The Remains of the Day

The Remains of the Day Summary | Prologue, July 1956 Summary

The Remains of the Day is the story of an aging butler named Mr. Stevens who recalls his life of professional service and personal disappointment while employed at Darlington Hall in England for thirty years. As the novel begins, Stevens is debating whether or not to take a road trip while the master of the house, Mr. Farraday, is gone abroad for a few weeks. Mr. Farraday has suggested that Stevens might benefit from a little time away, but Stevens declines, citing his duties at Darlington. The topic has come up because Stevens received a letter from Miss Kenton, a former housekeeper at Darlington. Stevens believes she may want to return to employment at the grand house.

Miss Kenton married and has been away from Darlington for twenty years, but a recent divorce has left Miss Kenton with no future plans. She has written to Mr. Stevens about her personal dilemma. Stevens does not want to read too much into Miss Kenton's letter, but Darlington Hall is grossly understaffed now that Mr. Farraday is the new owner. Miss Kenton would find the present staff of four quite a change from the staff of eighteen employed at Darlington when she worked here last.

Stevens realizes that it is his job to develop the staffing plan for the great house, but Mr. Farraday, an American, does not want to invest the money into permanent staff. He prefers instead to hire day help to supplement. In his typical fastidious attention to detail, Stevens plots out his route for the trip and plans for his expenses for lodging and meals. He hopes to buy some new clothes before leaving. Stevens pays particular attention to Mrs. Jan Symon's book, The Wonder of England, which explains the best and most scenic routes to take in order to fully explore and appreciate the English countryside.

Upon hearing of Stevens' destination to visit Miss Kenton, Mr. Farraday teases Stevens that he is a ladies man, a statement that could not be further from the truth. The comment makes Stevens uncomfortable just the same. Stevens does not know how to interact with the American sensibilities of Mr. Farraday, and the relationship between the two men is cordial but a bit strained.