The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro tells about a man’s journey into the past during a motoring trip through the England countryside ((Ishiguro, 2012). Told from a first-person perspective, the story is narrated in the form of a diary by an English butler named Stevens working at Darlington Hall. The English butler is burdened by so much propriety that he does not recognize the love of his life slipping away.
The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro tells the story of Ryder, a classical pianist invited to give a concert in the city (Ishiguro, 2012). Ryder arrives only to find himself increasingly frustrated by the inability to recall. He cannot recall why, at any given moment, he is precisely there or where he is supposed to be next, being under attack from the maddeningly solicited and demanding local people.
Although the two literary sources are emotive and bring out the elusiveness of identity, remorse, and a promise for salvation, I find The Remains of the Day to be more reasonable and convincing. The book paints an image that resonates and cuts across most issues in the workplace. It relays the message of taking chances in life and allowing oneself to make mistakes because that is how one can have a fulfilling life; a life without too many regrets about how you lived it.
Being receptive to a variety of ideas without having a preconceived notion of where the argument should lead brings about open-mindedness. This is beneficial because, despite extreme disagreement, it advances the shared understanding that accommodates the idea of students working constructively and cohesively towards achieving common objectives. An instance where my preconceived ideologies clouded my judgment is when I questioned why other people behaved in certain ways. After years of engaging with different people from diverse backgrounds, I realized that we had come from diverse environments and had different upbringings. This has made me more open-minded.
References
Ishiguro, K. (2012). The unconsoled. Vintage. (Original work published 1995).
Ishiguro, K. (2010). The remains of the day. Vintage. (Original work published 1989).