"Great" Stevens

"The English landscape at its finest—such as I saw this morning—possesses a quality that the landscapes of other nations, however more superficially dramatic, inevitably fail to possess. It is, I believe, a quality that will mark out the English landscape to any objective observer as the most deeply satisfying in the world, and this quality is probably best summed up by the term 'greatness.'. For it is true , when I stood on that high ledge this morning  and viewed the land before me, I distinctly felt that rare, yet unmistakable feeling - the feeling that one is in the presence of greatness. We call this land of ours Great Britain. and there may be those who believe this is a somewhat immodest practice. Yet I would venture that the landscape of our country alone would justify the use of this lofty adjective. And yet what precisely is this greatness? Just where, or in what, does it lie? I am quite aware that it would take a far wiser head than mine to answer such a question, but if I were forced to hazard a guess, I would say that it is the very lack of obvious drama or spectacle that sets the beauty of our land apart. What is pertinent is the calmness of that beauty, its sense of restraint. It is as though the land knows of its own beauty, of its own greatness, and feels no need to shout it." (Ishiguro 28)

In this passage Stevens self reflects, by comparing Britain to himself, specifically, the way he completes his duties. Throughout the book, up until this point, Stevens has never brought up an instance in which there was a great commotion. He prides his career on the non-existence of disturbances.The non-existence is similar to how Great Britain lacks any obvious drama, and by saying this Stevens is causing himself to believe that he is a "great" butler.

In addition, Stevens constantly references instances of "greatness" in butlers, and by introducing the English landscape Stevens again reflects on his belief of what a truly great butler is. The restrained English landscape exemplifies Stevens as a person, as he never shows any emotions. After all, the day Stevens' dad died is one of his greatest triumphs. Stevens hides his anguish behind his work, and this in turn shapes his belief of what a truly "great butler" is: One who hides their anguish and instead focuses on providing the best service possible.