This, in turn, links to the discussion of politics, bringing into question whether family and politics can ever be truly separate entities throughout the novel. Perowne is presented to have politics at the forefront of his mind, with the character of Theo being no different. The casual manner in which politics is brought up “’You think it’s jihadists...?’”, and then dismissed suggests how integral of part of life it has become. Although, at the same time it dismisses the idea that politics and the family have no link and suggests that both hold significance within the scene. In contrast, it could suggest that family still has a bigger role in the scene because prior to and after the discussion of politics McEwan returns to a focus upon the family. McEwan uses free indirect discourse to link Henry’s and the narrators voice into one with the main focus being upon politics. This is shown through the reference to Islam in general “They belong in a doomed tradition about which Perowne takes the convential view-the pursuit of utopia ends up licensing every form of exess”. McEwan uses this to suggest the reasons for Perowne’s almost pro-war ideals to combat the issue of Iraq. This links to the idea that at the time the novel was published the public already knew of the plan of action that was decided, this
This, in turn, links to the discussion of politics, bringing into question whether family and politics can ever be truly separate entities throughout the novel. Perowne is presented to have politics at the forefront of his mind, with the character of Theo being no different. The casual manner in which politics is brought up “’You think it’s jihadists...?’”, and then dismissed suggests how integral of part of life it has become. Although, at the same time it dismisses the idea that politics and the family have no link and suggests that both hold significance within the scene. In contrast, it could suggest that family still has a bigger role in the scene because prior to and after the discussion of politics McEwan returns to a focus upon the family. McEwan uses free indirect discourse to link Henry’s and the narrators voice into one with the main focus being upon politics. This is shown through the reference to Islam in general “They belong in a doomed tradition about which Perowne takes the convential view-the pursuit of utopia ends up licensing every form of exess”. McEwan uses this to suggest the reasons for Perowne’s almost pro-war ideals to combat the issue of Iraq. This links to the idea that at the time the novel was published the public already knew of the plan of action that was decided, this