Saturday

Although Henry seemingly wakes at random, witnessing the plane crash sets the tone for his entire day. Watching the plane crash reminds him of the 9/11 attacks. He reflects on The Fragility of Life and how life can be suddenly and violently taken away: “[H]ow easily an existence, its ambitions, networks of family and friends, all its cherished stuff, solidly possessed, could so entirely vanish” (5). Henry’s awareness of mortality is further emphasized through his profession as a neurosurgeon, where he is continually confronted with patients in life-threatening conditions. He considers the fact that even with all his medical expertise and knowledge, there are still situations where he is unable to save a patient’s life. While Henry’s day is rich with physical recreation, art, family, and professional work, in the back of his mind he remains aware that there is an end to everything, creating a deep sense of the intrinsic value of life that influences each decision he makes.

McEwan also explores Postmodern Disillusionment and the Search for Meaning in post-9/11 Western society. Henry’s disillusionment is partly a result of his increased global awareness. Henry is exposed to the realities of the world through the news media. He sees the corrupt politics and power struggles play out across a global scale. This global awareness makes him feel like the world is a more complex and dangerous place than he had previously realized, and he becomes disillusioned with the idea that there are simple answers. Furthermore, Henry’s disillusionment is also tied to the postmodern condition, in which there is a sense of fragmentation and disconnection from traditional narratives. The world has become more pluralistic, and there is a sense that there are multiple competing realities and interpretations of the world through all the different variations of life on earth. Henry continually questions the viewpoints and biases that he and others hold.

Saturday also explores how the post-9/11 world normalizes anxiety around terrorism and violence. Henry emphasizes this theme when he notes that the hospital’s Emergency Plan has evolved to include scenarios such as “mass fatalities” and “major attacks,” reflecting the anxieties of a post-9/11 world. The repetition of these phrases renders them “bland” (10), which highlights the normalization of fear in contemporary society. When he speaks with his son, Theo, he observes that these domestic conversations regularly include broader global concerns: “International terror, security cordons, preparations for war—these represent the steady state, the weather. Emerging into adult consciousness, this is the world he finds” (32). This is the reality of post-9/11 Western society. Although the Perowne family are upper-class individuals leading privileged lives, they are still subject to the broader anxieties of the time.

Henry is characterized as a man whose thoughts and inner life are filtered through his work as a neurosurgeon. While he loves his family, he acknowledges that his work is his priority. The line, “For certain days, even weeks on end, work can shape every hour; it’s the tide, the lunar cycle they set their lives by, and without it, it can seem, there’s nothing, Henry and Rosalind Perowne are nothing” (23) suggests that work has become a dominating force in the lives of Henry and Rosalind Perowne, shaping every hour and leaving them with a sense of emptiness outside of their work. This passage underscores the idea that contemporary life is often consumed by work and the pursuit of material success. However, McEwan takes care to balance his characters’ working lives with moments of pleasure, whether domestic or artistic, such as by ending the first chapter with Henry making love to his wife. McEwan explores what makes a life meaningful, suggesting that beyond meaningful work and a career, there is a more essential component of being human that just wants to feel and experience.

Henry’s profession as a neurosurgeon is a significant part of his identity and the way he makes meaning of his life. He reflects on the strenuous work he completed the previous day and the tiring amounts of paperwork on Friday. He takes pride in his ability to remain calm and focused in moments of high tension, and he enjoys listening to music while working. The experience of assisting in Rosalind’s surgery was a turning point for him, creating a genuine desire to become a neurosurgeon. While Henry recognizes the fragility of life, his work as a neurosurgeon also allows him to preserve and save lives, creating a sense of purpose and meaning in his life.

For Henry, being a neurosurgeon also creates a sense of scientific wonder in the place of religious belief: “To go in right through the face, remove the tumor through the nose, to deliver the patient back into her life, without pain or infection, with her vision restored was a miracle of human ingenuity” (46). Henry’s scientific mind creates a perspective on the world that allows him to question the causes behind every effect and to respect, even revere, the rich evolutionary complexity of the human mind. Years of study and practice in the medical field have given him faith in the gradual advancement of science and progress, and this faith reassures him amidst the randomness and chaos of life.

Henry’s connection with his children, particularly his son Theo, is explored through their shared love of music. Henry’s children keep him connected to art through music and poetry, and allow him to explore his human, feeling side. Theo is a talented blues guitarist, and Henry takes pride in his son’s abilities. Listening to his son play music awakens feelings of humanity in Henry; he feels pride and joy at his talent, though he does not understand how Theo will feel satisfied with music as his life’s work. Henry’s daughter Daisy, who is a poet, is also a source of connection and admiration for him. She gives him reading assignments, and he attempts to complete them, though he does not particularly enjoy literature. Through these connections with his children, Henry can experience a sense of meaning and purpose in his life beyond his career as a neurosurgeon, and is encouraged to explore a less analytical, more intuitive side of himself.