ENGLISH LITERATURE II.

RESPONSE PAPERS: MC EWAN, SOLAR

PAULA SANTOS NAVAJAS

Analysis of the protagonist Michael Beard

Solar, written by Ian McEwan and published in 2010, is a novel that introduces Michael
Beard, the protagonist who is a prize-winning physicist, and chronicles his exploits from a
sarcastic point of view. This paper aims to delve into the protagonist and his curious and
contradictory development throughout the novel.

As already mentioned, Michael Beard is a leading Nobel Prize-winning physicist. It is

common that this profile of a person (very focused on his professional life and with few
social skills) tends to go outside the norm. The protagonist's case is not far off, as he is
presented as a negative and temperamental person, as well as selfish.

At the beginning of the novel, Beard is a person without any illusions. One might even think
that he is going through an episode of depression, as he does not take care of himself either
physically or mentally. He is also not well off, which makes the situation worse. However, he
is offered a job in a renewable energy project. So he starts working, but it becomes clear that
he is only working for the money, as the project and the environment do not seem to matter to
him at all.

As the story unfolds, the protagonist becomes entangled in lies and deceptions that lead to
more lies and problems for the protagonist. Among these lies and deceptions, we come across
several examples;

In the first case, we are presented with scenes in which Michael meddles in relationships with
other women, while he is married to his wife Patricia. This shows a brutal lack of empathy, as
he does not think about how his actions may affect her.

On top of this, he uses the profits from the research as if it were his own. In other words, he
takes advantage of his position to swindle.

Finally, and in relation to the project, because he wants to be the best, he passes off his
colleague Charlie's work as his own, which is even more cruel considering that his friend is
dead.

These are just a few of the many examples that make it clear what kind of person Michael
Beard was.

While it is true that the author shows the reader that Beard is a difficult and selfish person, he
shows how at times he has time for introspection and self-criticism. Even so, it does not
change as it continues to make the same mistakes and to think only of its own benefit.

At the end of the novel, we come to the conclusion that Beard is the exemplification of
ambition and failure, two very contradictory aspects that are at the same time common in
 ENGLISH LITERATURE II. RESPONSE PAPERS: MC EWAN, SOLAR
PAULA SANTOS NAVAJAS

today's society. Through Beard, the reader is shown the human nature of striving to succeed
and be the best, which is incompatible with selfishness.

In short, this novel reflects on the lack of empathy and selfishness that is innate in many
people, as in the case of the protagonist. Beard wants to succeed, but his coldness and
passivity towards certain issues make him fall short of his goal, thus encouraging his bad
character.

Character count: 2900