1. What passage did you find the
most beautiful in this novel
and why? Dig into setting
here, and give us detail about
why you have chosen your
passage.
My favorite passage is the one we did an oral commentary on (E block class, Nicholas saving the nun). It was my favorite scene before I ever knew we were going to do an oral commentary on it. I was intrigued by the description of Nicholas Temelcoff; if I saw him in real life, myself as a young boy, I probably could not have gotten my eyes off of him. The way he catches a nun in the air was really cool. I thought it was too fictional that Nicholas caught the nun, but the passage is beautiful nonetheless. Tree-climbing was one of my interests as a kid. My friend lived in a neighborhood with a park nearby, with these gigantic trees with long branches that would meet up and create a web of branches high in the air. We would climb up and sit down and talk, just enjoying the view. Sometimes ants would crawl all over us, and we would climb down quickly and roll on the grass to get the ants off. After closely studying the passage in preparation for the oral, I discovered very neat things about the significance of the bridge as a setting. A bridge generally symbolizes connection. In the passage, we see the meeting of the nun and Nicholas. This is where the connection starts. Even more interesting is the fact that Commissioner Harris is the one who overlooks the building of the bridge. We later see Patrick (connected to the nun, Alice) meet Harris. This passage is where the connections all begin. I thought it was pretty neat. Also, the building of the bridge represents the control that the rich have over foreign workers. In this passage we see Nicholas strapped onto only a rope; even for his special skills, he gets paid very little. He is at the mercy of the bridge, just like how most foreign workers are at the mercy of their employers.
2. What character do you most
identify with in this novel and
why? Is pathos an element of
your response to this character?
Again, be specific here.
Look for textual evidence and
help us understand your
thoughts.
Patrick is definitely the character that I can relate to the most. We have established the fact that Patrick does not have a sense of identity. Due to this, I think Patrick also does not have a purpose. I feel for Patrick because I have experienced that feeling of emptiness, a lack of purpose. My life can sometimes get so busy that I do not have time to think about my purpose. Other times, I just do not want to grapple with my goals, in part because I am scared I do not have any, and in part because they seem to be so superficial. In the end I go back doing what I normally do… school, friends, and family. It’s not that they mean nothing to me. It’s just that I do not want them to be me. I feel like Patrick becomes so obsessed with others that he himself does not have an identity; instead, he is defined by others. This is true for everybody to some extent… An individual is defined by the people around him or her. However, it seems almost as if Patrick mimics other characters. The face he sees when he looks into a pool of water is not himself but Alice, Clara, Hana, Nicholas, Cato, Ambrose…
I feel pathos for Patrick throughout the book. One example is on page 72.
-No, we can stay. You’ll like her. But sometime after that I’ll leave you.
-For Ambrose.
-Yes, for Ambrose. And you must never follow me.
-It takes me a long time to forgive.
-Don’t worry, Patrick. Things fill in. People are replaced.
The lack of emotion from Patrick just makes me feel even more pathos. Also, Clara’s cold way of saying how people are replaced makes me feel pity for Patrick. In a sense, Patrick is “in the skin of a lion.” He is hiding his sorrow.
Pathos is also incorporated in describing Patrick’s way of life working on the tunnel. Ondaatje describes him taking off all of his clothes, putting them in the corner, falling asleep, only to wake up again at six in the morning and wear the same clothes, “hard as armour.” Although nowhere near the same, I have that kind of feeling many times in the morning, especially in winter. Just like the underground humidity “[falls] back into his clothes quick as rain,” taking a shower in the morning has a similar effect for me.
3. Is tragic flaw an issue in this
novel? Choose one character
and explore how their tragic
flaw resulted in disaster.
Patrick’s tragic flaw is his lack of identity, as mentioned above. There are many references to “light” throughout the book, which is connected to Patrick’s search for identity. Even the third chapter is named The Searcher. His lack of identity causes him to be shaped by others. In the beginning, he becomes obsessed with Clara. It seems as if he is almost controlled by her. Even though she has used him only to satisfy her physical desires, and eventually chooses money (Ambrose) over him, Patrick cannot forget her who has given her identity and searches for her for a long time. Later on, he is heavily influenced by Alice, and as an obvious consequence he is severely affected by her death. The title of the book is connected to this. Although Patrick does not have to react violently to Alice’s death, he does, because he cannot share his sorrow with anyone else. He is hiding his true feelings, trapped inside “the Skin of a Lion.” The sudden loss of his identity (Alice) causes him to do irrational things, such as blowing up the hotel in Muskoka. It eventually leads to the climax of the story, when Patrick swims through the tunnel he built in order to blow up Waterworks. Thus, it can be said that tragic flaw is an issue in this novel. However, unlike hamartia, the tragic flaw of Patrick In the Skin of a Lion makes room for redemption. Like the theme we came up in class, ‘sorrow can initially cause an individual to lose his/her identity, but through grappling with sorrow, transformation of the individual can occur,’ Patrick is given an opportunity to grapple with his sorrow and transform. Patrick’s flaw and the death of Alice becomes foundation for Patrick’s uncontrollable sorrow. However, the book finishes with “lights” for Patrick, signifying possible hope. He seems to be very close to what he has been searching throughout the book.
