Navigating Emotional Echoes: The Stimulus-Response Paradigm in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day

Abstract

The theory of stimulus-response postulates that interactions between stimuli and the reactions they elicit might explain behavior and learning. According to the learning theory developed by behavioral psychologist B. F. Skinner, an individual is exposed to a stimulus, which elicits a reaction, and the response is then reinforced. This ultimately results in the conditioning of human behavior. By appreciating various interpretations and examining how meaning changes as a result of reader interaction, this method enhances literary analysis. One of Kazuo Ishiguro’s most well-known novels is The Remains of the Day (1989) which portrays the narrative of Stevens, an English butler who reflects on his years of duty and unfulfilled personal life. The book won the Booker Prize in 1989 and was adapted into a successful film, bringing Ishiguro international acclaim. Ishiguro, Nobel Laureate in Literature (2017), stands out as a unique and insightful writer whose books provide an engaging examination of the human condition through deft storytelling and provocative subjects. This research paper applies Stimulus Response Theory to analyze the novel which lends itself to multiple applications of Skinner’s stimulus-response theory, most notably in the way the protagonist, Stevens, displays behavior shaped by outside stimuli and reinforcement throughout his life. The novel’s complex narrative structure and profound thematic elements invite diverse responses, highlighting the subjective nature of literary analysis and the impact on Stevens’s journey and the novel’s broader themes.