Saturday
By Ian McEwan
Presentation by: Katie Immethun
Theme: Knowledge
Quote 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: Knowledge
Quote 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: Knowledge
Quote 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: Knowledge
Quote 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: Knowledge
Quote 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.
Recommendation
Personally, 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.