A Study Of Narrative Ethics In The Remains Of The Day

Kazuo Ishiguro is a great Japanese British novelist who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017.Among his works,The Remains of the Day,a novel about an old butler Stevens recalling his past years serving in Dalington Hall,draws great attention in academic circles.In light of James Phelan's theories of narrative ethics,this thesis attempts to explore features of narrative ethics in The Remains of the Day.Via analyzing characters,events,and progression of the novel,the thesis argues that the author,also serving as a sympathetic reader,makes ethical judgments throughout the novel.Based on a thorough study of these ethical judgments,the thesis concludes that Ishiguro,by weaving ethical judgments into narrative,not only establishes an ethical communication among the author,the character,and the reader but also uses these judgments to enlighten his readers ethically.