Part One
1a. Seeing the burning plane from the window
Quote: "Everyone agrees, airliners in the sky look different these days, predatory or doomed." (15)
Anaylsis: This is a recurring theme throughout the novel as Perowne goes through his day and sees the war protestors, as well as periodically reflecting upon the burning plane he saw in the early hours of the morning. Perowne refers to the 9/11 attacks in New York City, and recognizes the long-lasting effect they have had on not only his way of thinking and associations with planes, but everyone else's as well.
Anaylsis: This is a recurring theme throughout the novel as Perowne goes through his day and sees the war protestors, as well as periodically reflecting upon the burning plane he saw in the early hours of the morning. Perowne refers to the 9/11 attacks in New York City, and recognizes the long-lasting effect they have had on not only his way of thinking and associations with planes, but everyone else's as well.
1b.Thinking about his children
Quote: "The September attacks were Theo's induction to international affairs, the moment he accepted that events beyond friends, home and the music scene had bearing on his existence...International terror, security cordons, preparations for war - these represent the steady state, the weather. Emerging into adult consciousness, this is the world he finds." (31)
Analysis: To the new generation, Theo's generation, the idea, occurence, and consequences of terrorism are dealt with and experienced daily, so much so that it they hardly merit attention. For older generations like Perowne, who has lived in a more "innocent decade" (referring to the nineties, pg 33), he "reads the same papers with morbid fixation" and is disturbed by the state of international affairs, the war, and the seemingly never-ending crises. But like his son, "he's adapting, the way patients eventually do to their sudden loss of sight or use of their limbs. No going back," accepting that the New York attacks phenomenally changed global affairs.
Analysis: To the new generation, Theo's generation, the idea, occurence, and consequences of terrorism are dealt with and experienced daily, so much so that it they hardly merit attention. For older generations like Perowne, who has lived in a more "innocent decade" (referring to the nineties, pg 33), he "reads the same papers with morbid fixation" and is disturbed by the state of international affairs, the war, and the seemingly never-ending crises. But like his son, "he's adapting, the way patients eventually do to their sudden loss of sight or use of their limbs. No going back," accepting that the New York attacks phenomenally changed global affairs.
2. Walking to his car
Quote: "Perowne knows that when a powerful imperium-Assyrian, Roman, American-makes war and claims a just cause, history will not be impressed; if he hadn't met and admired the professor, he might have thought differently, less ambivalently, about the coming war." (72)
Analysis: Here Perowne contemplates how the marchers are related to the war and to the Iraqis both before and during the 9/11 attacks. He is wondering whether the marchers are protesting because they morally oppose the war or because they are selfishly concerned with how it would affect their lives. He also worries that the invasion or the occupation will be a mess. The marchers could be right. And he acknowledges the accidental nature of opinions.
Analysis: Here Perowne contemplates how the marchers are related to the war and to the Iraqis both before and during the 9/11 attacks. He is wondering whether the marchers are protesting because they morally oppose the war or because they are selfishly concerned with how it would affect their lives. He also worries that the invasion or the occupation will be a mess. The marchers could be right. And he acknowledges the accidental nature of opinions.
3a. Driving to the squash game (Heading south towards Tottenham Court)
Quote: "The world has not fundamentally changed. Talk of a hundred-year crisis is indulgence. There are always crisis, and Islamic terrorism will settle in place, alongside recent wars, climate change, and politics of international trade, land and fresh water shortages, hunger, poverty, and the rest." (76)
Analysis: Perowne shows that he believes that terrorism is as much a crisis as modern problems such as "recent wars, climate change, the politics of international trade, land and fresh water shortages, hunger, poverty, and the rest." That is, he thinks that while terrorism is a threat to human life, it will become so commonly dealt with that it will no longer be outstanding.
Analysis: Perowne shows that he believes that terrorism is as much a crisis as modern problems such as "recent wars, climate change, the politics of international trade, land and fresh water shortages, hunger, poverty, and the rest." That is, he thinks that while terrorism is a threat to human life, it will become so commonly dealt with that it will no longer be outstanding.
3b. Stopping at the intersection for the protest (pg. 78-79)
Quote: "He's still bothered by his peculiar state of mind, this happiness cut with aggression...Of course, the road is closed for the march. He should have known."
Analysis: As Henry is driving he contemplates the peculiar mood he is in and reflects on the events of the day that have caused it. As he approaches the intersection of Tottenham Court Rd he realizes that the road is closed for the war protesters and that he should have expected this beforehand as he has been surrounded by the news stories of the marchers all day. This scene shows that even though Henry forgot momentarily about the war, its effects surround him every day and affect simple tasks such as crossing an intersection.
Analysis: As Henry is driving he contemplates the peculiar mood he is in and reflects on the events of the day that have caused it. As he approaches the intersection of Tottenham Court Rd he realizes that the road is closed for the war protesters and that he should have expected this beforehand as he has been surrounded by the news stories of the marchers all day. This scene shows that even though Henry forgot momentarily about the war, its effects surround him every day and affect simple tasks such as crossing an intersection.
4. Being prompted by the police officer (seconds before the accident)
Quote: "There are people around the planet, well-connected and organised, who would like to kill him and his family and friends to make a point. The scale of death contemplated is no longer at issue; there'll be more deaths on a similar scale, probably in this city. Is he so frightened that he can't face the fact?" (80)
Analysis: The police officer allows Henry to cross the intersection and Henry goes back to thinking about his mood and some of the more depressing causes of it. He concludes that "...it is in fact the state of the world that troubles him the most, and the marchers are there to remind him of it" (80). He goes on to think about the fact that there will be more terrorist attacks like 9/11, maybe even in England, and that he could end up being a direct victim of terrorism.
Analysis: The police officer allows Henry to cross the intersection and Henry goes back to thinking about his mood and some of the more depressing causes of it. He concludes that "...it is in fact the state of the world that troubles him the most, and the marchers are there to remind him of it" (80). He goes on to think about the fact that there will be more terrorist attacks like 9/11, maybe even in England, and that he could end up being a direct victim of terrorism.
5. Losing the first squash game
Quote: "Jay's serve is on him, but his own word 'crash,' trailing memories of the night as well as the morning, fragments into a dozen associations. Everything that's happened to him recently occurs to him at once. He's no longer in the present." (107)
Analysis: While playing squash with Jay Strauss, Henry gets distracted by the word "crash." It reminds him of the fiery plane he witnessed early that morning as well as the car accident right before the match. The feelings of fear and helplessness associated with these events come back to Henry and severely affects his game as he is no longer thinking about the present but is replaying the past.
Analysis: While playing squash with Jay Strauss, Henry gets distracted by the word "crash." It reminds him of the fiery plane he witnessed early that morning as well as the car accident right before the match. The feelings of fear and helplessness associated with these events come back to Henry and severely affects his game as he is no longer thinking about the present but is replaying the past.