Saturday

“That is the other familiar element—the horror of what he can’t see. Catastrophe observed from a safe distance. Watching death on a large scale, but seeing no one die. No blood, no screams, no human figures at all, and into this emptiness, the obliging imagination set free.”

The detachment of the observer is emphasized by the acknowledgment of distance and the lack of sensory input. The lack of human figures and the emptiness of the scene are also emphasized, highlighting the absence of a personal connection to the events being witnessed. Overall, the quote suggests that observing a catastrophe from a safe distance can be a horror in and of itself, as it allows for a kind of personal detachment that can allow the mind to run wild, imagining the many variations of possibilities. It also ties into the theme of The Fragility of Life.

“He feels culpable somehow, but helpless too. These are contradictory terms, but not quite, and it’s the degree of their overlap, their manner of expressing the same thing from different angles, which he needs to comprehend.”

Henry is grappling with feelings of responsibility and powerlessness as he watches the plane crash. He acknowledges that these two seemingly disparate feelings have a place where they overlap. As a mere individual, he is trying to figure out what his personal responsibility is to the situation, or if his efforts would have any impact at all.

“They discussed Iraq of course, America and power, European distrust, Islam—its suffering and self-pity, Israel and Palestine, dictators, democracy—and then the boys’ stuff: weapons of mass destruction, nuclear fuel rods, satellite photography, lasers, nanotechnology. At the kitchen table, this is the early-twenty-first-century menu, the special of the day.”

Saturday portrays the post-9/11 world as one in which the conversation has been dominated by geopolitical concerns and global security issues. The list of topics discussed, ranging from Iraq and America’s role in the world to the intricacies of nanotechnology and satellite photography, highlight the complexity of the challenges facing the world in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The inclusion of “boys’ stuff” suggests that these issues have taken on an almost mythical quality, with the technological and scientific advancements becoming part of the cultural imagination in the face of global instability. Overall, the quote reflects a sense of uncertainty and unease about the future, and the need to grapple with complex geopolitical issues in order to navigate this new world.

“Such defenses, such mundane embattlement: beware of the city’s poor, the drug-addicted, the downright bad.”

This quote appears as Henry looks at his house’s safety measures, such as locks, bolts, and a panic button. The use of the word “beware” suggests a sense of caution or wariness toward the marginalized groups of people his privileged lifestyle excludes. The fact that the defenses are mundane further emphasizes the commonplace nature of this fear. The implication is that the fear of these groups is so ingrained in society that even the most basic safety precautions are taken to guard against them. This highlights the social and economic divide between different classes and the sense of insecurity that permeates the lives of those who live in wealthier areas.

“But even despotic kings, even the ancient gods, couldn’t always dream the world to their convenience. It’s only children, in fact, only infants who feel a wish and its fulfilment as one; perhaps this is what gives tyrants their childish air.”

Henry imagines Saddam Hussein’s tyranny as an attempt to impose his own desires and will on the world, much like a child who expects their every wish to be granted. The reference to “ancient gods” suggests that this kind of tyrannical behavior has been present throughout history, repeating in natural variations, which echoes the theme Life as a Series of Repetitions and Variations.

“All this happiness on display is suspect. Everyone is thrilled to be together out on the streets—people are hugging themselves, it seems, as well as each other. If they think—and they could be right—that continued torture and summary executions, ethnic cleansing and occasional genocide are preferable to an invasion, they should be somber in their view.”

When Henry sees the crowd of protestors, he feels disillusioned at their celebratory attitudes. His conversations with the Iraqi professor and his own research on the atrocities committed by Saddam have made him wonder if the war is needed to stop Saddam and his descendants. His stance will, however, undergo some shifts as the novel progresses.

“Perowne shifts position, so the screen is no longer in view. Isn’t it possible to enjoy an hour’s recreation without this invasion, this infection from the public domain?”

McEwan explores the idea of the persistent presence of news media in the 21st century and how it can affect our personal lives. Henry is looking for a moment of respite from the constant stream of information and events that are being broadcast on TV. Even in moments of leisure and relaxation, he is unable to fully disconnect from the world around him, as the media’s presence is always felt in the 21st century. This scene highlights the pervasiveness of news media and its ability to permeate every aspect of individual lives, even when we may not want it to.

“There’s nothing at stake—they’re not on the club’s squash ladder. There’s only the irreducible urge to win, as biological as thirst.”

By describing the urge to win as “biological as thirst,” Henry is essentially saying that it is a natural, instinctual drive, just like the body’s need for water. This suggests that Henry views human behavior through a scientific lens, seeing it as the result of biological and chemical processes. This scientific perspective is also reflected in other aspects of Henry’s character, such as his profession as a neurosurgeon, which involves a deep understanding of the brain and its functions.

“With eyes closed he sees the newspaper offices, the curled-edges coffee-stained carpet tiles, the ferocious heating system that bleeds boiling rusty water, the receding phalanxes of fluorescent lights illuminating the chaotic corners, the piles of paper that no one touches, for no one cares to know what they contain, what they are for, and the over-inhabited desks pushed too close together.”

The quote reflects the monotony of modern office work by using a series of details that suggest a sense of dreariness, clutter, and futility. The “coffee-stained carpet tiles” and “ferocious heating system” create an atmosphere of neglect and discomfort. The “chaotic corners” and “piles of paper” suggest disorganization and pointlessness. The “over-inhabited desks pushed too close together” highlight the cramped and oppressive nature of the workspace. These details suggest a lack of purpose and direction in the office environment, in sharp contrast with the loving attention to detail in the Perowne family home.

“His mother no longer possesses the faculties to anticipate his arrival, recognize him when he’s with her, or remember him after he’s left. An empty visit. She doesn’t expect him and wouldn’t be disappointed if he failed to show up. It’s like taking flowers to a graveside—the true business is with the past.”

The quote introduces Lily’s dementia by highlighting her inability to recognize her son and remember his visits. It underscores the theme of The Fragility of Human Life by portraying how dementia can erode even the most basic human connections and memories. The comparison of visiting Lily to taking flowers to a graveside reinforces the idea that Lily’s dementia has turned her into a shell of her former self, and that the only connection Henry has with her now is through their shared past.

“Similarly, the grains of sand on a beach, arranged just so. The random ordering of the world, the unimaginable odds against any particular condition, still please him.”

Henry is interested in patterns and order. He is able to see beauty and pleasure in the seemingly random arrangements of life, such as the grains of sand on a beach. This shows that Henry has a scientific or analytical mindset, as he is fascinated by the laws of probability and chance. It also suggests that he may have a tendency toward control or orderliness, as he finds comfort in patterns and predictability. Overall, this quote provides insight into Henry’s personality and worldview.

“But to do its noticing and judging, poetry balances itself on the pinprick of the moment. Slowing down, stopping yourself completely, to read and understand a poem is like trying to acquire an old-fashioned skill like dry-stone walling or trout tickling.”

The comparison of poetry to “old-fashioned skills” such as “dry-stone walling or trout tickling” emphasizes the idea that poetry is something that is no longer valued in the same way as it once was. The metaphor of “balancing itself on the pinprick of the moment” suggests that poetry requires a careful and deliberate approach to be fully understood, and that this is a skill that many people in the fast-paced modern world lack.

“But he understands how eminent poets, like senior consultants, live in a watchful, jealous world in which reputations are edgily tended, and a man can be brought low by status anxiety. Poets, or at least this poet, are as earthbound as the rest.”

The characterization of John Grammaticus does not play into the romanticized view of poets as ethereal and mystical beings; Grammaticus is one of the most flawed, selfish characters in Saturday. By presenting poets as “earthbound,” the quote emphasizes the idea that poetry is not just a lofty, inaccessible art form, but is instead something that is created by real people with real struggles and concerns.

“No cheese then. He’ll be ruthless with himself in his pursuit of boundless health to avoid his mother’s fate. Mental death.”

The quote reflects Henry’s anxiety about aging as he contemplates the possibility of losing his mental faculties as his mother has due to dementia. He wants to take care of his health and avoid any potential decline to avoid ending up like his mother. This quote shows Henry’s preoccupation with aging and his knowledge of the inevitability of death.

“Everyone fears it, but there’s also a darker longing in the collective mind, a sickening for self-punishment and a blasphemous curiosity. Just as the hospitals have their crisis plans, so the television networks stand ready to deliver, and their audiences wait.”

People fear the negative events that are often reported in the news, but at the same time, they also have a desire to know about them. This is described as a “sickening for self-punishment and a blasphemous curiosity,” which suggests that people are drawn to negative news stories despite the negative impact it may have on their mental health. The quote also suggests that news networks are ready to exploit this desire for negative news stories, suggesting that there is a mutual dependency between the media and their audiences. Overall, this quote highlights the pervasive influence of news media in modern society, and the ways in which it can impact people’s emotions and behavior.

“He suspects he’s becoming a dupe, the willing, febrile consumer of news fodder, opinion, speculation and of all the crumbs the authorities let fall.”

Henry’s growing reliance on news feeds is countered by a loss of trust in institutions and a sense of being manipulated by those in power. The language here suggests a sense of disillusionment with the way information is controlled and manipulated by those in power, leading to a loss of trust and a feeling of powerlessness among individuals to effect change.

“Why be adversarial? Because he himself is stoked up, there’s poison in his blood, despite his soft tone; and fear and anger, constricting his thoughts, making him long to have a row. Let’s have this out! They are fighting over armies they will never see, about which they know almost nothing.”

McEwan explores how politics can cause divisions within families by highlighting the emotional intensity that it can evoke in individuals. The characters are fighting over armies and issues that they have little knowledge about and that do not directly affect their lives, but they still allow these things to come between them. This could be seen as an example of how political engagement can create tension and discord in personal relationships.

“Perowne can’t see how poetry—rather occasional work it appears, like grape picking—can occupy a whole working life, or how such an edifice of reputation and self-regard can rest on so little, or why one should believe a drunk poet is different from any other drunk.”

Henry is skeptical and perhaps dismissive of his father-in-law’s profession as a poet. He seems to view poetry as a frivolous and unimportant pursuit that could not possibly sustain a whole career, and he questions the validity of the reputation and esteem that poets seem to enjoy. He will reevaluate his assessment later, after witnessing Baxter’s response to Daisy’s poetry reading.

“The truth, now demonstrated, is that Baxter is a special case—a man who believes he has no future and is therefore free of consequences.”

Baxter is a nihilistic individual who feels that he has nothing to lose because of his illness. He has a disregard for consequences, seeing no future for himself, and is willing to take risks that others might not, making him dangerous. He serves as a foil to Henry’s successful, orderly life.

“He, Henry Perowne, possesses so much—the work, money, status, the home, above all, the family—the handsome healthy son with the strong guitarist’s hands come to rescue him, the beautiful poet for a daughter, unattainable even in her nakedness, the famous father-in-law, the gifted, loving wife; and he has done nothing, given nothing to Baxter, who has so little that is not wrecked by his defective gene, and who is soon to have even less.”

This quote highlights the stark contrast between Henry and Baxter’s lives and attitudes. While Henry has achieved success and material wealth, Baxter has Huntington’s Disease, which has left him with little hope for the future. Henry recognizes the unfairness of their situation and feels guilty about his own privilege. However, the quote also suggests that Henry has not done anything to help Baxter, despite having the means to do so. This recognition that life has randomly placed them each in their respective lives leads Henry to have a more compassionate outlook toward Baxter.

“As soon as he steps out into the broad area that gives onto the double doors of the neurosurgical suite, he feels better. Home from home.”

Henry feels a strong sense of belonging and purpose when he is in the neurosurgical suite. He finds comfort in being in a familiar environment where he knows what he is doing and feels confident in his abilities as a neurosurgeon. The phrase “home from home” implies that he feels a sense of familiarity and comfort in this space, which is a testament to how much he enjoys his work and the fulfillment he gains from it.

“He can’t begin to imagine a satisfactory account, but he knows it will come, the secret will be revealed—over decades, as long as the scientists and the institutions remain in place, the explanations will refine themselves into an irrefutable truth about consciousness.”

Despite feeling overwhelmed by news of the entire world, Henry takes an optimistic attitude toward the progress of science and medicine. Henry believes that the mysteries of the brain and consciousness will be uncovered, though it may take time for this to happen. Henry is convinced that science will continue to advance, and the explanations will become more precise and will refine themselves into an “irrefutable truth.”

“Beware the utopianists, zealous men certain of the path to the ideal social order. Here they are again, totalitarians in different form, still scattered and weak, but growing, and angry, and thirsty for another mass killing.”

History repeats itself by pointing out that there are individuals and groups who promote utopian ideals and a perfect social order, and they eventually become totalitarians. The warning to “beware the utopianists” implies that these individuals have been seen before in history, and their ideas often lead to disastrous consequences such as “mass killings.” The fact that they are “still scattered and weak, but growing, and angry, and thirsty” suggests that they are on the rise again, and there is a danger that they could repeat the mistakes of the past. Therefore, the quote highlights the cyclical nature of history, where the same patterns of behavior and ideas can recur over time.