Chapter 1 Introduction
The idea of an unreliable narrator is a basic tool in literary studies; it is not only a type of expression but also a way to build the world of the story. In the particular circumstances of this study, an unreliable narrator is one who cannot be trusted because of psychological problems and memory loss caused by severe trauma, not because they intend to deceive. The first is that narrative unreliability is an expression of an ontological crisis, that is to say, a deep-seated uncertainty about one's own existence and identity. In light of the above, to use this framework effectively, one should adopt a two-layer reading approach; that is to say, first, one needs to be familiar with the plot as presented by the main character, and then, through phenomenological investigation, uncover what has been omitted, contradicted or evaded in the text to reconstruct the hidden reality.
It can be used in practice to analyse Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day". Stevens, the main character, is an unreliable narrator because he is too concerned about maintaining his professional honour and thus cannot face the painful reality of his past and his involvement in historical events. Based on the above theoretical system, it will be possible to explore the emotional changes in the work more deeply and no longer just introduce the plot. By identifying certain language signs of denial and displacement, one can see how trauma has broken the protagonist's sense of time and truth [1]. Therefore, it is necessary to uncover the hidden story that Stevens is hiding, especially about his relationship with Miss Kenton and his service to Lord Darlington. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to show how the phenomenology of trauma can alter the narrative voice and make the text a place for memory and identity. Understanding these mechanisms can provide a regular way to interpret texts where the narrator's emotions have distorted the facts, and we can learn more about the connection between psychology and literature.
Chapter 2 Phenomenological Framing and Narrative Ontology of Traumatic Unreliability in Stevens’ Testimony
2.1 Conceptual Grounding: Unreliable Narration as a Phenomenological Trauma Carrier Beyond Formal Narrative Classification
First, one needs to question the prevalent formalist narrative classification systems of unreliable narration put forward by Wayne Booth and other narratologists. The traditional framework is that unreliability is a type of textual contradiction between what the narrator says and the actual situation; therefore, it is often used by authors to create irony. It can help find the problems in the plot, but it is too formal and lacks the subjectivity of the narrator. By focusing only on the binary accuracy of the report, these systems ignore the ontological instability that is the source of the narration itself and fail to address the underlying psychological fragmentation that causes the narrator's distorted view. Therefore, to go beyond the formal classification, we need to take a phenomenological approach and consider that unreliability is not a narrative error but an expression of embodied trauma.
This paper will develop a new phenomenological definition of traumatic unreliability by integrating the idea of prereflective lived experience with the system of trauma research. Trauma is, by its nature, difficult to fit into a normal life story; it is a continuous disturbance that disrupts one's sense of time and self. Based on the research that has been conducted on Ishiguro's narrators as embodied trauma subjects, this section will be re-conceptualised as Stevens' testimony as a trauma carrier. Thus, his unreliability is a kind of operational defence mechanism, and the omissions in his story are the atrocities he cannot bring himself to speak of. The text is a place of ontological crisis; thus, the act of memory is no longer about preserving history but rather a desperate and fragmented attempt to maintain a sense of self in the face of severe psychological fragmentation.
Phenomenology is not to be confused with the previous psychoanalytic and historicist interpretations; therefore, it has its own distinct analytical value. Phenomenology is not a type of psychoanalysis; therefore, it will not be considered that Stevens' repression is a pathology or that he is ideologically blind in a historicist sense. It is more concerned with how we perceive things than with why we behave in a certain way; thus, it can be analysed what Stevens is fundamentally like in the world. This lens is suitable for achieving the main purpose of the thesis because it can shift the focus of criticism from listing Stevens' factual errors to exploring the reasons behind these errors in terms of existence. In the end, this way of thinking makes unreliability the main evidence for the narrator's fragmented ontology and provides an operating path to explore the deep sense of disconnection he feels between his sense of professional honour and his actual life of poverty.
2.2 Stevens’ Existential Self-Deception: The Phenomenological Gap Between Lived Experienced Trauma and Narrated Idealized Self
Stevens' existential self-deception is a complex psychological phenomenon in which he tries to bridge the gap between the reality of his life and the idealised image of a "great butler" that he wants to be. According to the theory of narrative ontology, this is not only a figure of speech but also an essential way of being. At the core of this is the suppression of pre-reflective trauma, that is to say, the immediate, bodily pain caused by certain events, and instead, a reflective, rationalised narrative in line with his professional status is chosen. This operation of self-deception enables Stevens to have an integrated sense of self, but it also results in an ontological fragmentation; that is to say, his words do not match his life.
To understand the change in him, we need to look at some specific instances where there are cracks in his story. Stevens chooses to attend to Lord Darlington's guests in the final moments of his father's life, and the narrator believes that this is an act of great professional devotion. However, upon closer inspection, it can be seen that the mechanical precision of his description is intended to conceal the overwhelming somatic grief he felt at that time. He does not agree with the unfair dismissal of the two Jewish maids and is therefore shown in a light that is professionally neutral and loyal to his employer. However, the narrative tension and circumlocutions in his speech reveal that he has not fully dealt with the ethical conflict and is ashamed of it. Moreover, his repeated avoidance of Miss Kenton's advances shows that he does not want to face the emotional reality that could disrupt his self-imposed professional path. Stevens is not intentionally deceiving the reader in any of these cases; rather, it is a deep-seated act of existential self-preservation.
Based on the above phenomenological reading, Stevens' unreliability is actually a symptom of trauma. By mapping out the reasons he gives step by step, we can see how the repressed life trauma leaks into his performative self. Fissures are slips in language, contradictory memories, sudden outbursts of emotion, etc., which are signs that he cannot accept reality. Therefore, there is an ontological crisis because the "idealised self" is only a construct, and the "lived self" has been wounded by trauma. The purpose of this analysis is to show that true identity cannot be maintained by suppression; the distance between the experienced self and the narrated self is such that Stevens' sense of reality is always unstable, and thus it is a tragedy to prioritise an ideal over real life.
2.3 The Unsaid as Traumatic Trace: A Phenomenological Analysis of the Suppressed Knowledge of Lord Darlington’s Political Collusion
Phenomenological trace theory will be used to conduct a detailed, line-by-line analysis of Stevens' testimony in the operation process of this study. First, we need to find the places in the text where the narrator deliberately avoids, is vague about, or does not mention Lord Darlington's well-known collaboration with Nazi sympathisers and fascist agents in the 1930s. Therefore, we need to pay attention to Stevens' repeated statements that he "cannot remember" some details of Darlington's private meetings. Instead of being regarded as a defect in memory, the analysis will be taken as a kind of language use. Stevens' tendency to attribute Darlington's downfall to a simple "misunderstanding" rather than a deliberate moral flaw is also considered a form of psychological defence. The method also records the small, unintentional pauses and detours in the narration that occur each time the text is about to mention Darlington's anti-Semitic and pro-appeasement political activities.
By mapping the textual interruptions, it can be seen that these gaps are not cases of lazy narrative ambiguity. They are, in fact, the physical manifestations of Stevens' inner world. The presence of these traces shows that Stevens has been involved in Darlington's morally corrupt political activities and, as a result, has suffered both public and private harm. Fundamentally, the omission of certain knowledge creates a structural gap in the story, and this gap directly indicates the seriousness of the trauma that is being hidden. Therefore, his failure to speak these truths directly is also an indication of his own instability in life. This inability to articulate the past is essential to understanding his character, for if he were to admit Darlington's crimes, it would destroy the foundation of "dignity" for his professional identity that he has built over a lifetime. Thus, the "unsaid" is the main indication that the protagonist's life is in pieces.
2.4 The Unreliable Narrator’s Ontological Unmooring: Temporal Disjuncture and the Collapse of Stevens’ Professional Identity Horizon
The ontological unmooring of the unreliable narrator is due to a serious disturbance in the sense of time; therefore, there is no longer a continuous self for the subject. In terms of phenomenology, identity is formed by the combination of retention (past) and protention (future) in the living present. However, in the background of Stevens' road trip, this combination does not work. The operating mode of this crisis is that the embodied self is in the present moment, but the narrated self resides in an idealised past. Stevens keeps moving in time, not only to tell a story but also to protect himself from the pain of his own guilt. Therefore, there is a phenomenological gap; the "now" has no meaning, and the "then" is retroactively altered to fit his constructed honour. Based on the above analysis, it can be seen that his unreliability is actually a sign of a more serious structural problem; he is no longer able to align his life with his own words. When strangers ignore Lord Darlington, the outside world has taken away the time horizon that gave Stevens's life meaning. Therefore, his professional identity is weak; he has lost the sense of security that comes from being in a certain social position. Therefore, Stevens is now without a fixed abode and has lost the order of his life. Because he cannot integrate the traumatic truth into his life story, he is in a state of being present physically but absent existentially; thus, the greatest loss after decades of self-deception is that he no longer has a stable sense of self in the world.
Chapter 3 Conclusion
In short, this paper has systematically mapped out the working mechanism of the unreliable narrator in the phenomenological system and applied it to the ontological crisis caused by trauma in Kazuo Ishiguro's "The Remains of the Day". The first is that the main character has lost the ability to perceive life normally and is thus in a state of psychological division; it is not merely a plot device but a structural feature of the story. Based on Stevens' talk, it can be seen that the first function of unreliability is to defend. The act of telling stories is also a way to organise memory; thus, the main character has been selectively presenting his life in accordance with the demands of "dignity" and professional ethics, and has omitted the traumatic experiences and moral flaws of his employer.
In terms of the method, phenomenological reading has been used in this analysis to show that one should first find the distance between the reported event and how it is presented in language by the narrator. As shown in the application of this way, the "ontological crisis" will not be solved by a sudden realization of the truth, but rather by accepting the lack of a narrative. Stevens' life shows that the trauma of the past is expressed in the present by a continuous, albeit unconscious, negotiation of identity. He is not genuinely close to people; instead, he acts in a professional manner to create the illusion of an ideal life.
The meaning of these results is not only literary criticism but also a general way to understand how trauma affects people's sense of reality. It is to be understood that the unreliable narrator is a tool for presenting the inner world of crisis. It offers a regular way to break down how people rebuild their sense of self after a major emotional shock. Practically speaking, it can help us understand the resilience of the human mind and its tendency to deceive itself. Stevens' final acceptance of the "remainder" of his days is the ultimate result of this crisis; that is to say, in the pursuit of dignity, he has lost the chance to live life to the fullest. Therefore, it is necessary to read between the lines of narrative deficiency and discover that which is not spoken of in words, but is actually the deep reality of trauma.
References
\[1\]Prasad, Syam, Allamneni, Sharada. Narrative Technique and the Postmodern Turn in Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day[J]. 2021.
\[2\]Khosravi, Sareh. Dignity in The Remains of the Day from the Lens of Ontology, Ethics, and Liberalism[J]. k@ta, 2024, 26(2).