Why Stevens is a conceited, callous, idiot.

“the English landscape at its finest - such as I saw it this morning -

possesses a quality that the landscapes of other nations, however more superficially

dramatic, inevitably fail to possess. It is, I believe, a quality that will mark out the

English landscape to any objective observer as the most deeply satisfying in the

world, and this quality is probably best summed up by the term 'greatness'. For it is

true, when I stood on that high ledge this morning and viewed the land before me, I

distinctly felt that rare, yet unmistakable feeling - the feeling that one is in the

presence of greatness. We call this land of ours Great Britain, and there may be

those who believe this a somewhat immodest practice. Yet I would venture that the

landscape of our country alone would justify the use of this lofty adjective.” (Ishiguro 28)

This passage elucidates the narcissism of Stevens, and establishes what Stevens considers "great", a theme which is consistently raised throughout the work. The “Greatness” of the landscape is not defined by its splendor or magnificence, but by its modesty and humility. The land does not try to be flashy, instead, it holds itself with a dignity that, to Stevens, is the most valuable trait that anything can possess. His use of the words “superficially”, and its dichotomous partner, “deeply”, shed some light on why Stevens speaks so little and feels uncomfortable when Mr. Farraday banters with him. He believes Mr. Farraday’s outgoing nature, allegorized in the passage as “the landscapes of other nations”, to be unnecessary and undignified. He regards his own restraint in speech as a mark of greatness, just as the landscape of England is great. His character stands as a perfect personification of the landscape. He exercises tremendous restraint, and this very restraint provides a reason for Stevens to record his thoughts and emotions, and thusly give us the novel. If Stevens expressed his feelings more often, there would be very little reason for him to pen the work. This passage also shows the conceit and narrow-mindedness of Stevens. His use of absolutes, “inevitably”, “unmistakable”, “any objective observer”, show how unwilling to compromise his character is. He has a very defined standard by which he measures greatness — he refuses to concede to any other perspective. His indifference to spectacle and splendor also explains his seeming callousness in situations which, to most, would be incredibly emotional. This veil that Stevens casts over his sentiments is already developing into one of the most vital tenets of the book; indeed, the stories that he is telling are all reflecting on his own definition of greatness — the question that remains to be answered is: will Stevens regret the moments where he prioritized dignity over emotion?