Characters in The Remains of The Day
- James Stevens (Mr Stevens) – the narrator, an English butler who serves at Darlington Hall. He is a devoted butler with high standards and particularly concerned with "dignity"
- Miss Kenton – housekeeper at Darlington Hall, afterwards married as Mrs Benn
- Lord Darlington – the owner of Darlington Hall, whose failed efforts toward talks between English and German diplomats caused his political and social decline
- William Stevens (Mr Stevens senior) – the 75-year-old father of butler Stevens (the narrator), serving as under-butler; Stevens senior suffers a severe stroke during a conference at Darlington Hall. His son was divided between serving and helping.
- Senator Lewis – An American senator who criticizes Lord Darlington as being an "amateur" in politics.
- Mr Farraday – the new American employer of Stevens
- Young Mr Cardinal – a journalist; he is the son of one of Lord Darlington's closest friends and is killed in Belgium during the Second World War
- Dupont – a high-ranking French politician who attends Darlington's conference
On his motoring trip, Stevens briefly comes into contact with several other characters. They are mirrors to Stevens and show the reader different facets of his character; they are also all kind and try to help him. Two in particular, Dr. Carlisle and Harry Smith, highlight themes in the book.
Read more about this topic: The Remains Of The Day
Famous quotes containing the words characters in, characters and/or remains:
“Philosophy is written in this grand book—I mean the universe—
which stands continually open to our gaze, but it cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and interpret the characters in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures, without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.”
—Galileo Galilei (1564–1642)
“There are as many characters in men
As there are shapes in nature.”
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)
“Let me obtain forgiveness of thee, Samson,
Afford me place to shew what recompence
Towards thee I intend for what I have misdone,
Misguided; only what remains past cure
Bear not too sensibly, nor still insist
To afflict thy self in vain: though sight be lost,
Life yet hath many solaces, enjoy’d
Where other senses want not their delights
At home in leisure and domestic ease,”
—John Milton (1608–1674)