Mr. John Farraday Character Analysis in The Remains of the Day

The new owner of Darlington Hall, Mr. Farraday is one of a number of wealthy Americans who moved to Britain and bought up old country houses after World War II when the estates’ original owners were ruined financially or (as in Lord Darlington’s case) by public opinion. Farraday is more informal and jocular than what Stevens is used to, but at the same time Farraday is fascinated by Stevens as a relic of a former age—an age he wants to be able to purchase, in some way, for himself. Matching Farraday’s witty banter, nonetheless, is Stevens’s professional challenge for much of the book.

Mr. John Farraday Quotes in The Remains of the Day

The The Remains of the Day quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. John Farraday or refer to Mr. John Farraday. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Vintage edition of The Remains of the Day published in 1990.

It is quite possible, then, that my employer fully expects me to respond to his bantering in a like manner, and considers my failure to do so a form of negligence. This is, as I say, a matter which has given me much concern.

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Page Number and Citation: 16

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I had been rather pleased with my witticism when it had first come into my head, and I must confess I was slightly disappointed it had not been better received than it was. I was particularly disappointed, I suppose, because I have been devoting some time and effort over recent months to improving my skill in this very area. That is to say, I have been endeavouring to add this skill to my professional armoury so as to fulfil with confidence all Mr. Farraday’s expectations with respect to bantering.

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Page Number and Citation: 130

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Mr. John Farraday Character Timeline in The Remains of the Day

The timeline below shows where the character Mr. John Farraday appears in The Remains of the Day. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

History, Retrospection and Regret Theme Icon

Class Difference and Social Change Theme Icon

The narrator, Stevens, resolves to take an “expedition” by himself. He will borrow his employer Mr. Farraday’s car and travel from Darlington Hall, where he works, through the English countryside. In fact,... (full context)

Stevens had been taken aback by this suggestion, and also by Mr. Farraday’s remark that butlers like Stevens are always cooped up in these houses. Stevens said he’d... (full context)

His errors included one particular incident shortly after Mr. Farraday bought Darlington Hall from the Darlington family, who had owned it for two hundred years.... (full context)

Authenticity, Performance, and Self-Deception Theme Icon

Mr. Farraday told Stevens to draw up a staff plan, a kind of rota, which he found... (full context)

...almost impossible to find today, to return to the estate. He could take advantage of Mr. Farraday’s offer to call on Miss Kenton during the trip. (full context)

Stevens was a bit concerned about bringing up the matter of the trip again with Mr. Farraday , even though his employer didn’t seem inconsistent. Finally he decided it would be most... (full context)

...perhaps more common between employer and employee in the U.S., and it has certainly characterized Mr. Farraday’s attitude toward him, but he’s found himself at a loss for how to respond to... (full context)

Returning from his digression, Stevens continues recounting his request for travel to Mr. Farraday , a request to which the latter promptly agreed. Stevens recognizes that there will be... (full context)

...Darlington was like. But Stevens brushed him off, saying only that he was employed by Mr. John Farraday . (full context)

...earlier, when an American couple now settled in England, the Wakefields, came to visit. Like Mr. Farraday , they were impressed by the magnificence, and Mr. Farraday was eager to explain all... (full context)

...Lord Darlington was like. Stevens said he didn’t work for Darlington. Following the couple’s departure, Mr. Farraday mentioned to Stevens that Mrs. Wakefield wasn’t as impressed as she could have been—she seemed... (full context)

...He has been trying to add bantering to his professional skills, so as to fulfill Mr. Farraday’s expectations; for instance, he’s been listening to a comic radio show, and whenever an odd... (full context)

...that have arisen in the last few months. One occurred at breakfast last April, when Mr. Farraday simply sat down, picked up his fork, examined it, and turned back to his newspaper.... (full context)

...He resolves to approach the task with renewed commitment, practicing for the next week, before Mr. Farraday returns. (full context)