Tuesday, April 30, 2019

"That's true what Harry says": A blackboard on Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day"

The blackboard from my class's discussion on 8 April of two passages from Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day. These passages, to be precise:

              "That's true what Harry says. You can tell a true gentleman from a false one that's just dressed in finery. Take yourself, sir. It's not just the cut of your clothes, nor is it even the fine way you've got of speaking. There's something else that marks you out as a gentleman. Hard to put your finger on it, but it's plain for all to see that's got eyes."

*
 
              I was naturally a little surprised by this, but then quickly saw the situation for what it was; that is to say, it was clearly expected that I be baffled by the question. Indeed, in the moment or so that it took for me to perceive this and compose a suitable response, I may even have given the outward impression of struggling with the question, for I saw all the gentlemen in the room exchange mirthful smiles.

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