A Room With A View and The Remains of the Day Essay Example

a flashback structure, covering events throughout 30 years, yet taking place within just six days.

The notion of a six-day time scale in "The Remains of the Day" is reminiscent of how God created man in six days, thereby establishing a link to the bible. Stevens also discovers himself in six days, although he may not realize it as much as the reader does. Additionally, the use of "The" in the title indicates that the story is specific. Both Lucy from "A Room With A View" and Stevens from "The Remains of the Day" experience repression due to their respective social classes. A critic argues that Stevens has led a limited and rigid life in pursuit of an idealized objective, only to come to terms with the truth that his employer was not as virtuous as he had thought. While Stevens is from the working class, he serves an esteemed family and is restrained primarily by his own professionalism, which prevents him from pursuing his heartfelt desires, particularly for the woman he secretly loves.

In the year '1908', being part of the middle class meant adhering to the highly respected class ideology. Going against it was considered unheard of. Forster possibly wrote this story from a homosexual perspective, portraying his own repression and desire to break away from societal norms. Lucy finds herself in a moral predicament as she must decide whether to follow the path instructed by her class and marry Cecil Vyse, to whom she has already said yes, or to break it off and marry George Emerson. Lucy's mother deems George Emerson an unacceptable husband, adding to her dilemma. This inner turmoil holds

Lucy back from expressing her true feelings for George. Similarly, Stevens, who is employed at Darlington Hall, appears to be confined there.

At a young age, he began his tenure there and has remained as head butler for most of his life, even in old age. Miss Kenton observes that his room reflects his mental state, describing it as "dark and cold."

The walls bear evidence of dampness and the overall appearance lacks color, depicting a gloomy and loveless existence for the protagonist, not just with regards to Miss Kenton but also his father.

Despite the affection shown, the reason for not accepting it is due to a high level of professionalism. Miss Kenton attempts to liven up Stevens' room by bringing flowers and commenting on the lack of sunlight. However, he rejects both the flowers and her, symbolically at the same time.

Miss Kenton's closeness to his mind is unsettling for Stevens, who dislikes change. Like a room that has been invaded, Miss Kenton's presence in Stevens' mind feels like an intrusion. His discomfort drives him to revert to professional talk and criticize her for a non-existent problem. Although Miss Kenton's presence symbolizes the introduction of life and love into Stevens' life, he rejects it because of his professional disposition. In a similar vein, Lucy's experiences in various places offer insight into her character. In Florence, Charlotte's embrace is described as a suffocating fog enveloping and confusing Lucy, symbolic of Charlotte's repression of Lucy.

In this case, a fog refers to a state of confusion or unclear thinking or emotions. Lucy experiences this when she cannot think the way she wants to

due to external influences. To free herself from this mental and emotional fog, Lucy instinctively opens her room window and breathes in the fresh air, symbolically ridding herself of Charlotte's views and repression. This act represents the beginning of Lucy's freedom and ability to form her own opinions. The cycle of this symbolism repeats as the story ends with Lucy and George having a view of Italy.

Opening the window, the protagonist gains a new perspective and starts to form her own opinions. She reflects on the impact of an elderly gentleman who helped her see, a crucial moment that foreshadows his role in convincing her to embrace her love for George. Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day" features Stevens the butler, whose misguided quest for strength centers on achieving "dignity in keeping with his position." His tunnel vision toward this goal blinds him to all else, shaping his singular existence.

In "A Room with a View", Lucy strives for approval, but she knows she will never attain it. She desires her own approval of her situation and seeks approval from those around her. However, her people-pleasing nature causes dissatisfaction and represses her. She breaks free from this repression by doing what pleases herself and ignoring others' opinions. Stevens, on the other hand, tries to express his feelings for Miss Kenton, but it proves too late as she returns to her husband. He resigns himself to working alone at Darlington for the remainder of his days.

Lucy's character development from a naive and feeble individual with opinions influenced by others to someone strong and capable of independent thinking is demonstrated by her breaking

the causal chain of unhappiness. Miss Bartlett once repressed Lucy, but now she is capable of speaking for herself. The sparks of rebellion and thinking for oneself can be seen from the start of the novel when Lucy wonders whether acceptance could have been less delicate and more beautiful. George helps Lucy realize her true feelings and opinions, symbolically opening up her mind to the world by carrying her to the window to see the view. Language reveals Stevens's repression.

In The Remains of the Day, Stevens' self-subjugation is influenced by his discourse and language. According to critic Irene Tung, Stevens embodies the colonial and postcolonial subject as he assimilates and acculturates through his use of upper class English required for his job. Despite referring to a "good accent and command of language" as superficial, Stevens considers them necessary for true dignity, which he associates with emotional detachment. Thus, Stevens' relationship with language is intertwined with his incapacity to express emotions.

The man's job is suppressing his ability to express his romantic sentiments to Miss Kenton, causing him to be unable to show his true feelings towards her.