Comparing Love In English Patient And In The Skin Of A Lion
David McDowell
ENG4U
20 January 2014
Love: The Most Powerful Force
Are there a lot of people in this world that would take life-risking actions for the person they love the most? A survey taken in May of 2013 showed that 55% of voters would die for their loved one (TellWut). In The English Patient and In The Skin of a Lion both written by Michael Ondaatje, characters are motivated by love to take extreme actions that end in lifelong happiness for some, but not so for others.
Is there really love at first sight? For Patrick and The English Patient (Almasy) there is as they fall in love immediately with their lover. When Patrick meets Clara, a sensual woman, he is immediately attracted to her and falls in love with her. Patrick becomes …show more content…
When Clara left Patrick for Ambrose, Patrick was left heartbroken. Patrick does not become depressed but falls in love with Clara’s best friend Alice. Also, when Clara says she is more interested in Ambrose and leaves Patrick, Patrick does not give up and continues to go for her. If Patrick did not go for Clara, they would have never gotten back together and ended with lifelong happiness. In contrast, Almasy does not want a new lover. When Katherine breaks up with Almasy, he becomes so traumatized with the break up that he gets drunk and makes a fool of himself at the expedition team dinner. In addition to this, when Katherine dies, Almasy does not fall in love with another woman, he enters a depression because “Everything I have loved or valued has been taken away from me” (Patient 248). In the end, Patrick receives lifelong happiness whereas Almasy does not.
Love is a powerful entity and in the words of Almasy, “the heart is an organ of fire” (Patient 95). This force motivates people to extreme actions that can be risky, but all worth it for lifelong happiness. Patrick Lewis and The English Patient, Almasy, are two characters written by Michael Ondaatje that portray
ENG4U
20 January 2014
Love: The Most Powerful Force
Are there a lot of people in this world that would take life-risking actions for the person they love the most? A survey taken in May of 2013 showed that 55% of voters would die for their loved one (TellWut). In The English Patient and In The Skin of a Lion both written by Michael Ondaatje, characters are motivated by love to take extreme actions that end in lifelong happiness for some, but not so for others.
Is there really love at first sight? For Patrick and The English Patient (Almasy) there is as they fall in love immediately with their lover. When Patrick meets Clara, a sensual woman, he is immediately attracted to her and falls in love with her. Patrick becomes …show more content…
When Clara left Patrick for Ambrose, Patrick was left heartbroken. Patrick does not become depressed but falls in love with Clara’s best friend Alice. Also, when Clara says she is more interested in Ambrose and leaves Patrick, Patrick does not give up and continues to go for her. If Patrick did not go for Clara, they would have never gotten back together and ended with lifelong happiness. In contrast, Almasy does not want a new lover. When Katherine breaks up with Almasy, he becomes so traumatized with the break up that he gets drunk and makes a fool of himself at the expedition team dinner. In addition to this, when Katherine dies, Almasy does not fall in love with another woman, he enters a depression because “Everything I have loved or valued has been taken away from me” (Patient 248). In the end, Patrick receives lifelong happiness whereas Almasy does not.
Love is a powerful entity and in the words of Almasy, “the heart is an organ of fire” (Patient 95). This force motivates people to extreme actions that can be risky, but all worth it for lifelong happiness. Patrick Lewis and The English Patient, Almasy, are two characters written by Michael Ondaatje that portray