Kazuo Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day is known for its nuanced narrative style. The narrator Stevens, who used to work as a competent butler in his younger days, is a typical unreliable narrator, but in his effort to retrace his past, he hopes to show the dignity that the best butlers should have, and does not intentionally deceive the reader. His memories, when put into words, indicate important questions in his life, as if inviting the reader to discuss his problems. Besides this invitation, his memory and nostalgia can be expected to evoke sympathy among the reader. Stevens's storytelling style is chosen carefully to develop and protect his ideals, which allows the reader to experience imaginary good old England. In this story, private memories and feelings depicted and sometimes omitted by Stevens are presented as events that may happen in everyday lives. Stevens's nostalgia almost acts as a common language that helps the reader to feel they are involved in a butler's story.

It is generally agreed that the only early works of Toson Shimazaki was affected by the describing method of John Ruskin. It is sure that “Chikuma River Sketches,” (1900–02) one of his early works, was affected by The Modern Painters (1843, 46, 56, 60) by Ruskin about the description of nature. However, in “The Distribution,” (1927) his later work, exists Ruskin's saying: “There is no wealth but life.” in Unto This Last (1862). The question now arises: Was Shimazaki's later works very influenced by Ruskin's works? Analyzing Shimazaki's essays makes his fundamental principle about writing clear. That is “a life- first policy.” This policy lays a foundation for his novels. Therefore, “The Distribution” is also based on it. Moreover, Ruskin's saying symbolizes this policy. We may go on from this to the conclusion that Shimazaki put Ruskin's saying in his work in order to show the readers his policy.

In this paper, I examine the connection between Katherine's and Anne's honour in Henry VIII as reflected in portrayals of their chastity and fertility and how descriptions of the two women ironically reflect the ‘truth’ of this historical play. As the audience was familiar with the real historical situation of these two women, they could discern where the truth ran counter to their dramatic depiction. My paper addresses that women's worth was evaluated in Shakespearean England based on their chastity, but that maintaining their chastity and faithfulness did not ultimately protect noblewomen within the contract of marriage, as is evident in the cases of both Katherine and Anne.

This paper investigates the treatment of courtly love convention in the main plot of The Changeling to demonstrate how the convention is radically parodied in it. For this purpose, the paper explores the use of the word “service,” which bears multiple meanings, including those concerning the master-servant relationship as well as the relationship based on courtly love.

An example of this play's treatment of the courtly love convention can be seen when Beatrice drops her glove hoping that Alsemero would be the receiver. However, her plan is sabotaged by patriarchal interference, and her glove falls into the hands of Deflores, a servant whom she despises. Moreover, since Deflores describes the glove as a “favour” from the socially superior lady, and later begs Beatrice that “[t]rue service merits mercy” (2.1.63), it is apparent that Deflores envisions himself as a courtly lover and attempts to reformulate his situation into that of a courtly lover offering an exalted kind of service to his lady. In this way, courtly love conventions undergo a breakdown and the expectations are frustrated until the climax of the play when they receive a final death blow.

Cecil Sharp, the English folk song collector, played an important role in the folk song revival movement of the Edwardian period. Sharp, generally known as “the folk song collector,” amassing a large number of folk songs and ballads sung and heard in England and Southern Appalachia, was a music teacher before engaging with folk song collecting. I argue that Sharp's role as an educator helped him create a purpose and principle for popularizing and disseminating folk songs.

Sharp believed that introducing folk songs into music education would contribute to the preservation and dissemination of traditional music, leading to the formation of a national culture. In 1905, the British Board of Education considered the introduction of traditional folk songs into elementary schools and published Suggestions for the Considerations of Teachers and Others Concerned in the Work of Public Elementary Schools (1905), but there were few authentic folk songs, passed down orally, in the proposed list of songs. Sharp opposed this decision and developed his own method to adopt folk songs for education. This paper illuminates how Sharp's ideas and practices contributed to music education in Britain while acknowledging his limitations in bringing folk songs into schools.