Final essay
(connect intro to question)Michael Ondaatje’s 1987 In the Skin of a Lion is a historic fiction where Patrick Lewis recounts his migrant struggle during 1938 Canada, a period of significant class conflict between migrants and locals, finding solace as a “prism refracting” the stories of the marginalised migrants. His fragmented stories reflect mid-20th century postmodernist influence adopting a critical pose against the capitalist historical representation of Toronto, Canada that neglects credit towards its migrant workers. Then, Ondaatje highlights the broader narrative’s failure to preserve the integrity of human elements and perspectives. Link to point one Ultimately, In the Skin of a Lion narratives reveals the significance of …show more content…
By their very definition, traditional narrative is an antithesis to the irrational chaos of the human element because as Ondaatje highlights meta-textually, they follow the traditional conventions of rational, “clear” stories” with “clarified motives”. However, In the Skin of a Lion rejects the rational stories and shows us the human element of irrationality as Clara leaves Patrick for Ambrose despite her love for Patrick without any “clarified motive”. Through its unorthodox postmodern structure focussing on human element perspective, In the Skin of a Lion depicts the complexity and chaos of the human condition. As Patrick’s story jumps between the disparate stories of the “nun, a daredevil” and other stratified characters, it becomes a “wondrous night web” of many narratives highlighting the fragmented, multi-layered structure of Lion. This structure is metaphorical for true human experience which involves as significant postmodern critic Lawrence Weiner states: putting “bits and pieces” of events together “to represent a semblance of whole” and finding meaning in it. Patrick’s story becomes “….something ungoverned…[by the] headlines of the day”” metaphorical for the complex interconnected nature of human relationships which is outside the scope of “linear” traditional narratives from …show more content…
This is reflected in his metaphorical wish to become a “member of the night” uninvolved in the radical anarchic tension between migrant and local classes of 20th century Toronto. However, despite his struggle to escape the official history’s confines symbolised by his claustrophobic journey through the pipes in the waterworks, alone, he only receives “blows and scrapes” and “is caught” inexorably in the narrative current. This highlights the inability of the powerless to become their own “spokesmen” within the narrative of traditional history. Instead their depiction is shaped and controlled by the powerful “politicians and press”. However, it is also the powerful Commissioner Harris, builder of the waterworks thus symbolic author of Toronto’s official history, who finally helps Patrick don the “skin of a lion”. This is highlighted in Harris’s allusion to the epic of Gilgamesh where Patrick wielding his sword against the “lions around him” is the hero. Meta-textually, this highlights Harris ceding authorial control to Patrick, a minor character, moving aside to allow Patrick to share a story with tangible sense of human element, where he and the marginalised migrants are significant. Thus Ondaatje highlights that the story teller dictates the significance of certain
(connect intro to question)Michael Ondaatje’s 1987 In the Skin of a Lion is a historic fiction where Patrick Lewis recounts his migrant struggle during 1938 Canada, a period of significant class conflict between migrants and locals, finding solace as a “prism refracting” the stories of the marginalised migrants. His fragmented stories reflect mid-20th century postmodernist influence adopting a critical pose against the capitalist historical representation of Toronto, Canada that neglects credit towards its migrant workers. Then, Ondaatje highlights the broader narrative’s failure to preserve the integrity of human elements and perspectives. Link to point one Ultimately, In the Skin of a Lion narratives reveals the significance of …show more content…
By their very definition, traditional narrative is an antithesis to the irrational chaos of the human element because as Ondaatje highlights meta-textually, they follow the traditional conventions of rational, “clear” stories” with “clarified motives”. However, In the Skin of a Lion rejects the rational stories and shows us the human element of irrationality as Clara leaves Patrick for Ambrose despite her love for Patrick without any “clarified motive”. Through its unorthodox postmodern structure focussing on human element perspective, In the Skin of a Lion depicts the complexity and chaos of the human condition. As Patrick’s story jumps between the disparate stories of the “nun, a daredevil” and other stratified characters, it becomes a “wondrous night web” of many narratives highlighting the fragmented, multi-layered structure of Lion. This structure is metaphorical for true human experience which involves as significant postmodern critic Lawrence Weiner states: putting “bits and pieces” of events together “to represent a semblance of whole” and finding meaning in it. Patrick’s story becomes “….something ungoverned…[by the] headlines of the day”” metaphorical for the complex interconnected nature of human relationships which is outside the scope of “linear” traditional narratives from …show more content…
This is reflected in his metaphorical wish to become a “member of the night” uninvolved in the radical anarchic tension between migrant and local classes of 20th century Toronto. However, despite his struggle to escape the official history’s confines symbolised by his claustrophobic journey through the pipes in the waterworks, alone, he only receives “blows and scrapes” and “is caught” inexorably in the narrative current. This highlights the inability of the powerless to become their own “spokesmen” within the narrative of traditional history. Instead their depiction is shaped and controlled by the powerful “politicians and press”. However, it is also the powerful Commissioner Harris, builder of the waterworks thus symbolic author of Toronto’s official history, who finally helps Patrick don the “skin of a lion”. This is highlighted in Harris’s allusion to the epic of Gilgamesh where Patrick wielding his sword against the “lions around him” is the hero. Meta-textually, this highlights Harris ceding authorial control to Patrick, a minor character, moving aside to allow Patrick to share a story with tangible sense of human element, where he and the marginalised migrants are significant. Thus Ondaatje highlights that the story teller dictates the significance of certain