Saturday

By Ian McEwan

Presentation by: Katie Immethun

Theme: KnowledgeQuote 1: “[Henry Perowne] clipped the neck of a middle cerebral artery aneurysm—he’s something of a master in the art—and performed a biopsy for a tumor in the thalamus, a region where it’s not possible to operate.” (6)

• This quote shows that Henry Perowne, the main character, is very intelligent in the matters of neurosurgery and medicine. This type of knowledge is the kind of knowledge that you gain from years of study and practice in the field of medicine.

Theme: KnowledgeQuote 2: “[Baxter’s] face is alive with tremors… [he’s] in his mid twenties… If a parent has [the disease] you have a fifty-fifty chance of going down too… The misfortune lies within a single gene…CAG… From the first small alterations…tremors in the hands and face, emotional disturbance… to… intellectual dilapidation, memory failure,… dementia, total loss of muscle control… and a meaning less end… ‘Your father had it. Now you’ve got it too.’ [said Perowne.]” (94-95)

• This quote reveals that Henry Perowne is not only intelligent in the operating room, but also in his daily life. He is able to identify Baxter’s ailment, a rare genetic disease, without the help of other doctors or medical books.

Theme: KnowledgeQuote 3: “[Daisy] arrived back at St. Felix… and brought with her the poem that had won her that year’s Newdigate Prize… just eighteen [and she was] head girl and academic star of the sixth form…” (136-137)

• This quote shows us knowledge in a different category. Daisy, Dr. Perowne’s daughter, has intelligence in the area of literature. She is well versed in her poetry and she is an accomplished writer for a girl her age.

Theme: KnowledgeQuote 4: “Sensing disaster, Perowne tries to get between Baxter and Grammaticus… Why couldn’t he see that it’s dangerous to humble a man as emotionally [unstable] as Baxter?… Henry is anxious to draw Baxter into his part of the room… “There’s a new procedure from the States, coupled with a new drug, not on the market, but just arriving here for first trials.”(Perowne)…”I’m going on that trial… You’re going to show me this stuff.”(Baxter)… “Yes… it’s upstairs, in my office.”(Perowne)(216-240)

• This quote shows that Dr. Perowne is knowledgeable in a tense situation. In this scene, Dr. Perowne coaxes the very emotionally volatile Baxter away from his family. He knows that Baxter is unstable and understands what he must do to keep him under control.

Theme: KnowledgeQuote 5: “There’s always this, is one of his remaining thoughts. And then: there’s only this. And at last, faintly, falling: this day is over.” (288)

• This quote is saying that even at the end of the day, while he’s laying in bed, Dr. Perowne’s mind is still moving. His thoughts and knowledge are continually running until the moment he falls asleep. Also, it shows that he does have a deeper knowledge, not just what is science and medicine.

Personal Connection

This book didn’t have very many personal connections at all. I think this is mostly because Mr. McEwan digresses from the plot onto other subjects that don’t even touch my life. There was one quote however that made me think a little of myself. “[Grammaticus] took [Daisy’s] pages into his study— her parents were only allowed to see them later.” (136) Daisy’s aversion to show her poems to her parents reminded me a little bit of myself. I’m not a very outgoing person and I’m especially shy when it comes to my writing so I never show my parents… or anyone for that matter, any of my works for fear of them disapproving or not liking them. I sense that it is the same with Daisy.

The character of Daisy, herself, is kind of personal. She’s a blooming poet who has just published her first slew of writings. I want to be a famous author some day and publish a novel or two. Daisy also has a different way of thinking about things as do I. We have the mind of a writer that is always clicking and whirring with new ideas.

Purpose of the Book

I believe that Ian McEwan wrote this book to show how your life or someone else’s life can completely change within one day. Just like Dr. Perowne’s life was changed in one day, a Saturday, by Baxter, a violent gang member that takes a comment from Perowne to heart. They have a brush in the city and Dr. Perowne, a practiced neurosurgeon, diagnoses Baxter with a rare genetic disease. At the same time, Perowne was shaming him in front of some of his gang members. Later that very day, Baxter appears at the Perowne home with a vengeance. Perowne and his family survive the encounter, but all of them are changed by it forever.

So much can happen within the confines of a twenty-four hour period of time, whether it be for better or for worse. Ian McEwan is showing us through this book, Saturday, that your outlook on life can be altered in just a few hours by anything you encounter.

RecommendationPersonally, I considered this book an agony for my eyes. I

know that sounds irrational and harsh, but the plot of the book was agonizingly slow and I’m a plot oriented reader. It was fairly interesting at some parts, but at others it was horrible and so mind numbingly boring that I wanted to fall asleep. I can see that Mr. McEwan is trying to appeal to all kinds of readers, from the ones who love the classics to the ones who read Harry Potter on a daily basis.

For people who love a detailed and thought provoking book, I recommend Saturday. It’s immaculately written and there are so many topics to trigger thought about the world today and it’s problems, since it’s based in modern day England.

For people who enjoy a plot based book that’s full of action and suspense, I would strongly discourage Saturday. The plot drags and Mr. McEwan writes about so many topics for pages upon pages that don’t even affect the story line at all.

I believe that this is a kind of book that you’re either going to adore or hate. But if you were getting a recommendation from me, personally, I would not recommend Saturday.

Bibliography

McEwan, Ian. Saturday. New York, NY: Random House Inc., 2005.