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Definition of Motif
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the central themes of a book... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of related symbols, help develop the... read full definition
A motif is an element or idea that recurs throughout a work of literature. Motifs, which are often collections of... read full definition
Day Two: Morning
Explanation and Analysis—Sunlight and Shadows:
In Day Two: Morning, as a result of Miss Kenton's letter, Stevens reflects on the memory of his father's illness and demotion. He brings the reader vividly into the flashback with visual imagery that especially focuses on sunlight and shadows.
I can recall distinctly climbing to the second landing and seeing before me a series of orange shafts from the sunset breaking the gloom of the corridor where each bedroom door stood ajar. And as I made my way past those bedrooms, I had seen through a doorway Miss Kenton’s figure, silhouetted against a window, turn and call softly: ‘Mr Stevens, if you have a moment.’ As I entered, Miss Kenton had turned back to the window. Down below, the shadows of the poplars were falling across the lawn.
First, note that it's evening, a time of day with significant symbolic implications throughout the novel. Although those implications aren't drawn out until the book's conclusion, readers can nevertheless connect the final scene of the novel to earlier scenes. Ishiguro emphasizes the time of day by describing the long shadows, the orange light, and the darkness throughout the rest of the house. Perhaps the reason it's evening here—besides that time of day generating beautiful imagery—is because Stevens's father is coming to the end of his career. He may or may not know this, and he might try to prevent it, but this end will happen all the same.
Readers might also notice the times when Stevens sees Miss Kenton not clearly or entirely, but instead as a silhouette, a figure, or a shadow. He also sometimes only knows Miss Kenton is present somewhere because of a light on in her room, or because of her footsteps. Reasonable readers could differ on the significance of this, or whether it has significance at all. Plausible interpretations might link this motif to Stevens's unwillingness to form a closer connection with the housekeeper.
Related Themes:
