That night, the family has plans to gather for a dinner in celebration of Henry’s daughter, Daisy, and her soon-to-be-published poetry manuscript. The music deeply moves Henry, causing him to temporarily forget the stresses of the day and feel a sense of correctness and unity in the world.

Finally, he goes to see his son Theo, a blues guitarist, rehearse a new song with his band. He worries about his aging body and mind, knowing that he will soon need to adopt a slower pace of life, and fearful of sharing his mother’s fate. Sensing danger, Henry flees the scene when Baxter is distracted.ĭespite the frightful event he just endured, Henry plays squash with his friend and colleague, Jay Strauss, and visits his mother, who has dementia. However, Henry recognizes the signs of Huntington’s Disease in Baxter and uses that knowledge to initiate a private conversation with him. Baxter tries to threaten him into paying for the vehicle’s repairs, and when Henry refuses, the men attack and prepare to beat him. Even though the damage to his car is minimal, Henry requests that they exchange insurance information. After a police officer lets him pass through a blockaded area, he gets into a minor car accident with another driver named Baxter, who is accompanied by two lackeys. Henry feels compelled to keep watching, feeling personally linked to the event since he witnessed it first-hand.Īfter Henry leaves the house to drive over to the racquet club, he is stopped by the streets that have been blocked off to accommodate the hordes of people heading downtown to participate in a protest against the United States’ invasion of Iraq. Throughout the day, Henry sees the plane crash being covered on the news in various locations, the media playing on anxieties of terrorism and Islamophobia. The only passengers on board were the pilots, who both escaped without injury. He worries that this could be a terrorist attack aimed at London, but later learns on the news that it was a cargo plane experiencing mechanical difficulties. The day begins strangely when Henry, standing on his balcony, witnesses a plane crash that feels reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks, which occurred only two years prior. However, an encounter with an “unstable” individual after a small traffic incident has repercussions that will threaten the safety and stability of Henry’s Saturday.

The story follows Henry as he goes about his typical weekend routine, which includes chores, leisure activities, and a family dinner in the evening. The protagonist of the novel, Henry Perowne, is a successful neurosurgeon who is settled in his life with his wife, Rosalind, and their two children, Daisy and Theo. Saturday takes place on a single day-February 15, 2003-in Fitzrovia, London. This study guide uses the American First Edition, published by Nan A.

Ian mcewan 2005