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Imagery
Definition of Irony
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this seems like a loose definition... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how they actually are. If this... read full definition
Irony is a literary device or event in which how things seem to be is in fact very different from how... read full definition
Prologue: July 1956
Explanation and Analysis—Foot the Bill:
In the Prologue, when Stevens considers the logistics of driving through England to see Miss Kenton, the reader gets an excellent example of two distinct dialects of the English language. The first is Stevens's narrative voice, which is not only upper-class British in dialect but also precise and formal in tone. The second is Mr. Farraday's American English, which Stevens subtly draws attention to by encasing it in quotation marks when he repeats it.
There were, in any case, various aspects to the matter I felt I needed to clarify to myself before proceeding further. There was, for instance, the question of cost. For even taking into account my employer’s generous offer to ‘foot the bill for the gas’, the costs of such a trip might still come to a surprising amount considering such matters as accommodation, meals, and any small snacks I might partake of on my way.
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Explanation and Analysis—A Roll in the Hay:
In the Prologue, as an example of his new employer's love of banter, Stevens mentions a time when he asked Mr. Farraday whether a visitor's wife would be coming along with him. Farraday responds with a quippy reply, complete with idioms. Rather than having the intended humorous effect, the joke ironically leaves Stevens embarrassed and flustered.
Unlock with LitCharts A+‘God help us if she does come,’ Mr Farraday replied. ‘Maybe you could keep her off our hands, Stevens. Maybe you could take her out to one of those stables around Mr Morgan’s farm. Keep her entertained in all that hay. She may be just your type.’
For a moment or two, I had not an idea what my employer was saying. Then I realized he was making some sort of joke and endeavoured to smile appropriately, though I suspect some residue of my bewilderment, not to say shock, remained detectable in my expression.
Day Three: Morning
Explanation and Analysis—Twice a Week or More:
In Day Three: Morning, Stevens explains one of his attempts to learn to banter, as he's realized his new American employer expects of him. His explanation of his technique is highly ironic.
Unlock with LitCharts A+One programme I listen to is called Twice a Week or More, which is in fact broadcast three times each week, and basically comprises two persons making humorous comments on a variety of topics raised by readers’ letters. I have been studying this programme because the witticisms performed on it are always in the best of taste and, to my mind, of a tone not at all out of keeping with the sort of bantering Mr Farraday might expect on my part.
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