▁attitude ▁towards ▁literature ▁is ▁directly ▁contrast ed ▁with ▁his ▁scientific ▁world - view ▁in ▁his ▁struggle ▁to ▁compreh end ▁the ▁modern ▁world . ▁Per ow ne ▁explicitly ▁p onders ▁this ▁question , ▁" The ▁times ▁are ▁strange ▁enough . ▁Why ▁make ▁things ▁up ? ". ▁There ▁is ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁ir ony ▁or ▁hub ris ▁in ▁Per ow ne ' s ▁presentation , ▁as ▁he ▁does ▁not ▁read ▁nov els ▁and ▁throughout ▁the ▁book ▁remarks ▁on ▁his ▁lack ▁of ▁literary ▁education . ▁ ▁Per ow ne ' s ▁world ▁view ▁is ▁re but ted ▁by ▁his ▁daughter , ▁D ais y , ▁a ▁young ▁poet . ▁In ▁the ▁book ' s ▁clim ax ▁in ▁chapter ▁four , ▁while ▁he ▁strugg les ▁to ▁remain ▁calm ▁offering ▁medical ▁solutions ▁to ▁B ax ter ' s ▁ill ness , ▁she ▁quotes ▁Matthew ▁Arnold ' s ▁poem ▁D over ▁Beach , ▁which ▁calls ▁for ▁civil ised ▁values ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁tempor arily ▁pla c ating ▁the ▁ass ail ant ' s ▁violent ▁m ood . ▁Mc E wan ▁described ▁his ▁intention ▁as ▁wanting ▁to ▁" play ▁with ▁this ▁idea , ▁whether ▁we ▁need ▁stories ". ▁Brian ▁Beth une ▁interpreted ▁Mc E wan ' s ▁approach ▁to ▁Per ow ne ▁as ▁" mer cil ess ly ▁[ mock ing ] ▁his ▁own ▁protagon ist ... But ▁Per ow ne ' s ▁blind ▁spot ▁[ liter ature ] ▁is ▁less ▁an ▁author ' s ▁little ▁jo ke ▁than ▁a ▁ple a ▁for ▁the ▁saving ▁grace ▁of ▁literature ."