How Dream Elements Link to Themes
The novel's major themes include the use of memory in evaluating out lives, the direct links between our memory and our psychology, our inability to be fully self-aware psychologically, the pressure of over-commitments and the repercussions of miscommunication in relationships, how a society looks back on it's collective decisions and the absurdities in modern living.
Lack of Psychological Self-Awareness
The use of composite figures and past memories and our awareness of who they are and what they represent , remind us of one of the themes - self-awareness in relation to others. In reality parents often are not fully aware of the ways they affect their children. Even the high expectations that parents can place on a child can have negative affects on how that child develops. Ryder, the adult, is still living with an overriding desire to gain respect and recognition from his parents and he is simultaneously unaware that he is repeating the cycle of bad parenting with his own child, Boris.
Links between our memory and our psychology
Brodsky, who is possibly the person Ryder will become, has not learned either. He continues to carry around this psychological damage, his “wound”. He never gets over the need for his parents admiration and it means that he loses out on Miss Collins love and even misses out on finding real satisfaction or providing comfort to others through his music. Perhaps Miss. Collins misunderstands him, but by the end she is full of hate toward him and accuses him of being a “cowardly, irresponsible fraud” which is what he has always thought of himself (Ishiguro, 499).
Overcommitment and the Repercussions of Miscommunication
Issues raised in this novel include ideas about obligations and compassion towards family and others in the community. Bruce Robbins, writing for Contemporary Literature, suggests that “the blockage of emotion between his characters” is linked to the idea that people are too busy to do the “caring” work, (that used to be done by full-time housewives), as being linked in the phrase “too busy to care” which bring together two distinct characteristics of the novel, “time deficit and the blockage of caring”. We also see this repeated in exchanges between Ryder and Sophie where he does not have enough time for her and Boris and argues that the people of the city need him. He is angry when he declares to Sophie, “I’m needed, why can’t you see that? I’m needed out here!” and is conflicted between home and work obligations (Ishiguro 37). Ishiguro illustrates that family and close relationships are sometimes chopped down by harriedness and too much investment in a work life as people look for ways to feel useful. The dream elements, like anxiously rushing around, are being used to relate to a larger principle about people rushing around in a modern globalized world.
Nostalgia - personal and collective
On the societal level, Ishiguro also examines the collective memory of the society at large. Ishiguro says he is interested in nostalgia and memory, in the way people look back on their own lives and try to evaluate themselves. This applies to Ryder and also the whole community. The whole town is collectively looking back at their decision to make Christoff their musical hero and now they are regretting it. They are trying to remake their image as a cultured community by ‘righting’ that wrong. Passaro notes the critique of a “fascism of high culture”(Passaro 8). The social ostracism of Christoff is evidence of what happens when you go against the will of the majority. When he challenges Ryder’s authority on “local conditions”, he is shouted down by the crowd (Ishiguro 199). In fact Dr. Lubanski had to stop the crowd from “a full-scale assault” on Christoff (202). The people of the city are also unaware and unable to address and correct the problem. The notion that a famous person like Ryder can arrive and “save” the city with his performance and speech turns into a joke for the reader. Ryder never even gets to make the speech. However, Brodsky performs much better than expected but in fact the people of the city are not ready for it, as Stephan says, “They do want something better. But …but not that” (522). This society is not learning because they are looking back at the past unrealistically.
Evaluating Lives - No Easy Answers
Ishiguro shows us how difficult communication and relationships can be. He seems to be implying that some things in families can’t be fixed. The Hoffmans never change in their approach to Stephan / Ryder. Love is elusive and hard to maintain in this novel. Miss Collins grows to hate Brodsky and Ryder is rejected by Sophie and Boris. This is all quite hopeless but we realize that Ryder will still go on, unaware, but trying to be useful. Also, Ryder may not be heartless, just ignorant of what is really important in his own life.
How Not to Live?
Perhaps Ryder's future will not turn out as bleak as Brodsky – there is a suggestion of a fresh start in a new place with new people, even if he only shares the camaraderie of having a good breakfast with strangers. Laughing at the sad and strange outcome means that we at least are aware of the mistakes and the irony, which may leave us with a shred of hope.
Read more:
Writing in the Language of Dream
Dream Theory in the Novel
Characteristics of Dreaming / Elements of this Novel (I)
Characteristics of Dreaming / Elements of this Novel (II)
How Dream Elements Link to Themes
Critical Reception
Suggested Reading
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