What are two significant themes in The Remains of the Day? How do these themes relate to the overall plot and point of the book?

The Remains of the Day is a wonderfully moving book with many themes to choose from. Here are some of the major ones you might want to consider:

Change over time: The Remains of the Day is as much a novel about a changing England as it is the story of Stevens and Miss Kenton. Think about the title. It is a novel about what "remains" from a time gone by. Stevens wants Darlington Hall to remain the way it was before the war despite the fact that traditional, fully-staffed manor houses simply do not hold the same importance in post-WWII England as they did when Stevens first became a butler. The war has brought about great cultural changes in England, and the fall of the grand manor house is just one indication of shifting cultural values. Stevens, too, is changing alongside his nation, and The Remains of the Day is also a story about aging. The man Stevens meets at the end of the novel tells him that, for many, evening is the best part of the day. It is up to Stevens, however, to determine whether he will move forward in his old age or continue to dwell on the past.Loyalty: Stevens remained loyal to his employer, Lord Darlington, no matter what the circumstances, even when he displayed anti-Semitic views that Stevens did not agree with and when it became evident that Lord Darlington was a Nazi sympathizer. The novel asks whether loyalty can go too far and whether it is morally permissible to give someone unconditional trust.Regret: Much of the novel deals with regret, mostly regret over the life that Stevens could have lived but gave up in order to devote himself entirely to his profession. The novel is told through a series of flashbacks, and with each flashback, Stevens is forced to reflect on how the course of his life could have been altered had he acted differently in each circumstance. The greatest regret comes when, at the end of the novel, Miss Kenton suggests that she could have had a happier life if she had married Stevens.Dignity: Stevens never shows his emotions and prides himself in never letting difficult situations phase him. He refers to this composure as "dignity." Stevens uses the example of the tiger to explain the concept of dignity: A butler in India kills a tiger in the dining room without ever disturbing his employer. Stevens believes this extreme level of composure is what makes a great butler, but it is possible that Stevens carries his dignity too far. It can be argued that Stevens forces himself to hide his opinions, feelings, and distinct personality traits for the sake of perfectly adhering to his idea of the ideal butler.