Discussion-Upper Class and Middle-Class Differences about the Working Class

Discussion-Upper Class and Middle-Class Differences about the Working Class
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Upper Class and Middle-Class Differences about the Working Class
"Literature is interpreted as reflecting norms and values, revealing the ethos of the culture, the processes of class struggle, and certain types of social "facts (Albrecht, 1954)."
The theme of class difference struggles and a refusal of existing social norms has become quite common in the literature produced after World War II. Authors have questioned the existing notions of aristocracy and bourgeois cultures, sometimes in subtle undertones and at others quite prominently. This article aims to give a comparative study of class difference as presented in 'The Remains of the Day, ' Last night at the lobster,' 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying,' 'The Doctor's Visit,' 'The Circuit,' and 'Working Roberto Acuna, Farm Worker'.
'The Remains of the Day, written by Kazuo Ishiguro, is all about the protagonist reminiscing the past when he worked at the Darlington Hall, the real estate of Lord Darlington, who has recently died as the story opens. The novel is set a few years after World War II, in 1965. Stevens, the protagonist, is professionally a butler from generations. He receives a letter from an ex-colleague at Darlington Hall, probably hinting at a struggling marriage. Ms. Kenton expresses her desire to rejoin Darlington Hall. He wonders with a diminishing staff at the Darlington Hall, and it is not a bad idea to have a skilled housekeeper like Ms. Kenton come back. So, he decides to visit her. On his way to her home, he is looking back on when he worked for Lord Darlington. Now he works for Mr. Farraday, who is a wealthy American but quite cordial with him. He lends his car to Stevens to have a little vacation on the road as he wishes to visit Ms. Kenton.
Down the memory lane, he remembers his loyalty to Lord Darlington even when he used to host lavish meetings between German sympathizers and English aristocrats before World War II to influence international affairs. Not once did he doubt his master's patriotism. He ponders over the word 'dignity and how he looks at himself as a dignified butler as he honors and understands the proper behavior a butler must uphold (Ishiguro, 1956). He has never deviated from the behavior that society expects of him as a butler. Propriety is an essential attribute for him that has been transferred to him from his father and probably to him from his father too. He takes pride in being involved in his ancestral profession. As the journey progresses, he finally comes to the point where he ponders over his ex-employers character and reputation.
Society still respects lords, ladies, and the culture of having butlers and maids. Large mansions and a life of discipline are what is depicted in the novel. It is a present culture at the time the novel is written, but it is slowly diminishing. Darlington Hall reflects that shift where although Englishmen have their titles, they are no longer rich and have to sell their property to wealthy Americans like Stevens's new employer (Ishiguro, 1956). The awareness of having a social class and a difference of class that Stevens showcases in his narrative and how he and other servants act reflects that the difference is now minimizing.
Stevens knows he will always remain a butler just like his father was and his great grandfather was, and his master would always remain the lord even though he is not as rich as his ancestors were. This social hierarchy will always remain the same as a custom of the English tradition. In this strict social setup, there are mild differences though between the servant class. Between a butler, footman, and a housekeeper, slight differences can be felt. That is why Miss Kenton, a housekeeper, makes a row when asked to address Stevens's father with respect and formality (Ishiguro, 1956). She thinks he has a lower status than hers. After the war, it became all the more clear that such a transition is taking place. The social hierarchy and social status are now slightly changing. Stevens is thought of as somebody who is respected for his loyalty and service. He is in the same family for generations and is therefore honored as a gentleman, even as someone belonging to Lord Darlington's social status. This major shift is indicative of how social hierarchy has changed after World War, and butlers, housekeepers were given a better social standing than their predecessors were given.
A part of the novel also highlights that social mobility and change, which is usually considered progressive, can sometimes be disruptive and harmful. This is genuinely indicative in the case of Stevens as he experiences the change in the social hierarchy and status up close (Ishiguro, 1956). Adapting to the new change in life has benefited him in raising his status, the new social realities and changes that accompany him, and how people expect him to act and behave in a certain way due to his upgradation in social status impacted his life. His career is not progressing, but he is expected to maintain his social standard.
By depicting Stevens as a representative member of the working-class, with great value to his values and proper behavior as a butler, the author questions the society's norms about dignity and honorability. From an empty status that society gives to men coming from noble families by birth, whether they uphold noble values or not, to the high moral values coming from the working class through generations. In the end, when people think that Stevens is a gentleman, is when the traditional roles given to the bourgeois are shattered.
Stewart O'Nan presents a similar story in 'The Last Day at the Lobster,' presenting the seemingly small struggles of the working class that have a much more significant impact on their lives. Manny, the protagonist, works as a manager at the Red Lobster, a restaurant, when just a few days before Christmas, Darden Restaurants Inc. decides to close it down. 39 out of 44 employees were laid off without any notice. Only five of the existing employees, including Manny, the manager, are retained and transferred to The Olives, another branch. The in...