『남아 있는 나날』에 투영된 교양 담론과 “살지 않은 삶”: 매슈 아널드와 헨리 제임스로 읽는 집사의 이상과 한계 (Cultural Discourse and “Unlived Life” Reflected in The Remains of the Day: Examining Stevens’s Aspiration and Failure through Matthew Arnold and Henry James)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국근대영미소설학회
· 수록지 정보 : 근대영미소설 / 30권 / 1호 / 33 ~ 53페이지
· 저자명 : 노은미

초록

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel The Remains of the Day, Mr. Stevens, a long-time butler at an English country house, tells of his life in light of the professionalism and dignity that he struggled to maintain during his service to Lord Darlington. Critics have paid much attention to Stevens’s narrative, focusing on its ambiguities as well as the confusion the narrator himself seems to experience in relating his story. In particular, the narrative echoes Arnoldian discourse with regard to tradition and dignity. This paper begins with the premise that a Jamesian reading will shed light on the anxiety and confusion that the butler’s narrative betrays. Based on the idea that a ‘truth’ may lie beyond what is seen or told, the paper explores the butler’s relationship with Miss Kenton, which is rather trivialized on the surface. The scattered anecdotes concerning Miss Kenton suggest that Stevens’s anxiety should reside in the regrettable thought of “unlived life,” in the sense of futility that the relationship with Miss Kenton did not come to fruition. The self-knowledge the butler attains at the end of the novel, as poignant as it may be, offers a glimpse into Stevens’s internal agony.

영어초록

In Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel The Remains of the Day, Mr. Stevens, a long-time butler at an English country house, tells of his life in light of the professionalism and dignity that he struggled to maintain during his service to Lord Darlington. Critics have paid much attention to Stevens’s narrative, focusing on its ambiguities as well as the confusion the narrator himself seems to experience in relating his story. In particular, the narrative echoes Arnoldian discourse with regard to tradition and dignity. This paper begins with the premise that a Jamesian reading will shed light on the anxiety and confusion that the butler’s narrative betrays. Based on the idea that a ‘truth’ may lie beyond what is seen or told, the paper explores the butler’s relationship with Miss Kenton, which is rather trivialized on the surface. The scattered anecdotes concerning Miss Kenton suggest that Stevens’s anxiety should reside in the regrettable thought of “unlived life,” in the sense of futility that the relationship with Miss Kenton did not come to fruition. The self-knowledge the butler attains at the end of the novel, as poignant as it may be, offers a glimpse into Stevens’s internal agony.

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