A Dover Beach Kind of Saturday: Arnold as an Unexpected Inspiration for McEwan Maddie Culcasi 11th Grade

What does Ian McEwan’s novel Saturday and the Matthew Arnold poem “Dover Beach” have in common, one may ask? Well, besides that arguably the most memorable scene in the novel revolves around the recitation of Arnold’s poem, the two works seem to tell nearly the same story. In fact, one may even go as far as to say that Saturday seems to have even been loosely based upon the poem, judging by how many similarities there are between the two. Both works are told using a similar narration of the protagonist discovering abstract and existential truths about life through, for the most part, simple and every day events. Likewise, the themes of both pieces are reminiscent of each other as seen through their focus on religion, war, and the simple fact that both pieces begin with the protagonist standing at a window. Through their similar themes-- such as the focus on the distressing nature of perceived serenity, the role of a lover, and the concept of war-- “Dover Beach” and Saturday effectively complement each other.

The easiest similarity that nearly any reader could point out between these two pieces of literature is that the opening scenes both take place with their respective protagonist looking out of a window. At first, each...