The context of the prologue is indeed important because,
as you suggest, it marked the end of the Brtish Empire with the Suez Crisis. In Stevens'
mind, however, the glory days of the Empire are for him the best days of his own life
and he talks with affection about 'tradition' and times when 'the greatest ladies and
gentlemen of the land gathered'. It is not until later in the novel that we realise that
some of these gentlemen were in fact Nazi sympathisers and actually the period Stevens
thinks of so fondly was a period in which shameful things
occurred.
You are right to point to Stevens' self-restraint
and reluctance to talk to his new master which contrasts sharply with his
master's more casual ways such as his love of 'bantering'. Stevens even plans to wear
his old master's suits for his journey to see Miss Kenton, a clear statement of his
longing for the past.
The fact that the novel is written in
first person is also clear from the Prologue and we get a clear insight into Stevens'
mind although we do begin to question what really happened as we read on. He does not
seem to feel he has a voice even though he has been in charge of a large household.
Clearly Mr Farraday represents the new 'American' way of doing things and is not always
familiar with what is 'commonly done'. Stevens is signalling the beginnings of the
influence of American culture on Britain which will continue with the advent of rock and
roll, and so on.
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