The Profession of Assumption

Selected Passage: 

“It has never, of course, been my privilege to have seen such things at first hand, but I will nevertheless hazard this with some confidence: the English landscape at its finest - such as I saw it 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” (Ishiguro 28).

Commentary: 

Stevens, as it appears through this passage, takes great pride in his country. According to Stevens, the country of England is superior to all other nations, which is exemplified through his description of the landscape he observed one morning. It proves odd that Stevens would say something about the landscapes of other nations when he has never witnessed them for himself. Stevens doesn’t even see his own country’s landscape up until this particular journey, as he describes by saying he has never had the priviledge to see such things at first hand. With this, it becomes increasingly obvious that Stevens is rather exaggerative and doesn’t have much to base his statements off of. How could one know that the landscape of England possesses a quality that other nations’ landscapes do not, if one hasn’t even visited other nations? The only answer is assumption. Since Stevens is a butler, it isn’t surprising that he makes assumptions. A butler is cooped up in a grand mansion, never having the opportunity to experience the landscapes or realities of the outside world. The only thing they can do is assume.  

Later in the passage, Stevens describes the landscape to have greatness that when perceived is a distinct feeling that is rare and unmistakable. The word great is difficult to define, especially when referring to the feeling one experiences while in the presence of greatness. Many people say they experience this feeling when they meet political figures or their favorite musician, perhaps. Stevens, on the other hand, expierenced greatness while gazing at a Great Britain landscape. This further proves that Stevens has a lot of pride for his country of England. Nature and landscape does not have affiliation with a country. Border lines determine this. The land that caused Stevens to appreciate the feeling of greatness, has little to do with England, and more to do with appreciating nature as a whole. Stevens sees England as a birthplace of greatness, whether it be landscape, manners, or butlers.