Stevens
The narrator and butler. He is formal, self-controlled, and deeply invested in his own idea of professional greatness. The novel tracks his slow, painful recognition that this investment cost him his emotional life and his moral judgment.
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See who matters in The Remains of the Day, then write from it.
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Characters
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Contents
Characters
Who matters and what they help you prove.
Miss Kenton (Mrs. Benn)
The former head housekeeper at Darlington Hall. She is warm, direct, and morally clear in ways Stevens is not. She protested the firing of the Jewish maids, tried to connect with Stevens emotionally, and eventually left when he kept refusing her. By the end of the novel she has built a separate life.
Lord Darlington
Stevens's former employer. He is a well-meaning English aristocrat who believed he could influence European diplomacy privately. His naive trust in Nazi officials led him to take harmful positions. He died with his reputation destroyed. Stevens spent decades defending him.
Farraday
The American who buys Darlington Hall after Lord Darlington's death. He is casual, friendly, and fond of banter. Stevens cannot read him well. Farraday represents the new world that has replaced the England Stevens knew.
Cardinal (young journalist)
A young man whose godfather is Lord Darlington. Darlington, influenced by his Nazi contacts, pressures Stevens to discourage Cardinal from pursuing a political career. The episode shows how Darlington's manipulation reached beyond his own household.
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