The Loss of Reflection: The Distortion and Modern Enlightenment of Stevens’ Self-analysis in the Remains of the Day

Yuqing Jin

doi:10.54691/bcpssh.v15i.421

Authors

Yuqing Jin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/bcpssh.v15i.421

Keywords:

The Remains of the Day; Kazuo Ishiguro; Stevens; Reflection; Psychology; Ego.

Abstract

The psychological crisis of Stevens, the main character in Kazuo Ishiguro's novel The Remains of the Day, is rooted in the loss of self-will. Reflection is a kind of Self-analysis, but the method Stevens uses to alleviate his psychological problem is a distorted reflection mechanism. The accumulation of multiple ineffective reflections and the stimulation of a small number of effective reflections eventually lead to a highly subversive and effective reflection in terms of psychology and values. The paper aims to analyze the loss of Stevens' self-will from the perspective of Self-analysis distortion, based on which it tries to explore the relationship between the modern reflection and life fulfillment.

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