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@article{190815,
        author = {Divya Choudhary and Dr Swati Singh},
        title = {Memory, Regret, and Catharsis: The Burden of the Past in Ishiguro’s Selected Novels},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {8},
        pages = {5006-5011},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=190815},
        abstract = {Kazuo Ishiguro, a Nobel Prize-winning novelist, is widely recognized for his profound exploration of the human psyche, particularly in relation to memory, regret, and the moral and emotional burdens of the past. Across his novels, Ishiguro examines how individuals reconstruct their identities through selective recollection, how past choices shape present experiences, and how characters confront the moral consequences of their actions. Memory, in Ishiguro’s works, functions not merely as a chronological record but as a deeply subjective and interpretive process that influences emotional responses, personal relationships, and ethical self-awareness. This paper investigates the interwoven themes of memory, regret, and catharsis in Ishiguro’s selected novels—The Remains of the Day (1989), An Artist of the Floating World (1986), and Never Let Me Go (2005)—to understand how the past exerts an enduring influence on the characters’ lives and choices.
In The Remains of the Day, the protagonist Stevens, an English butler, navigates the tension between professional duty and personal desire through the lens of memory. His recollections of years of service to Lord Darlington are meticulous, yet selective, revealing both his unwavering commitment to social and professional norms and the personal costs of emotional repression. Ishiguro’s treatment of Stevens’ memory highlights the complex ways in which individuals reconcile with past choices while simultaneously being constrained by them. Similarly, An Artist of the Floating World portrays Masuji Ono, a retired painter, whose memories of complicity in nationalist propaganda evoke deep moral introspection and regret. Ono’s selective recollection and reinterpretation of past actions underscore the psychological mechanisms by which memory both preserves identity and amplifies ethical tension. In contrast, Never Let Me Go situates memory, regret, and the inevitability of mortality within a speculative dystopian framework. The cloned protagonists—Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth—grapple with existential regret, the desire for love and autonomy, and the realization of their predetermined fates, highlighting the interplay between personal agency and structural constraint.
This paper argues that in Ishiguro’s novels, regret emerges as a persistent echo of choices made under personal, social, or institutional pressures. Characters experience regrets not only for missed opportunities or moral compromises but also for the limitations imposed by societal expectations and existential circumstances. Furthermore, catharsis in Ishiguro’s work is subtle and introspective. Rather than providing dramatic resolution or moral redemption, catharsis arises through acknowledgement, reflection, and partial acceptance of the past. Emotional release is thus tied to the ethical engagement of memory and regret, allowing characters a nuanced form of reconciliation.
Through a detailed analysis of the selected novels, this study demonstrates that Ishiguro’s fiction offers a profound meditation on the human condition, exploring the interdependence of memory, regret, and catharsis in shaping identity, ethical awareness, and emotional resilience. By highlighting the enduring influence of the past on present consciousness, the paper underscores Ishiguro’s literary contribution in portraying the moral and psychological complexities of human life, where understanding, acknowledgement, and acceptance of the past constitute essential steps toward emotional and ethical reconciliation.},
        keywords = {Memory and Identity Reconstruction, Moral Regret and Ethical Self-Awareness, Selective Recollection, Subtle Catharsis, Ishiguro’s Psychological Realism},
        month = {January},
        }