The Saturdays

The Melendy children’s Saturday excursions lead them to make all kinds of surprising discoveries and open their minds to new experiences, changing their lives for the better. At the beginning of the story, Randy observes to Mrs. Oliphant that while her family life is objectively “hum-drum,” it never feels that way. Mrs. Oliphant remarks that Randy finds adventure in the everyday because of her keen powers of observation, telling her: “That’s because you have eyes the better to see with, my dear, and ears the better to hear with. Nobody who has them and uses them is likely to find life hum-drum very often” (46-47). Throughout their Saturday adventures, Randy and her siblings are attentive and appreciative of everything they notice, with surprising results. During Rush’s day out at the opera, he spots a stray dog running through the streets, and acts quickly to take him home: “It was a smallish dog with long ears and large melting eyes; not quite a thoroughbred face, but much better: one that was full of character […] Rush had never seen a dog he liked better” (63). While Rush thought that seeing an opera show would be the most impactful part of his weekend, finding