Remains of the Day Literary Commentary

"I had rarely had reason to enter my father's room prior to this occasion and I was newly struck by the smallness and starkness of it. Indeed, I recall the impression at the time was of having stepped into a prison cell, but then this might have had as much to do with the pale early light as with the size of the room or the bareness of its walls. For my father had opened his curtains and was sitting, shaved and in full uniform, on the edge of his bed from where evidently he had been watching the sky turn to dawn. At least one assumed he had been watching the sky, there being little else to view from his small window other than roof-tiles and guttering." page 64

This passage has a lot of imagery, and through the imagery, the author highlights the tone of the room and the position that Stevens is in. Stevens describes the feel of the room to basically be dismal, like a prison sell, which he uses the simile to visualize it. It connects to the tone of the part of the book because his father is sick, and he is about to die. It is sad for both him and the room reflects his feelings. The other negative about this statement is that he talks about how there is little to watch besides the sky, which is a depressing thought.

Stevens then goes on to explain how his father is in his room staring out the window, which is also weird to see because as butlers, they are always doing things. The other thing that helps show that it is a strange situation, is the fact that Stevens says he is rarely ever in his father's room. This furthers the point that this is quite an uncommon event. It would be reasonable to assume that it is uncomfortable for both him and his father, knowing that Stevens has expressed that he does not like change very much at all, nor does he adapt quickly to new things.