Critics Flashcards
Unreliable Narration
Kenny Johansson: There are thus instances, albeit unintentionally, reveals too much, consequently weakening and deconstructing the point he intends to make.’
‘verbal ticks’ Katherine wall
Social Class
Salman Rushdie: The Remains of the Day, in its quiet, almost stealthy way, demolishes the value system of the whole upstairs-downstairs
liminal figure, standing on the border between the worlds of “upstairs” and “downstairs”
Steven’s being used
Sam Jordison: allows himself to be used as a pawn in Hitler’s political games.
The type of story vs dance that Ish is taking us on
Sam Jordison: Ishiguro is leading us on an elegant but deliberately dizzying dance rather than a real emotional journey. - disagree it is a realistic emotional journey
defining feature of the butler’s personality.
Alfred A. Knopf: This pattern of simultaneous admission and denial, revelation and concealment, emerges as the defining feature of the butler’s personality.
Reflection of Britain’s society at the time
Alfred A. Knopf: eye on another myth-shrouded society, that of Britain in the last days of empire.
Ishiguro, the man himself
'’What I’m interested in is not the actual fact that my characters have done things they later regret.”
“What I want to suggest is that some sort of dignity and self-respect does come from that sort of honesty.’’
“Most of us are butlers.”
“When Stevens says that about the British landscape he is also saying something about himself. He thinks beauty and greatness lie in being able to be this kind of cold frozen butler…”
The read’s perspective
Cynthia F. Wong: The reader sees the protagonist’s grief only indirectly, in the words and actions of others’
Dignity
Guth: Ultimately, dignity is the capacity to accept indignity
Miss Kenton
Guth: a fascinating novel, both for what it says and for what it whispers…Stevens’ recollections of Miss Kenton are mainly… a series of clues.
Iyer
‘emotionally deaf’ Disagree
Ishiguro
‘tragically comic’
