The Dignity of a Butler

A Butler's Dignity

Passage: "And let me now posit this: 'dignity' has to do crucially with a butler' s ability not to abandon the professional being he inhabits. Lesser butlers will abandon their professional being for the private one at the least provocation. For such persons, being a butler is like playing some pantomime role; a small push, a slight stumble, and the facade will drop off to reveal the actor underneath. The great butlers are great by virtue of their ability to inhabit their professional role and inhabit it to the utmost; they will not be shaken out by external events, however surprising, alarming or vexing. They wear their professionalism as a decent gentleman will wear his suit: he will not let ruffians or circumstance tear it off him in the public gaze; he will discard it when, and only when, he wills to do so, and this will invariably be when he is entirely alone. It is, as I say, a matter of 'dignity'" (Ishiguro 42,43).

Commentary: This passage conveys to the reader Stevens' definition of a great butler. He explains that a truly 'great' butler is one that essentially stays committed to his profession, and successfully shows indifference for anything a guest does, no matter how degrading. Stevens has a certain idea about what a great butler is, and these are by no means easy qualifications. Throughout the novel, Stevens uses complex language to explain his thoughts and this reveals to the reader that he values a very high level of professionalism. He also writes about what dignity is, and how it relates to a butler. He defines their 'façade' as being a sort of veil that they put on in front of anyone, never moving or changing. Stevens considers dignity as being able to stick with one profession without abandoning it.

Ishiguro also uses many literary techniques in this specific passage, most notably the metaphor of comparing professionalism to a fancy suit. According to Stevens, a good butler will wear it without letting anyone take it off of him, no matter how bad the circumstances. The suit will only come off when the butler is alone. This shows the reader the amount of professional behavior Stevens expects from a 'great' butler, even to the extent that they cannot react to anything surprising that happens. He also compares being a butler to playing a role, an actor of a sort. Some butlers will lose this role with the smallest provocation, but a great butler must be able to keep themselves situated in this role.