that he finally acknowledges the fact that he does indeed love her, and even then not ever directly to the audience.
The light drizzle of the rain during this scene seems to act as a foil for the turmoil taking place quietly in Mr. Stevens heart, contrasting with the heaviness of a lifetime of anxieties. It symbolizes regret, remorse, and acknowledgement. As they wait for the bus underneath the shelter, Mr. Stevens is noticeably troubled and anxious to get to the bottom of the matter. Though there is only one thing on his mind, he tries to divert his attention and disperse the awkwardness by maintaining a distance from Miss Kenton both physically and mentally as he tries to seem genuinely occupied by the task of watching for the bus. He is like the shelter whom he describes initially though he appears very sturdy on the external appearance, he is exposed and vulnerable with the inside of his heart peeling away.
From the letters that he had received from Miss Kenton, Mr. Stevens had inferred that her marriage was falling apart and that she was feeling regretful and miserable over lost opportunities. Ironically, this description may perhaps better suit himself. He claims that her letters contain distinct hints of a desire to return to Darlington Hall as an employee, but this may very well be just a reflection and manifestation of his inner desires and what he truly wishes to be true. He again however, does not grant himself this recognition. Doing so after all would damage his dignity and essentially mean that his mindset was wrong all along. It would be the acknowledgement that he has wasted several years of his life that he will never get back and that he has thrown away once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for naught; he would lose the justification of his life. Of this he is deeply afraid of and thus cannot dare to admit or come to terms with. Thus, he continues to cling to his disillusioned world.
When he tells Miss Kenton that it is too late to turn back the clock, (Ishiguro 239) he is giving advice that he too could benefit from. Mr. Stevens is frozen in time. He is unable to move along and remains grounded in Lord Darlingtons time. Despite Lord Darlingtons misguided sympathy for the Nazis and his resulting downfall, he convinces himself that it was not Darlingtons fault and maintains that he was a great man. Mr. Stevens placed his absolute trust and devotion in the man, and any doubt that surfaced from his mind about him he considered a blemish to his dignity. Mr. Stevens states that only misguided butlers would constantly question the motives and beliefs of their employers and is adamant in the belief that butlers who attempt to form their own strong opinions lack loyalty. What will save Mr. Stevens is the reassurance of having done his job as a butler correctly and thus he clings to his illusions.
Throughout the course of the novel however, Mr. Stevens lies not once, but thrice to inquiring people regarding the matter as to whether he knew or served Lord Darlington. When asked by Mrs. Wakefield if he knew the man, Mr. Stevens simply replies, I didnt, madam, no (Ishiguro 123). He claims that he does so as to avoid unpleasantness, which arouses suspicion. If he truly had no doubts about the nature of Lord Darlington, would he not then speak the truth and take every opportunity to defend his name? That he is ashamed or unwilling to reveal his connection to his former employer suggests that he does indeed have doubts of his own, doubts which he will not admit.
In this blind faith and loyalty, he fails to pursue his only desire and with great effort he deceives himself by believing that he has been very content to have served Lord Darlington. Likewise, as his father grows old and is no longer able to uphold the ideal of the perfect butler, he remains grounded in self-denial. Mr. Stevens is greatly influenced by his father and constantly speaks of him as if he were the epitome of dignity. This same reaction is elicited by the little mistakes that he begins to make in the manor as he grows old. Of this he makes the excuse that he has not large enough a staff, and it is this excuse that forms the basis which prompts him to make the journey to recruit Miss Kenton.
When Miss Kenton reveals her love for Mr. Stevens, we see Mr. Stevens mask slip momentarily for the first time. All the raw emotion that has been compressed and ensconced within him spills through a crack in his faade. at that moment, my heart was breaking (Ishiguro 239). From a character that has shown practically no sign of any emotion throughout the novel, this is an eye-opening revelation. He is immediately confronted with a life changing decision to reveal or not to reveal his love and longing for Miss Kenton. That he does not respond immediately is an indication of his hesitation and insecurity. Everything has come down all just for this moment. It could all change with the drop of a hat.
Miss Kentons return is the only thing that can fix everything and allay his doubts. Mr. Stevens could stop the endless replay of memories in his head and stop doubting his past actions and choices. He could recapture a past that would be otherwise irretrievably lost. But in the end, he decides to let go. She is no longer the Miss Kenton of Darlington Hall, but Mrs. Benn, a wife, a mother, and soon, a grandmother. Doubt is piled upon doubt so that by the end of the story, the depth of Mr. Stevens regret and remorse is revealed with much effect. He has lost Lord Darlington, the justification of his life, his father, Miss Kenton, and finally all hope of convincing Miss Kenton to ever return to Darlington Hall. He has given up the remedy to his daunting nightmare.
As they part ways, they must each move along in their lives. Every moment and event is like a bus stop. You stop for but a moment and continue along towards your final destination. Once the bus has been set in motion, it will not stop again for you. Having been freed of her burden and restraint by Mr. Stevens, Miss Kenton can now fully pursue her happiness and Mr. Stevens, with his mask no more and instead replaced by true dignity, will focus on pleasing his new lord. The entire narrative is a reexamination of the memories of his life, and by the end of the novel Mr. Stevens is finally able to come to terms with himself and don the dignity of the ideal butler he has aspired to achieve.
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