Reflection #8: learnings

Finally completed reading The English Patient, I gradually understood the theme that Ondaatje tries to convey. With Hana's altruism, he advises us to care for the people around us. The love of Hana to her father, from Almasy to Katherine, and between Kit and Hana are perfect embodiment of the theme of love which is one of the story's main ideas. Also, the hopefulness Hana has to the patient exemplifies an attitude which the author wants us to adopt. Overall, this novel evokes really deep thinking from the readers and contains much useful information and knowledge which can be applied to our daily life.

Group Inquiry Project

Having picked altruism as our inquiry question, my group members and I started to take actions. We planned to collect books and donate them to Admiral Seymour Elementary school, thus demonstrating our altruism. We went to every house around the neighborhood, asking them for used books. At first, we encountered many problems. Some people were annoyed when we knocked the door and others did not want to take pictures with us, which made it difficult for us to do the Pecha Kucha. But as we got better at the job, we were able to get more books and grew more confident. The greatest success so far in our inquiry project is that we were able to resolve the problems we face. We will keep up with the things we do and continue with our inquiry.

The English Patient: The Connection

Altruism, a predominant theme in The English Patient, is closely related to my life. In the novel, Hana nurses her patient carefully and asks nothing in return. Her altruism is just like my care for the animals. Since grade 10, I have been attempting to raise animal conservation awareness in BC through social media, online advertisement, and local newspapers. What I am doing for the animals is similar to what Hana does in that we both do not ask anything in return. The novel confirms my belief in the animal rights movement and encourages me to keep up with what I am doing.

The English Patient: Altruism

Altruism is embodied in The English Patient primarily through Hana's meticulous care for Almasy. She reads to him, wipes his body, and feeds him every day without complaining about the trouble that she has endured. She cares for him with heart and soul without asking anything in return. Her behaviors are so inspiring to me that I started helping others and noticing more and more altruistic behaviors in the current society. The impact that the novel has had on me is tremendous, and this effect can only be achieved by a masterpiece. Therefore, once again, I have to say that The English Patient is a powerful literary work and I recommend it to everyone interested in reading.

The English Patient: Love VS Friendship

When I am reading The English Patient, this question keeps popping out of my head, "What is the difference between love and friendship?" Hana takes care of the English patient, yet she cannot distinguish her feelings toward him clearly. This makes me question some relationships in my life. Sometimes I mistaken friendship as love and take love as a friendship.
After thinking about the difference between them carefully, I came up with a method, or merely an idea, to vary the two. Imagine that you are alone in a dark house. You cannot get out but can let one person in to accompany you. The person who comes into your mind immediately is exactly your love.
Hope this will provide you with some thoughts. Comment if you have your own way of distinguishing love and friendship.

The English Patient: a way of writing

  Michael Ondaatje forms a unique and interesting narrative style in The English Patient. It follows neither the order of time nor the shifting of spaces. The narration constantly skips back and forth between past and present, and from place to place.

  This style of writing was really confusing for me at first. It is hard to determine what is going on in the story without sufficient information given. However, as I got used the skipping-back-and-forth, I realized that there is a key skill we have to develop in order to read Ondaatje's novel--identifying the point of shifting. Once we find out that the setting has changed, we then look for the specific time and place of the scene. Thus, the reading becomes much easier and a more enjoyable experience.

The English Patient: Hope

I have to admit that The English Patient enthralls me more than any other novels. Not only is the plot intriguing, but also does it allow room for imagination. Having read for a few more days, I get a better understanding of the story and discover what the author tries to convey. Hana, the nurse who takes care of the burnt patient, refuses to leave the war zone and insists that she remain to take care of the patient. The novel thus describes how she lives under the devastating circumstance while not losing her hope. In the meantime, this quality of not giving up can be related to our lives.  For instance, many of us relinquish so easily when we face a challenge or fail a task. However, if we could be patient and hope for the better, like what hana does, then things might turn out for the better.

First Reflection

The book that I chose is The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. This is a story about love and conflict during the WWⅡ. I chose this book because of its well-designed cover （cater to my taste... as you can see） and its intriguing plot summary. Having read the introduction, I think my inquiry question will most likely be about love or one's persistence in a devastating situation. I am looking forward to see how the author combines love and conflict in developing the plot. I truly believe that the story will be somehow related to my life and that I can learn plenty from it. (Since it's a love story... maybe a point or two on dating?? Hehe...)

Gadsden

I stood on the beach, looked at the far end of the ocean, and felt the water slipping through my toes. In the dark, I saw a person walking closer and closer to me.

     “Still waiting?” a familiar voice asked.

     I raised my head gradually and started to recognize that face. I nodded my head, and turned my eyes back onto the horizon, hoping to see what I’d been waiting for finally appear.

     “I will be in the cabin, if you need me.”

     I heard that voice getting further away, thinking when my life became all about the waiting. It’d been 3 months since I started, but I felt like 3 decades had gone by. I stood here, letting the water slowly take me away and feeling my energy being used up.

     The stars seemed to be extraordinarily bright tonight. Their light reflected on the surface of the sea and lighted up the forest behind me. Flying above the water, two seagulls chased each other. Their feathers were shone by the fireflies looping around, glossy and pretty. A squirrel ran by me, picking up the acorn that she dropped earlier. Pausing for a moment, she stared at me with such pity as if telling me that it—what I yearned for—would never come.

It was getting late. I picked up my sandwich wrapper and started heading towards the cabin, which Nico and I built together. Walking along the beach, I left a series of foot prints that were immediately washed off by the sea completely. I stopped, looking at the trace of me disappear. A strong sense of déjà vu gushed out. Suddenly, my eyes blurred and dizziness came upon me. In a whirling world, I lost my direction.

…

I woke up on a bed, still feeling vertiginous. I squinted hard and tried to see the surroundings. Gradually, a desk, a chair, and a shelf full of silver wares appeared. I examined the room carefully: the bed was in the center; around the bed was a kingdom of stuffed animals; beside the toys there sit two crystal vases; an old-fashioned chandelier was hung from the ceiling. The entire room was filled with furniture made of rosewood, and a smell of antiques pervaded.

“Knock, knock!” I heard a woman say. She opened the door, came in, and walked straight to the bed where I was still lying at. I looked the woman up and down: she wore a red gaudy outfit and a pearl necklace; her face was smudged with blusher; her perfume smelled like a mixture of ginger and grape fruit.

“Baron! Honey! Wakie wakie!”

“Yes, mother.” It sounded all natural to come out of my mouth.

“Oh! What a lovely day!” She opened up the curtains and looked out from the window. “It is time for you to get dressed, dear.” she smiled at me, “We are going to Mrs. Boastful’s and tailoring you a tuxedo for tomorrow’s wedding.”

“Yes, mother.” The two words jumped right out. I was shocked by how mechanically I responded.

“That’s my little Baron.” She seemed to be contented. “I will meet you downstairs in five.”

“Yes, mother.” I replied.

I didn’t know how much time had gone by before I found myself walking with my mother on the street, wearing a new tuxedo. Everything seemed so familiar: the trees, the flowers, and the benches along the sidewalk…

“Honey, you behaved yourself really well at Mrs. Boastful’s.” said the lady. “Mrs. Boastful is the best tailor on the island. It is such an honour to have her performing a service for us.” She continued, still smiling kindly.

After a while of walking, we sat down on a bench. When I was about to fix my collar, she snatched my hand right away. A rigorous expression appeared on her face. “Listen, Baron. Tomorrow’s wedding is very important to our family. All the royal ones are showing up. If your leg hurt, keep standing. If your eyes ached, leave them alone. If your neck itched, do not scratch it or adjust your shirt.” she said quite disparagingly.

I nodded. Another “yes mother” came out.

I saw the corner of her mouth uplift slightly. “Don’t forget your etiquette honey.” She put her smile back on, “That is the only way you can marry a noble and earn us the social status we’ve always needed.”

“Yes mother.” I answered.

…

“Duron, Duron! Are you alright?” I heard a voice say.

I opened up my eyes and found myself lying on the beach. Nico stood beside me, looking at me quite anxiously.

“Was it the memory again?” he asked.

I didn’t answer but sat up straight, watching my feet sink into the sand. A wave slapped the shore, washing off Nico’s footprints along the edge. The water receded, and, for a moment, it was a complete silence.

“I tried to erase the past and live on.” I whispered, as if talking to myself, “I tried to forget everything, but all he memories just kept coming up to my mind.”

Nico looked into my eyes. His gaze, for some reason, gave me the strength to look at myself again.

“Don’t be silly.” He touched my head and finally said.

I looked down. The water had taken away the sand around my feet.

Nico reached out and dragged me up from the ground. We stood quietly for a moment, looking at each other.

I watched this young man carefully. His face was emaciated from long hours of toil. His patched shirt was old and torn-up. His shorts were unedged. His toe revealed itself from the hole of the shoe. The finest clothing on him—a belt—was a sea of wrinkles. This was the man who I considered as my brother and who stayed beside me during any hardship.

“It’s getting late.” He said, trembling a little from the wind blowing into his short sleeves. “Come on. Let’s go inside and have couple hours of sleep before the sun rises again.” Having made the decision, he started walking towards the cabin, and I followed him.

…

The next morning, everything was just as normal to me. I woke up with a headache, tottered to the bathroom, managed to stand there for 5 minutes without slipping, stumbled to the dining table and grabbed some mouldy bread.

“How do you feel, Duron?” Nico asked.

“Bad but ready for the waiting.” I answered with a mouth full of crumbs.

Nico laughed and said teasingly, “Well, I hope you could succeed today.”

I took a handful of bread with me and went out. Before I left, I marked another “X” on the ground. I counted the number of crosses and mumbled to myself, “100 crosses… the 100th day…”

Until now, everything still seemed just as regular.

I went to the beach and sat down on my usual spot. The sun just rose up, spreading a line of goldenness over the sea. A fresh breeze puffed across, leaving a string of dandelions behind. A bevy of seafowl hovered over me, soaring and sailing among the clouds.

Yes, everything was just as habitual.

I laid myself down on the soft sand, closed my eyes, and quietly enjoyed the perfect harmony in this world. A zephyr swept over my face; a humming bird sang to my ears; a leaf dropped onto my eyes; a ship sounded its siren; a…

A ship...

A ship?

I sat up straight immediately and looked out to the far end of the horizon: A gigantic object shrouded in the sunlight moved slowly towards me. As it got closer and closer, I gradually discerned its true image.

It was a straight-stem ship with two masts and one funnel. The moss and shellfish on the hull bottom revealed its long history on the sea, but the iron construction and its length of approximately 400 ft in no way detracted from the magnificence. A flag flied on one of its masts. On the flag was one gigantic word of “Gadsden”, bold and clear.

I was dumbfounded. My mind was completely out of the world. For 3 months, I stood here waiting for it to come, but when it approached me, I started doubting my own eyes.

A sonorous sound of horn woke me up. Seeing the enormous object pulling into shore, I finally was aware that this was the reality.

Nico also heard the siren and was standing beside me already when I noticed his presence. “Duron, my good brother!” he said, not inhibiting his excitement, “the time has finally come.” He touched my hair, looking at me longingly.

I cried. My tears, like the water of the ocean, were surging in my eye sockets and endlessly pouring out. They came from joy, along with the melancholy of leaving my family.

Nico opened his arms wide and hugged me, holding on to me like a father saying goodbye to his grown-up child.

“Go on.” After a moment of pacifying he finally said, “The ship is only pulling over for an hour. You have to go now.”

I looked at him firmly for the last time. Gratitude, nostalgia, and sadness all came upon me.

“Goodbye, Duron. Goodbye, my little brother. ” He said, quivering.

I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to say—this was the man who saved me from all the suffering and treated me like a sibling. I owed him everything, and how could I express this in an hour?

I shook free from him and quickly ran to the ship, not taking another glance at this place where I lived, laughed, suffered, learned to be brave and met the only person on this planet who loved me.

…

I leaned against a handrail on the rear end of the ship and watched the island get further away. A soft wind lifted up my hair. This, for another time, reminded me of the days on the beach. Thinking over everything that happened in that territory, I realized how tough I became. Among all the memories, the night that changed my whole life came up to my mind again.

I was in my tuxedo, ready to attend the wedding. My mother and father waited for me downstairs.

“Baron! Honey! Come on down.” My mother urged me.

Baron. That name. I hated it—not only the name itself, but also its meaning, which is “wealthy and royal.” My mom named me that, hoping that I could someday marry a noblewoman and earn the family some reputation. But that was not what I wanted to do. I wanted to be free, without anyone restraining my actions—like a bird. I had always hoped that my name had been “Duron”, meaning free and unconstrained.

“Honey!” My mother yelled again.

“Be right there.” I looked at myself in tuxedo. What a tight outfit! Living in a family like this, I found that my dream would never come true.

Suddenly, I heard someone knocking. I thought my mother had come up to get me, so I went to answer the door. However, to my dismay, no one was there.

“Bong, bong, bong!” the sound continued. I closed my eyes and tried to follow the trace of the sound. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in front of a window, and outside, there sit a cuckoo bird.

“Hello there, little birdie.” I opened the window and greeted.

Seeing the window open, it came in and hovered over my head.

I was surprised by its friendliness, and decided to observe it.

The bird looped a couple times in the air, and landed on the windowsill. It pecked the wood frame and looked up at me. Then, it flew out, but lingered outside and waited for me.

“Are you telling me to follow you?” I was shocked by myself when this came out.

The bird started flying away. For some reason, I felt obligated to catch up to it. Thus, I climbed out of the window, flipped over the balcony, landed on the ground, and started running behind it.

I followed it into a cabin in the forest. Nico was there, sitting on a sofa. It was strangely natural for us to start chatting and getting to know each other. After hearing my situation, Nico offered to let me stay with him. I answered “yes” almost without any hesitation as if I was desperate to leave the course of my life. Then, Nico told me about the ship, the only way to really escape from this dirty world which I hated. It came twice every year to this isolated island and took people to Liberty City. Ever since then, I have waited day and night, hoping to be rescued from this place and obtain real freedom.

I looked at the ocean, little uncomfortable of not waiting for anything. The looking-out-at-the-ocean life had engraved into my deep soul that it had almost become a part of me. Having no ambition, I felt the inside of my heart empty.

As I was thinking about my life, a sound of heels walking on wood floor approached me from the back.

“Baron, my dear,” A lady said.

Baron? The name that had gone out of my life?

Just when I was about to turn my head around, I felt someone pushing me. My body, leaning against a rail, flipped over easily and started its free-falling. In the air, I span like a bird shot down from the sky, like a penalized angel whose wings were cut off. I turned around and looked up at the deck, noticing a woman in red gaudy fitting leaving in a hurry.

Splash!

In the sky, a seagull hovered, soaring and sailing among the clouds.