Saturday

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2005

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Themes

Postmodern Disillusionment and the Search for Meaning

In Saturday, the rise of globalization and modern technologies creates a sense of postmodern disillusionment in the characters, giving rise to a search for deeper meaning. Globalization refers to the interconnectedness of countries, economies, and cultures across the world. It is a process that has been happening for centuries but has accelerated significantly in the last few decades due to advancements in technology and communication.

Saturday is set in a post-9/11 Western society, where the crisis in the Middle East was due, in part, to globalization and Western interference. Throughout the novel, Henry notes individuals of different cultures in the city, wondering about the conflicts going on in their own countries and showing his expanding awareness of the world. However, with this expanding awareness also comes a new set of fears and anxieties. Henry ponders the expansion of moral complexities into all areas of life, made possible by the modern world:

It was once convenient to think biblically, to believe we’re surrounded for our benefit by edible automata on land and sea. Now it turns out that even fish feel pain. This is the growing complications of the modern condition, the expanding circle of moral sympathy (128).

With more knowledge of ethical impact than ever before, the Western world struggles with the endless repercussions of any small choice. Modern technology makes globalization possible, allowing countries to be more connected than ever. However, it also bombards and oversaturates individuals with news media cycles, preying on emerging anxieties. Henry experiences this while visiting his mother in a nursing facility and sees once more the image of the plane crash. Later in the day, Henry reflects on how his consumption of news media negatively impacts his mood and keeps his thoughts returning to global issues that he has no personal impact on.

The antidote for this disillusionment, for the Perowne family, is to be found in creating a personal life that is meaningful through relationships, work, and art. Each of the characters is devoted to their work, allowing it to shape their personality and worldview. Similarly, each of them values the others and makes time and space to share with one another. By cultivating a rich inner life, they are able to create a purposeful existence and try to enact positive change in the world. This search for meaning is reflected in the novel‘s focus on art, music, and literature as sources of transcendence and connection in a world that seems increasingly fragmented and disconnected.

Life as a Series of Repetitions and Variations

Since Saturday is a novel that takes place over the course of one day, McEwan uses this opportunity to explore how a human life is made up of repetitions and variations. Even the title, Saturday, is an acknowledgment of a day that repeats again with every cycle of the sun, something predictable and expected. However, there are also variations to each day, deviations from routine, and these change people in significant ways and have lasting reverberations in their lives.

A lot of Henry’s actions throughout the day are part of his normal routine. For example, he goes to play squash with his friend Jay like he does every weekend. He goes to visit his mother, which he also has made a habit out of a deep sense of duty and care. He makes love to his wife. He watches the news. These repetitions are far from boring; they create a sense of stability and consistency that meet a psychological human need. These routines also provide a framework in which Henry can strive for excellence. Though he is a privileged individual, he has a thoughtful and competitive nature that makes him work hard at his pursuits. When Henry operates on Baxter in the final chapter, he feels at home in the work he is doing, competent and capable. It is practice, repeated over and over, that has allowed him to achieve such excellence.

However, the variations in Henry’s day challenge his worldview and force him to grow. He awakens early without knowing why, showcasing the unpredictable nature of human bodies. The plane crash is a big deviation from his normal life—it is not something he has ever witnessed firsthand before, nor likely ever will again. However, this crash prompts him to think deeply about the fragility of life and mortality. Similarly, his encounter with Baxter is a variation and sets off a series of events that Henry later deplores that he did not foresee.

These variations from the normal patterns of life allow Henry to get even closer and more intimate with his family, recognizing their unique strengths emerging in the stress of the evening. It also allows him to develop a keener sense of empathy, as he recognizes the humanity in Baxter and decides not to press charges against him. Furthermore, Henry’s experience also changes his perspective on the impending war in Iraq, making him more suspicious of the potential repercussions. Without variations to his day, there would be no growth and Henry would remain a static character.

The Fragility of Life

The novel explores the theme of mortality through the lenses of 9/11 anxieties and violence, filtered through the lens of a scientific mind. Henry is a neurosurgeon, and throughout the novel, he confronts the reality of mortality on a daily basis. He is constantly reminded of the fragility of the human body and the inevitability of death, and each of the other characters he interacts with, he sees as someone invisibly controlled by their own genetic predispositions and chemical make-up.

The novel opens with Henry waking up in the middle of the night and looking out the window to witness a plane crash. This opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the novel, playing on post-9/11 anxieties about terrorism. Throughout the day, there are various news reports on the crash, speculating on the identities of the pilots and any political or religious motivations. While these speculations turn out to be false, they demonstrate the impact that 9/11 had on the Western world. However, Henry experiences the plane crash from the window at a remove, not being able to intake any sensory information that would help him process or make sense of it. Throughout the day he carries the unspoken horror of life’s fragility. This is exemplified by his struggle to face his mother, who is nearing death, and his own anxieties around aging.

Henry also encounters violence that threatens his life and the lives of his family when Baxter breaks into his house and threatens them. Baxter, who has Huntington’s Disease, behaves in a reckless and erratic way because of his deteriorating brain cells and his injured pride. His character also serves as a reminder of the fragility of life. When he threatens the family, Henry cannot help but feel the threat to their mortality: “More fantasizing, and with Baxter so volatile, so savagely carefree, the possibilities for harm multiply. All this beloved and vulnerable flesh” (221). Despite his own fears, Henry is still cognizant that Baxter’s behavior is reflective of a medical condition. Henry’s unique perspective on the world allows him to delve deeply into empathy for others, such as Baxter, who are at the mercy of the random ordering of the universe.