In the Skin of a Lion Anaylsis Essay - 1308 Words

Discuss the ways in which textual forms and features shape your understanding of In the Skin of a Lion. Michael Ondaatje’s postmodern exploration of the early, developmental years of Canada, In the Skin of a Lion, is expressed through multiple perspectives, with no dominant perspective or omniscient narrator. The narrative is presented as fragmented and contains interruptions from intersecting perspectives. The presence of class conflict forces the characters to experience extreme adversity, with their contributions to building the society going unnoticed until Ondaatje has addressed their social exclusion. Through reinterpretations of motifs and symbols, Ondaatje adds new dimensions to events in history and characterizations, whilst the†¦show more content†¦Whilst Harris perceives it as symbol of life and creation, water ironically takes the lives of the workers in the Waterworks with the water â€Å"heaving in, shouldering them aside in a fast death† if they dig â€Å"just one degree up.† The harsh and tedious conditions of the work, â€Å"pissing where they work, eating where someone else left there shit†, dehumanizes the workers, insulting their inherent dignity and contrasting the imagery of opulent structure they are building. Harris notes the â€Å"Egyptian feel† of the palace, equating his works to that of the pyramids which coincidentally draws a link to the cruel treatment of the workers and how bodies have similarly been entombed in the structure during construction. Ondaatje, however, recognizes their contribution in revealing glimpses of certain characters; the voiceless and marginalized become recognizable as the novel progresses Ondaatje presents Patrick Lewis as character amongst the lower class to demonstrate the fluidity of identity, through the journey he undertakes, which allows him to emerge from passivity. Patrick’s quest to gain enlightenment is reflected in the prologue, as he drives through the â€Å"unbetrayed† countryside, introducing implications of hope and maturation whilst isolation and alienation is indicated through the prevailing image of darkness. This sense of isolation is further expressed through Patrick’s childhood. Ondaatje addressed the roots of his â€Å"abashed†