Remains of the Day as a Postmodern Novel - 5345 Words

Postmodern literature has its many spokesmen. Many would agree that Kazuo Ishiguro is not the most typical representative of this somewhat anarchistic literary and social movement, but he is certainly one of its most subtle and valuable artists. He uses the principles of post modernistic writing in a very meaningful way, and only after a thorough analysis can one fully appreciate all carefully constructed and presented elements trough which he successfully delivers his story. Remains of the day, as a novel, is a unique example of how a story of a personal fate of one man can reflect on such large, historical and social scale. Above all other motifs, the one of history, especially personal, individual history is the idea that dominates all†¦show more content†¦The eclecticism of post modern culture reflects in the postmodern art. The identity of a subject also subdues to these tendencies. The previous, modernist attempts of making a literary subject a stable and realistic construct is replaced by characteristic lack of fixation, lack of concern about durability and persuasiveness. Literary subject becomes not only visibly artificial, but even fragmented. Stevens artificial behavior and unreliability of the story he is telling is obvious from the perspective of his lacking of personal moral perspective over the actions of his employer. The most obvious example is the incident of firing of the two Jewish maids, which is the clear hint to the reader that Stevens perspective of life in Darlington hall is distorted. When he needs to question his absolute attitudes of duty and professionalism- the tern he himself uses is dignity- he goes into extremes (death of his father) and refuses to face the reality. Mrs. Kenton, threatening to resign on account of that incident, makes no such mistake. The delaying to inform the reader about the important events (such as his conversation with Cardinal which is of a great importance to clarify the role of lord Darlington in the Nazi propaganda) This, again, shows his delusions and misplaced trust, and we must rely on the behavior of other characters rather than Stevens words. As Salman Rushdie comments, the story of Remains of the day, told by Stevens, isShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of Colson Whiteheads John Henry Days1515 Words   |  6 PagesThesis: Colson Whiteheads John Henry Days is a quintessentially postmodern novel because of its cynical tone, its confluence of imagery, and its treatment of social and existential alienation. I. When the protagonist first arrives in West Virginia, his sense of alienation and isolation become poignant: setting the stage for what is becoming a postmodern novel. 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