Architectural, Geographic, and Interpersonal Space: The Spatial Study of The Remains of the Day

Abstract

This study is motivated by a particular interest in the spatial dimensions in Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel The Remains of the Day. It focuses on the architectural, geographic, and interpersonal spaces that shape the protagonist’s psychological state and personal transformation. Applying Henri Lefebvre’s spatial production theory, Michel Foucault’s discourse on power and space, and Edward Soja’s Third space theory, this paper discusses Darlington Hall as a symbol of hierarchical power, the English countryside as a space of disillusionment, and Stevens’s shifting social interactions. The paper reaches the conclusion that the creation of multiple spaces has a significant influence on the human spiritual world, while arguing that Ishiguro employs spatial poetics to reflect class structure, personal regret, and shifting historical realities.