Nostalgia
A sentimental longing for the past, often tinged with melancholy or recognition of loss. Nostalgia combines pleasure in memory with sadness that the past cannot be recovered.
Real World
In 'The Remains of the Day' by Kazuo Ishiguro, butler Stevens reflects on a life of repressed emotion and missed opportunities for love — his nostalgia is painful precisely because he recognises that the past he longs for was partly shaped by self-deception.
Exam Focus
Analyse whether nostalgia is presented critically or sympathetically — the narrative voice often signals the author's judgement through irony or distance.
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