▁to ▁it ; ▁em otion ally ▁his ▁own ▁intelligence ▁makes ▁him ▁a path etic , ▁he ▁can ▁see ▁both ▁sides ▁of ▁the ▁argument , ▁and ▁his ▁belief s ▁are ▁character ised ▁by ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁hard ▁choices ▁rather ▁than ▁sure ▁cert aint ies . ▁He ▁is ▁concerned ▁for ▁the ▁fate ▁of ▁Ira q is ; ▁through ▁his ▁friendship ▁with ▁an ▁ex iled ▁Ira qi ▁professor ▁he ▁learned ▁of ▁the ▁total itar ian ▁side ▁of ▁S add am ▁Hus sein ' s ▁rule , ▁but ▁also ▁takes ▁seriously ▁his ▁children ' s ▁concerns ▁about ▁the ▁war . ▁He ▁often ▁plays ▁devil ' s ▁advoc ate , ▁being ▁dov ish ▁with ▁this ▁American ▁friend , ▁and ▁ha w k ish ▁with ▁his ▁daughter . ▁ ▁R ational ism ▁Mc E wan ▁establish es ▁Per ow ne ▁as ▁anch ored ▁in ▁the ▁real ▁world . ▁Per ow ne ▁express es ▁a ▁dist aste ▁for ▁some ▁modern ▁literature , ▁puzz led ▁by , ▁even ▁dis d aining ▁mag ical ▁real ism : ▁ ▁" What ▁were ▁these ▁authors ▁of ▁reputation ▁doing ▁– ▁grown ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁– ▁grant ing ▁super natural ▁powers ▁to ▁their ▁characters ?" ▁Per ow ne ▁earnest ly ▁tried ▁to ▁appreciate ▁fiction , ▁under ▁instruction ▁from ▁his ▁daughter ▁he ▁read ▁both ▁Anna ▁Kar en ina ▁and ▁Madame ▁B ov ary , ▁but ▁could ▁not ▁accept ▁their ▁artificial ity , ▁even ▁though ▁they ▁dw elt ▁on ▁detail ▁and ▁ord inar iness . Per ow ne ' s ▁dismiss ive